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rogue_leader 's review for:
Saints of the Household
by Ari Tison
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Booktalk:
Saints of the Household by Ari Tison is a realistic novel about two brothers struggling with an abusive father and an uncertain future. Max and Jay, who live in rural Minnesota, have both been suspended from their high school after they violently beat up Luca, the school’s golden boy soccer captain. That fight started when the brothers defended Nicole, a friend of theirs, from potential abuse by Luca, but almost no one knows the secret background of what caused the boys to jump in and aggressively defend the young woman. That secret is this: at home, their father is incredibly physically abusive toward their mother, and they’ve felt powerless to help. Their suspension from school and the fallout from the fight causes the brothers to react differently. In alternating points of view, we see Max’s world through verse as he looks to the future at art school. Jay is more traditionally book smart, and through narrative prose we see him struggle with leaving his mother alone when both brothers potentially leave for college. This is a story of shared abuse and trauma, self discovery, and reconciliation.
Saints of the Household by Ari Tison is a realistic novel about two brothers struggling with an abusive father and an uncertain future. Max and Jay, who live in rural Minnesota, have both been suspended from their high school after they violently beat up Luca, the school’s golden boy soccer captain. That fight started when the brothers defended Nicole, a friend of theirs, from potential abuse by Luca, but almost no one knows the secret background of what caused the boys to jump in and aggressively defend the young woman. That secret is this: at home, their father is incredibly physically abusive toward their mother, and they’ve felt powerless to help. Their suspension from school and the fallout from the fight causes the brothers to react differently. In alternating points of view, we see Max’s world through verse as he looks to the future at art school. Jay is more traditionally book smart, and through narrative prose we see him struggle with leaving his mother alone when both brothers potentially leave for college. This is a story of shared abuse and trauma, self discovery, and reconciliation.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse
Minor: Bullying, Violence