Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published in USA
Mar 2017
320 pages
Genre: Novels
Publication Information
From the author of Cracked and Empty comes a gripping, emotional story of two brothers who must make the ultimate decision about what's more important: family or their differences.
It's not Oscar's fault he's misunderstood. Ever since his mother died, he's been disrespected by his father and bullied by his self-absorbed older brother, so he withdraws from his fractured family, seeking refuge in his art.
Vance wishes his younger brother would just loosen up and be cool. It was hard enough to deal with their mother's death without Oscar getting all emotional. At least when Vance pushes himself in lacrosse and parties, he feels alive.
But when their father's alcoholism sends him into liver failure, the two brothers must come face-to-face with their demons - and each other - if they are going to survive a very uncertain future.
Click to the right or left of the sample to turn the page.
(If no book jacket appears in a few seconds, then we don't have an excerpt of this book or your browser is unable to display it)
"Starred Review. Saturated with emotion ... It's a heart-wrenching portrait of a dysfunctional family and its destructive force." - Publishers Weekly
"Although the plot and dialogue can feel manufactured and simplistic, characters and story are compelling. A sweet look at an end-of-life moment that offers surprise even as the inevitable unfolds." - Kirkus
The information about Ultimatum shown above was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's online-magazine that keeps our members abreast of notable and high-profile books publishing in the coming weeks. In most cases, the reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel that the reviews shown do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, please send us a message with the mainstream media reviews that you would like to see added.
K.M. Walton is the author of Cracked, Empty, and Ultimatum . She is editing & contributing to the exciting new music-centered anthology Behind the Song. She is also the co-author of Teaching Numeracy: 9 Critical Habits to Ignite Mathematical Thinking a book for mathematics teachers K - 8. As a former middle-school language-arts teacher she's passionate about ending peer bullying. She gives powerful school & University presentations on "The Power of Human Kindness." K.M. is a graduate of West Chester University and a PAWLP fellow. She lives in PA with her husband, two sons, and cat.
.gif)
"Berlin's new book is a marvel, filled with deeply touching stories about lives on the fringes."—NPR
About the book
The Seine
by Elaine Sciolino
"A soulful, transformative voyage along the body of water that defines the City of Light."
—Lauren Collins
Reader Reviews
BUTTERFLY YELLOW
Winner of the BookBrowse Award for Best Young Adult Novel, and the overall highest rated book of the year!
Visitors can view some of BookBrowse for free. Full access is for members only.
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
Subscribe to receive some of our best reviews, "beyond the book" articles, book club info, and giveaways by email.
