Oh how my heart ached for Brian! Thirteen years old, feeling abandoned by his mom, stuck with a father who is more focused on his next scam than being a good father, and left to care for his 16 year old physically and mentally disabled brother. Brian is a wonderful brother and son and takes on more than any kid should need to. This makes for a story that makes the reader both cringe and want to somehow relieve his burden. Character development is centered on Brian as we watch him struggle between his responsibilities for his brother and his own desire to be a 13 year old boy. End result: it draws you in! A bittersweet book that shows you that love comes in many different ways.

The narrator is 13-year-old Brian Chevalier.  He lives with his father Maurice in a filthy, rundown trailer.  Maurice, a ne'er-do-well, learns that he can get money if he cares for his physically and mentally disabled son for the summer while his assisted-living residence is being renovated.  Of course Brian becomes Lucien’s primary care giver.  A strong bond develops between the brothers and Lucien even shows signs of physical improvement when he is not as sedated as he seems to be at the residence.  All is not well, however, as they are threatened with eviction.

The characterization of Brian is very realistic.  Appropriately for his age, he is naïve, impulsive, emotionally immature, and curious about sex.  Despite his flaws, like an occasional unthinking disregard for Lucien’s safety, there is no doubt that he loves his brother.  Unfortunately, Brian, not having any other role model, has picked up some of his father’s behaviours.  For instance, he knows how to pressure a person to get money.  Brian may not want to be like his father, but it seems almost inevitable that he will be like him.  His mother has moved on to another marriage and seems to have abandoned Brian to his life with his father.  Emile, a man who moves into another trailer, offers more of a positive example, but Brian’s time with him is limited for a number of reasons.  He is told that the trailer is not a good home for him, but he has no options.

Maurice is anything but admirable.  He leaves Brian in charge of his brother when giving Lucien proper care is not an easy task.  He is shiftless, leaving his sons every day with no explanation for his absences.  He is known to police.  He is not beyond using his son’s disability to get money and cover crimes.  Besides being neglectful, Maurice is also abusive.  It is clear that Brian fears his father who has violent outbursts.  The reader does get glimpses of positive traits, but there is little to like about the man.  What puzzled me is the choice of name for the father.  I know Maurice Chevalier as a French actor and singer and wondered if the author’s choice of name was intentional.  (And this raises another question:  why did the Dutch author choose to set his novel in France?)

Tension exists throughout the book.  Will Brian be able to care for his brother and keep him safe?  Will they be evicted by the landlords who are becoming more and more impatient with Maurice’s rent non-payment and lies?  Brian’s relationship with Selma, a 19-year-old resident at the home, is unsettling.  Maurice, though he can be funny and charming, is a threatening presence.  I kept waiting for something serious to happen.  

I also found myself feeling sad and angry.  Brian deserves a better life, but he just doesn’t have any opportunities.  He tells Lucien, “’When I’m old enough, you can come and live with me,’” but it’s a promise that will be difficult to keep.  Maurice is a dysfunctional person and that dysfunction may very well prove to be generational since Brian has been largely abandoned to a father who models inappropriate, if not dangerous, behaviour.  

Because of the subject matter, the book is not always an easy read, but it realistically and unsentimentally portrays life on the margins of society.  The novel is described as “an honest, tender account of brotherly love,” and that too is true.  That love is the one hopeful note.

Note:  I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

I received a copy of this book to review from Netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity.
A heartbreaking story of a 13 year old caring for his elder brother. I found the story well thought out although I think certain aspects didn't really translate well into English which interrupted the flow of the story.
An ok read.

In Summer Brother, we are introduced to 13 year old Brian and his scheming father, who live in a caravan on the edge of a rundown dump, and are at constant threat of being evicted. Each week, they go to visit Brian's brother Lucien, who lives in an assisted living facility that is about to undergo renovations. When they offer Brian's dad a stipend to take care of him at home over the summer, he jumps at the chance despite having no idea how to care for him. When Brian is left in charge, he is forced to examine his loyalty and faith in his father, and what is really best for Lucien.
With its quirky characters and dark humor mixed with tender moments, Summer Brother was reminiscent of a great indie movie.

One to curl up with and escape into a beautiful sweet loving story. The story gives the unique perspective of what it’s like for a young disabled boy and his wonderful  brother who keeps his life shine so bright.

