As someone who has experienced the heartbreak of losing a loved one, I came into Karen: A Brother Remembers hoping for a thoughtful, perhaps even healing exploration of grief. I was prepared for the emotional weight of the story, knowing that Kelsey Grammer’s sister, Karen, was taken from this world far too soon under horrific circumstances. What I wasn’t prepared for was a memoir that, while deeply personal, lacked the clarity and cohesion needed to truly resonate.

There’s no doubt Grammer’s pain is genuine—his grief seeps through the pages, and his affection for Karen is deeply felt. His decision to share such raw memories and relive the trauma is undeniably brave. However, the book often reads more like an unedited emotional purge than a reflective or structured memoir. The writing frequently feels disorganized, jumping around without warning from childhood to adulthood to recent reflections and back again. This lack of a clear timeline made it difficult to follow and even harder to stay emotionally engaged.

Another frustrating aspect is the confusing way people are introduced and referenced. Grammer uses first names only—without much context—when talking about teachers, friends, and family members. As a reader, I often found myself flipping back and trying to recall who was who, which disrupted the emotional rhythm of the story.

Ultimately, Karen feels more like a therapeutic exercise for the author than a fully realized book for readers. While the intention is heartfelt, the execution is fragmented and emotionally overwhelming in a way that doesn’t offer connection or closure. For those seeking a structured narrative or meaningful insights into grief, this memoir may fall short.

Thanks to Harper Select and Netgalley for this eARC.

I greatly enjoyed a mystery written by Kelsey Grammer a few years ago, and in general I find him an intriguing individual. As I am both a fan of the author and a true crime fan, I greatly anticipated this book.

Reading it is a challenge, it not only jumps timelines, it is rambling... I am sure it was an important book for the author to write for personal reasons, however whether it translates to a larger audience is a matter of individual taste.

I'm a huge fan of Kelsey Grammer and a avid True Crime reader, so when I saw this book I had t request it. The book was interesting. You could tell how much feeling to put into this book. I did feel that he repeated himself quite a bit, but it wasn't so much so that it was off putting. I would read another book by him. And I hope that writing this book and sharing his sister's story with the world has brought him some peace.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up Karen, but Kelsey Grammer surprised me with a story that’s both emotionally layered and deeply human. The book is a raw, reflective exploration of grief, identity, and the complexity of relationships—told with honesty and surprising vulnerability.

Grammer’s writing style is straightforward but evocative, and there’s a quiet strength in the way he navigates the emotional terrain of the story. Karen feels personal, even intimate at times, and it lingers long after the final page.

This isn't a flashy or overly dramatic read, but it’s impactful in its simplicity. If you’re looking for a novel that feels real, heartfelt, and quietly powerful, Karen is worth your time.

This is a heartfelt memoir that is raw and emotional. I liked the writing style because it was unique. I would recommend this! Special Thank You to Kelsey Grammer,Harper Selects and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am an enormous fan of Kelsey Grammer's work as an actor, both stage and screen.

Frasier happens to be one of my absolute favorite shows of all time, in fact.

In Karen, Kelsey Grammer processes his grief over the loss of his sister. In writing a book both about her and with the stated intent of remembering her in a unique and loving way, he searches for closure in the painful memory of her loss.

Many performers and actors are excellent story tellers. Often, they are excellent writers, as well. For example, both Tom Hanks and Steve Martin write beautiful prose, short stories, and music.

In Karen, I learned that, while Kelsey Grammer is an excellent actor and artist, and he is a loving brother in his own way, writing is simply not his forte.

Throughout the piece, he disrupts his timeline to add in “artistic” creative asides. For me, these asides do not feel well-executed. I feel that a more focused approach on narrative would improve this meaningful and important work.

As it is, I feel like this piece is more uniquely geared for Kelsey Grammer himself, rather than an outside reader.

Thank you to Harper Select and NetGalley for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Sadly (and very unexpectedly), this was a DNF for me. I really wanted to like this book and had been looking forwarf to reading it, but for the life of me I could not get into it. It was like the book kept me at arm's length. Every page was a struggle, due not only to the subject matter but also to writing that can only be described as disjointed.
Also, following Mr Grammer into his family tragedy felt just... wrong, like I was intruding. The feelings he is conveying are just so raw. I constantly felt like offering my condolences.
Not for me.

I tried multiple times and I just couldn't get into this book. The writing style was difficult to read. I wonder if the audio wouldn't be better. I may try that. I only read about 10%.

I am a HUGE fan of Kelsey Grammer's so I was very excited to read this book. I knew the subject matter would be difficult and I can't image going through something like this. I felt like the book was a little disjointed, maybe too much stream of conscience? My daughter listed too it and said she really enjoyed the fact that Grammer narrated it.

