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Book Summary and Reviews of The Blood Between Us by Zac Brewer

The Blood Between Us by Zac Brewer

The Blood Between Us

by Zac Brewer

  • Critics' Consensus (2):
  • Published:
  • May 2016, 288 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

Family secrets turn deadly in this edgy page-turner about the insidious limits of labels and the ties that bind just a little too tightly.

Growing up, Adrien and his sister, Grace, competed viciously for everything. It wasn't easy being the adopted sibling, but Adrien tried to get along; it was Grace who didn't want anything to do with him. When their scientist parents died in a terrible lab fire, there was nothing left to hold them together.

Now, after years apart, Adrien and Grace are forced to reunite at the elite boarding school where their parents were teachers. Being back around everyone he used to know makes Adrien question the person he's become, while being back around Grace makes him feel like someone he doesn't want to be.

For as much as Adrien wants to move on, someone seems determined to reopen old wounds. And when Adrien starts to suspect that Grace knows more about their parents' deaths than she let on, he realizes there are some wounds no amount of time can heal. If Adrien isn't careful, they may even kill him.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Starred Review. Brewer weaves sexuality and identity into the story but does not make them the engine for it; the result is a rich, authentic read." - Kirkus

"Happily, Brewer does a fine job handling these uncertainties and at the same time ratcheting up suspense as the mystery of the parents' deaths deepens." - Booklist

"The conflicted and angsty teen is far more interesting than the unconvincing murder mystery." - School Library Journal

"Character interactions and dialogue are often stilted, even didactic at times ("Anyone who thinks an eighteen-year-old is capable of choosing their forever path in life is kidding themselves," Adrien tells a guest at a dinner party). After Adrien wends his way through a series of clues, the splintered story line leads to a rushed conclusion that sees the villain explaining the plan in full. Ages 13–up." - Publishers Weekly

This information about The Blood Between Us was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

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Author Information

Zac Brewer

Zac Brewer, under the name Heather Brewer, is the New York Times bestselling author of The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, which has sold more than 1.5 million copies around the world, as well as the spin-off series, The Slayer Chronicles. Zac is a vocal anti-bullying advocate, and organized the "Less Than Tree" conference for YA authors and teens to come together and speak about bullying issues. He lives in Bridgeton, Missouri, with his husband, daughter, and diabolical cats. His son, Jacob, is in the Air Force.

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