Five Brothers

WTF did I just read?

…is what I’ve been asking myself after finishing Five Brothers by Ms. Douglas. Having enjoyed both Credenceand Birthday Girl, I went into this one with high expectations, only to be left thoroughly disappointed. This was 554 pages of nothing.

Krisjen, we need to talk. You don’t need to be involved with all of them—two would have sufficed. The story might have even worked better if it had focused on just the first brother and Iron (team Iron anyone? no? just me? alright then). The book felt sluggish and lacked a clear plot… however is a solid storyline even a priority in a P. Douglas boo? No. But that’s not the point here. Krisjen was difficult to relate to, and I struggled to connect with her—was anyone able to?

As for the plot—or the lack thereof—it was underwhelming. I felt that the ending was misguided; Krisjen should have ended up with the guy in prison (yes, that’s a bit of a spoiler). XXXX (hiding spoiler) didn’t seem like the right choice, they had absolutely no chemistry. But with Iron, there seemed to be the best chemistry. A more intriguing plot twist could have involved him being wrongfully accused, with the story centered on proving his innocence. Just a thought.

I was hoping for another Credence, but instead, I found myself perplexed and unfulfilled. The hose?! THE VACCUUM?!?!?!?!?!? That’s all I’m going to say there.

The contrast between the wealthy side and the underprivileged side was evident, but unlike Credence, where the connections made sense, this one felt disorganized. I was looking for a story akin to Credence but obviously without the step-family complications.

So I found myself asking… WTF did I just read?.