Review
Reviewed by Megan Weiss, YA Reviewer for Reader Views (12/17)
"Little Bram" by Michael C. Barrett follows Skyler Bram and Kina Dunlap, who have just started high school. They share the same father, and thus are half-sisters. There's just one catch: they're mortal enemies. Ever since Kina moved to town in seventh grade, the two warring siblings and their friends have been in an epic prank war that was starting to reach embarrassingly cruel proportions. Just as their confrontations seem like they're really coming to a head, the unthinkable happens: Kina's grandfather falls ill and must move to a nursing home. Kina had come to live with her grandparents at age 12 after enduring a tough childhood with a neglectful mother. Now, Skyler and Kina will have to figure out how to live under the same roof - and in the same room - without killing each other.
"Little Bram" is an absolutely enriching, heart-warming story for young readers that should be on every teen girl's to-be-read list. With a seemingly prime target audience toward girls aged 12 to 15, the novel follows the girls through their first tastes of what being a young adult feels like, through broken friendships, betrayals, relationships, and trying to navigate the social structure of a high school world. Skyler and Kina admiringly call a truce upon moving in together, and discover that now that they're giving their sisterly relationship a chance, they actually have lot more in common than they originally thought. Before long, their separate worlds combine and their social circles start to merge. Kina's friends become friends with Skyler's friends, and Skyler is welcomed into a secret special club on behalf of Kina's persuasion to upperclassmen holding positions of power.
Barrett speaks in a remarkably authentic voice for a male author writing in the point-of-view of young teenage girls. I have read a lot of young adult and teen novels throughout my life, and the realistic tone with which he places the story of Skyler and Kina is really what makes the book hit home, because it's something that every teen girl can identify with. We've all known the awkward feelings of first love, the loss of a close friendship, and the sting of crushed dreams that come with entering high school and the real world beyond. "Little Bram" is a true testament to what it means to be a high school girl in the early 21st century, and the lessons it shares to readers about love, friendship, and respect will go far in actually helping readers further identify with their own selves.
"Little Bram" ended up being an incredibly surprising read for me, as I went into it not knowing what my expectations should be. Michael C. Barrett's novel definitely deserves high praise for honestly appealing to teen readers in an authentic, emotionally relevant way.
Reviewed By Lisa McCombs for Readers' Favorite
When Skyler opens her school locker to find an ominous challenge, she knows she is in for a long year. Kina and her pals were on the warpath by hijacking Skyler Bram's locker contents and spreading it at undisclosed locations around the school campus. Skyler really didn't want to play Kina's game, but was more than aware of the consequences of denying her nemesis this challenge. After all, Kina was a member of the elite Cool Kids Club. She and her cronies were not to be challenged. But Skyler and Kina share a secret that abruptly explodes in public, causing more than a stir in the social world of school and home. Can they learn to live together as biological sisters and convince their opposing circle of friends that all is well on the Bram front?
Little Bram by Michael C. Barrett is the story of half-sisters discovering their many similarities in the competitive atmosphere of teen drama. Michael C. Barrett weaves convincing dialogue and plot progression in this YA story of social drama so characteristic of today's youth. Although the main characters of Skyler and Kina are projected as surprisingly mature in their attitudes, I appreciated the quality of writing that Barrett shares in this relatable tale. While the characters attempt to maintain their individual personalities, they learn the important lesson of tolerance that ultimately results in an unlikely friendship. As a supporter of quality teen fiction, I appreciated the war between good and evil represented in this highly readable novel.
About the Author
Michael C. Barrett graduated from California University of Pennsylvania and spends his days closed-captioning television for the deaf and hard of hearing.