I think there are definitely people who would really like this book, but I ended up DNF'ing. It's not necessarily that I thought it was bad, it just wasn't quite for me. I got through 36% of it and didn't feel I could stay captivated in it for another 64% - the book just felt a little too long. I think that is partially because the writing style was definitely more of a stream of consciousness writing instead of structured so the back and forth and repetitiveness was getting to be a little uncomfortable for me. It was also a bit off-putting that the book seemed to be, at least through almost 40% of the book, more about Kelsey rather than his sister. I think it was a great way for him to be able to go through his grief, and I'm sure there's people that can relate, but I would've liked to know a little more about Karen.

Kelsey Grammer delineates his sister's life and murder. Karen was and continues to be loved by Grammer. This narrative demonstrates a tragic, grief remembrance: the story is nonlinear and recalled via Grammer's connections to events, sounds, and places. I read some reviews that stated this narrative was not well crafted, but I disagree. I studied life-writing in my graduate Literature classes, and this narrative is well edited and organized. Grief is not linear. Memory is not linear. We recall our lives based upon our moods, environments, and purpose. Grammer honors Karen by demonstrating her importance to him, to his family, and to her friends. He recalls a story about Karen during their childhood, which leads him to discuss family, belonging, and pride. This thought leads to Grammer wishing Karen was present during other life events he wished he could have shared with her. This is normal life-writing; moreover, it is typical for grief and memory. I am honored to have read this book.

Thank you #NetGalley for my ARC; this review is my honest opinion.

This was a very good book. It was well-written. I would highly recommend it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.

I was looking forward to reading this, as I am a fan of Kelsey Grammer, and had heard little about this tragedy in his life. I had to DNF

While Kelsey's love for his sister and his family came shining through in this book, it was almost impossible for me to follow because at no point is it told in a linear fashion. I understand that thoughts can feel this way, but it makes for difficult reading.

3 ⭐️

WHAT I LOVED - It read like a journal, with memories, stories of growing up, and personal growth.

WHAT I LIKED - The honesty. It's difficult to admit your own faults, fears, and insecurities, and to do so publicly is pretty spectacular.

WHAT I DISLIKED - It took me a very long time to get through this. I had to take many breaks and read something else before diving back in.

WOULD I RECOMMEND? Yes and no. Yes, if you are a fan of Kelsey Grammer and want to know more about him personally. If you are looking for a gritty true crime story, then no.

Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Select, for this eARC for review. All opinions are my own.

This was absolutely heartbreaking to read. Memoirs are typically really hard to rate for me, and this was unlike any memoir I have ever read. To me this felt like reading Kelsey’s journal. It is written stream of consciousness, it is often messy, disjointed, confusing…but it was also rare and beautiful. It’s a extremely intimate account of a man reconciling and working through his grief and love. It was hard to read at times as I felt I was intruding into his private thoughts. Also hard because Karen’s death was brutal and senseless and many details of it are accounted here. But what a beautiful tribute to not only Karen’s life, but also Kelsey’s other family members and friends. Glad to have read this. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Select for the opportunity to read this. And thank you to Kelsey Grammer for sharing Karen with us all.

While what happened to the author’s sister was horrific, this book felt more like a random retelling of different aspects of the author’s life than about his sister.

This book was an emotional journey that I wasn't quite prepared for, but I truly appreciate that Kelsey Grammer wrote an honest, vulnerable account of not only what happened to his sister, but also the toll it took on him. There is a beauty in the healing that Grammer talks about and in the way that he honors the memory of his sister and I feel that readers will really connect with this in the book.

No book is perfect though, and there are some pacing issues here and there, but overall it is not anything that takes away from the profound meaning behind this book.

I highly recommend this one to all readers.

Thanks to Harper Select and Kelsey Grammer for this moving advanced reader copy. Wow, at times I wanted to close it because I could feel this author's heartache. This is a book that talks about the death of his sister and also his own story and struggles due to this event. Perfect summer afternoon read but grab your tissues.

I read this book because I really like every TV series that Kelsey Grammer has been in.. This book was about his sister Kare who was a couple of years younger than him. She was brutally tortured, raped and murdered. That was awful, but Kelsey has not been able to get over her death which happened in the 1970s. He still speaks to her and still hears her talking to him. He finds anybody who knew her and wants to know all about her from their perspective. We have all lost someone we loved, but usually we grieve and then get over it. Of course our memories of that person will always be with us. I found the book to be rambling and difficult to read because of there being no chapters and that he jumps from one story to another, so the book does not flow in any kind of order -. It reminded me of somebody's ramblings.
I do thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review

I struggled with this book. Grammer is not as pompous as his iconic character Fraiser Crane, but man, does he give the character a run for his money. In a book about his sister Karen and how she and her murder affected his life, he uses it to give shout-outs, thanks you, and apologies to people he either refuses or can't speak to anymore. He argues that his children aren't nepo-babies. And the motorcycle....It takes a lot to get back around to Karen once he gets going on these tangents.
This is where the book is good. Hearing about their life together. Hearing about how his perspectives changed after her murder. This is what I'm here for. I would have liked more pictures, as I'm very visual. But there are other documents included that Grammer alludes to that are helpful. Hearing about the siblings' journey is truly moving when Grammer isn't on a tangent.