Summary: Between Two Brothers
Brothers Seth and Isaiah (aka Ice Pick) love each other and live on a farm. Ice loves photography and animals and wants to be a vet. His brother runs track and has won a scholarship to college, so Ice feels pressure to make their last year at home together memorable. This is also the year that Ice wants to kick his shyness to the curb, especially now that he’s a member of the Yearbook team and has been befriended by Zurie, an expressive girl he’s kind of crushing on. But when an accident renders his brother brain damaged, Ice turns all his focus to helping Seth be himself again despite a bleak prognosis.
The Good
This is such a touching story and is based on the author’s personal experience, which makes it even more powerful. This is one of the few books set on a farm that I’ve enjoyed, and I liked seeing a teenage boy who enjoys the farm life and dreams of a life spent caring for animals. Ice’s issues with shyness and his desire to step outside his comfort zone will resonate with readers dealing with similar issues.
The issues this family faces after Seth’s tragic accident are sometimes hard to read, but still appropriate for more mature middle grade readers. For example, Seth functions at the capacity of a 7-month-old and needs to wear diapers, and there’s some information about recovering from a traumatic brain injury. I loved the realistic portrayal of a Christian family that takes their faith seriously, and I loved seeing Ice’s journey to finding his trust in God.
There’s lots of great dialogue and so many healthy depictions of warm male relationships between the boys and their dad, Seth and his friend Juan Carlos, Ice and Juan Carlos, guys at the barbershop, and even a former bully. This book also features a positive portrayal of social media as Ice uses social media to share his photos and garner community support for his brother. Overall, this made for a really enjoyable reading experience, and my one quibble is probably that it could have been shorter, but I loved spending time with the Abernathy family.
Content Notes
Here are some specifics to know about the content.
Content Warnings
- Death: None
- Alcohol/substance abuse: None
- Sexual content: Two 8th graders peck each other on the mouth once.
- Violence: Mild. There were a few fights and punches exchanged between Ice and Seth and between Ice and a bully.
Diversity
- Ethnic: Main characters are Black and Latin-American.
- Sexual orientation: None
Recommended for ages: 10+
Good for Kids Who Like:
- Touching stories
- Books about brothers
- Stories set on farms
- Books with a romance side plot
- Books featuring shy kids
Publisher Details
Publisher details | Balzer + Bray |
Author: | Crystal Allen |
Illustrator: | N/A |
Publication date: | January 23, 2024 |
Audiobook? | Yes, Libro.fm |
Page count: | 352 |
Cover artists | Designer: |
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