We Are The Brennans: Solid Debut by Tracey Lange

We Are The Brennans marks another solid debut for 2022 with Tracey Lange bringing forth an intense, high tension family drama that keeps you engulfed start to finish. I went into the book with some expectations as with stories based around a strong family backdrop. Yet, I wasn’t quite sure of what to expect! I just knew it showed great promise.

So, this is a story about the Brennan family (of course!), more specifically revolving around Sunday Brennan, the only sister to three brothers Denny, Jackie and Shane. Add to them Kane, who isn’t related by birth but is as much a (unofficial) Brennan having lived most of his life in this house, as one of them. I won’t go much into the detail, but just say – there is a dark secret that Sunday has been guarding since the past 5 years, and that forms the basic theme of the book. While that is not the only secret. As you would read, you find some unexpected revelations that ensure to keep you hooked.

The strongest point of We Are The Brennans is it’s solid storyline with intricate characterizations that bring the story alive. The Brennan family is such vividly imagined, it is a complete package. A rich and respected father, a nagging (and biased) mother, a responsible & acquiescent daughter and three sons, each with clearly distinguished characteristics. And not to forget, the two little starts Molly and Luke who steal the scene each time they are there! Each character is beautifully crafted, so much so, by the end you can actually read their mind!

Tracey Lange infuses life into the characters with her gripping and believable writing. A huge family saga that feels like watching a 70mm Bollywood flick! Talking of the writing, the author has some of the most endearing imagined scenes that made my heart swell with warmth. How Denny & Theresa first met is such an adorable love story to speak of 🙂 And I shall surely remember banana diaquiris for a long time to come 😉 A similar charming segment is how Kale and Sunday fall for eachother.

What also scored points for me where the short stories that Sunday writes, each based on one amongst them and her perspective on the situation the person was in. The first being on Kale which actually brought them together, and later one on Denny to instill belief in him.

While oscillating within the Brennan family, the story has it’s share of a whodunit suspense and some exhilarating encounters that are sure to add a much needed thrill. The part where Sunday finds herself pitted against Billy Walsh all alone is sure to cause some adrenaline rush. It is nail biting stuff with you hoping he doesn’t harm her. And ironically also that she doesn’t shoot him and end up in jail!

While light moments are hard to come by in this intense story, a rare such moment comes when Vivienne is pushing forward the prospect of Manor Hills while Kale & Luke are playing with ketchup hah! It’s funny to see her get up and pull that bottle away 😆

Some other enjoyable moments are when the little Molly wins you over with her disarming innocence and her care towards the family. I feel Molly’s character was grossly underused and quite surprisingly forgotten in the later half of the book. She is such a sweet little bundle of energy. Her character was really wasted by not giving her some screen space amidst all the rigmarole towards the end.

Also, I didn’t really take a liking to Grail! 😈 A readymade advise center on subjects ranging from periods, boyfriends, pills and stuff, she was the one who took Sunday to that rotten bar! It was her who was egging Sunday into the shots and overindulgent drinking. She was the one encouraging Billy Walsh on that fateful night. And she was the one who quite casually agrees to leave Sunday alone in that wretched bar with that mess. Take two, she comes marching back in the later half as the cop who is investigating the particular crime to give the Brennans a headsup! Hah! 🙄

Conclusion:

I feel, the spirit of We Are The Brennans is in showcasing the strength of family. The point it successfully conveys is, while each person in the family has his shortcomings and problems, they all come together as one whenever faced by an external challenge. To sum up the essence of the book, I think it’s best to borrow a few lines from it, which go as:

They would do everything they could to protect their father, and each other, because that is what family did. They all screwed up, made mistakes, and hurt one another. But in the end they came together.

Family didn’t mean hiding the hard stuff from each other, it meant facing it together. And it mean forgiving each other.

There would be a plan and, whatever happened, they would figure it out. Together.

We Are The Brennans, Chapter 21

We Are The Brennans is an extremely well written and quality book. It is an engaging read with a beautiful reminder of the value of “family”. Pointless to say, it is a totally recommended book, one of the finest reads of 2022. Get it now!

Enjoy family dramas? You may also like Black Cake or Malibu Rising