Summer Brother is a fantastic book about a teenager who ends up having to watch over his severely disabled brother for a week or two in the summer.  It is very well written with strong characters that will stick with you long after the book is done. The main character Bry is thoughtful but, man does he made bad choice after bad choice.  Wow.  His living situation is horrible but he does try and make the most of it.  The interaction with his brother is really something and at times pretty heartbreaking. I loved the book and look forward to reading more by this author.

Few books have ever left me feeling so emotionally flooded as Summer Brother by Jaap Robben. I mean this as a compliment. This story of family, struggle, and love, is nothing like anything I have read before. Most of the characters in this masterful story are flawed, some deeply so, but they all have some redeeming quality that keeps them from seeming villainous. 

The book is written from the perspective of Brian, who is thirteen years old and has been living in a trailer with his father for quite some time. He doesn’t see his mother anymore. She visits Brian’s brother, Lucien, in a nursing home for individuals with significant disabilities, but she blames Brian and his father for Lucien not living with the family. Brian’s father is scraping by on creative storytelling about the money that will be coming soon. 

When Brian and his father go to visit Lucien, they discover that the nursing home is being remodeled, and Lucien will not be able to stay there for at least a month over the summer. If they take Lucien home, the state will reimburse them for his care, which is an opportunity that their father cannot pass up. Of course, Brian and his father do not have enough space or the proper training to care for Lucien, but they agree to take him home anyway. Taking care of Lucien becomes Brian’s responsibility. 

There are many twists and turns in this book and none of them are pleasant to read about. However, the reader feels compelled to continue because Brian is such a sympathetic narrator. Even in his darkest moments, his choices can be understood. More astonishing is the reader’s sympathy for Brian’s father. Only an extraordinary author could create such a flawed character who still tugs at the reader’s heartstrings. There is a tremendous beauty and truth to this story.

Extraordinary. This book hit my heart in ways I wasn't expecting. A sheer delight - I raced to the last page, and then regretted reading it so quickly.

Book Review for Summer Brother by Jaap Robben
Full review for this title can be found at: @fyebooks on Instagram!

I definitely get the appeal and the good reviews Robben's novel has, however "Summer Brother"'s strong imagery 
was not enough for me to be blown away.

<i>Summer Brother</i> is a excellent work of literary fiction about a family that lives in the margins but is elevated by the love between two brothers.  Brian is a tough but sensitive and naive 13-year-old who loves his severely disabled brother. <i>Summer Brother</i>, is one of several books written by the Dutch poet, playwright, actor and children’s author, Jaap Robben.

Brian lives with his dad, Maurice, because his mom doesn’t want him.  They live in a rundown trailer with two dogs and across the yard from a pair of landlords who insist this is no place for Brian to live.   One day Brain and Maurice go to visit Lucien and Maurice discovers that due to renovations at the hospital there is an opportunity to make some good money by bringing Lucien home for the summer.  This is obviously a foolish idea but Maurice has dollar signs in his eyes so he maneuvers his way around the rules.  Once home, Lucien lives most of his day outside because they can’t get the bed into the trailer and, with the help of a neighbor, Brian becomes the primary care giver.  Lucien becomes quite mobile with Brian’s help and everything looks like it will be fine until it isn’t.

Robben is excellent at character development.  Brian is a tough street wise kid, and at the same time he is loving, accepting, and kind but naïve and immature.  Lucien, although severely disabled, plays a major role in moving the story along.  Maurice is a complete loser, but I like him better that the boys’ mom.  All of the secondary characters are interesting and unique.
 
Although it is not a fast-moving plot, the book does an excellent job of keeping you on the edge of your seat by introducing the reader to a world of living in the margins.  You feel as though Lucien is in danger all of the time, but he manages.  No one takes care of Brian and yet he too manages until his naivety catches up to him.  As a reader, one becomes a cheerleader for the under privileged.
 
For the most part, the story is heartwarming and cheerful and people get by.  This is why the conclusion is a shock.  It shouldn’t be a surprise, but it is, because one hopes things will end differently.  It is part of why the book is excellent.

I recommend this book everyone who cheers for the underdog against all odds.  This is a beautiful book.  I give it a 5 on 5.  I want to thank NetGalley and World Editions for providing me with a digital copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.