Voted 'Most Likely to Get the Death Penalty,' loner Brewster Rawlins, aka the Bruiser, is not the guy Tennyson wants dating his sister, Bronte. So when Bronte announces that she and Brew are mini-golfing on Saturday, Tennyson takes his girlfriend mini-golfing too, and takes a break to threaten the Bruiser. But, a few days later, he sees Brew dressing after gym class. Brew's back is a mess of bruises, and Tennyson decides to follow him home. What he sees there will change his life, and Brew's, forever.Bronte is a fixer. So when she meets Brewster, she knows right away that he's her next project. Even though her obnoxious lacrosse-playing bully of a brother is being a real jerk about it. Still, what started out as a project (and, let's be honest, a little bit of spite against Tennyson) becomes much more as Bronte truly starts to care about Brew, and he about her.
But with Brew, it turns out that caring isn't all it's cracked up to be. When Tennyson offers his hand to Brew as a sign of peace, Brew hesitates, then takes it. The next day, Tennyson notices that all his knuckle bruises and scabs from lacrosse are gone - but Brew's hands are pretty banged-up for no good reason. And then Bronte trips on a picnic with Brew, twisting and maybe spraining her ankle, though, after a foot massage from Brew, it turns out not to hurt at all anymore. But Brew spends the next week limping around, favoring the same ankle Bronte sprained.
It all seems pretty impossible to believe for Tennyson and Bronte - except it's happening to them. And it's been happening to Brew's little brother, Cody, for years. But what, exactly, happens to Brew and the people he cares about? And how much can he give up for them before it's too much?
Told from the alternating first person point of view of Tennyson, Bronte, Brewster, and Cody, Bruiser is an intense, powerful novel about the power of friendship, family, love, and sacrifice. Tennyson, Bronte and Cody are great characters, but it's Brewster who steals the show with his quiet acceptance of carrying the burden of others' pain. Despite Brew's supernatural abilities, this is a great read for you realistic fiction affecionados. Check it out @ the library!
Megan
(now reading Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve, a steampunk fantasy alternative history of awesome!)
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