My Brother's Hero Book

I LOVE this book! I've been waiting to read about Ben since "Crossing Jordan."

I wasn't a huge fan of how they took the sweet budding romance between Cass and Ben and cheapened it by having Ben discover that Cass had developed "boobs." Perhaps this is actually how boys' brains operate, but since the first two books seemed aimed toward girls, the whole scene was somewhat off-putting. It wasn't inappropriate, I just found it rather crass.

There were a couple of cuss words, just as a parental warning.

But overall, it's a really sweet story. I didn't feel like the title really fit though, since other than Ben being somewhat annoyed with his younger brother's adoration, him being the "hero" never really came into play. It was more of a story about him trying to find his independence, dealing with a younger girl's attention and deciphering his feelings for his best friend.

I could certainly empathize with Ben regarding Mica and how she somehow had all of the adults wrapped around her finger. Kids often find it hard when they're told they should act one way, but another child can act contrary. Kids aren't told the whole story, just that they should be nice and play with the other child. They aren't told the tragedies of their home life.

This book does deal with alcoholism and parental neglect, as well.

Overall, great book, but I'm not sure I'd recommend it to the targeted audience. Maybe high school.