Finding Bryan

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Pub Date 30 Mar 2021 | Archive Date 1 Apr 2021

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Description

Forrest Wilcox misses his younger life and the America of an earlier time. Plagued by a fear of change, irrational outbursts, and unrelenting insecurities, he’s a man weary of living a joyless life.

When Forrest’s mother summons him to tell him her cancer has progressed, it throws his already stressful life into chaos. Not only is he losing his mother, he’s now tasked with finding his brother, Bryan, who left suddenly and cut ties with the family sixteen years ago.

Determined to get something right, Forrest defies his wife’s orders and takes their twelve-year-old daughter out west, where he hopes to locate Bryan. But before he can see this mission through, he’s forced to confront his inner demons, battle with his unpredictability, and trust himself and the journey or risk losing everything and everyone he loves.

Follow Forrest’s journey of self-discovery in this timely tale that evokes the American voice akin to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and puts a spotlight on an imperfect man in need of redemption in self and fatherhood, and faith in what the future holds.

Forrest Wilcox misses his younger life and the America of an earlier time. Plagued by a fear of change, irrational outbursts, and unrelenting insecurities, he’s a man weary of living a joyless life.

...


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ISBN 9781952974038
PRICE US$5.99 (USD)

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Average rating from 58 members


Featured Reviews

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. A good old fashioned read, great characters and a good storyline. I really enjoyed it.

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I’m so grateful to the publisher for reaching out to me with a free copy of this book because I really enjoyed it. It was a great change of pace between thrillers!

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I received a complimentary ARC copy and I'm leaving a review voluntarily.

Personally, I find it hard to be submerged into a book when it is written in First Person Past Tense, but the way Matthew as written it, took me by surprise. Starting from the first chapter, I was engulfed. All the characters seemed flawed with their own shortcomings, I liked that a lot. I am tired of reading books where most of them are perfect. This book was raw, starting with the MC. His ambition could've taken him to places, but instead, his anger (due to his personal limitations) helped burn those bridges down. It was a good story, very well written. Even with the First Person Past Tense, I shed a few tears towards the end.

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Thank you to the publishers for reaching out to me with an ARC. I was very impressed by the book. I can’t wait to read more by this author in the future.

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(English copy from my Instagram @agamundisr_escritor)

Konnichiwa to all readers 🌸


Today I have the great honor of bringing you a review from a collaboration with the American publishing house Novel Novels from Virginia, who proposed to me to work on Matthew Kesselman @matthewkesselman's play "Finding Bryan" that will be released this coming March 30th. With that said, we begin:

🕵️‍♂️ Finding Bryan is a drama novel that introduces us to Forrest Wilcox, a mechanic disenchanted with life, who along with his daughter Cassey, hit the road to try to find his brother Bryan, thus starting an odyssey through the states American people.

🕵️‍♂️ This novel presents a very elaborate syntax with many expressions typical of American English and many references that achieve an immersive experience in the story. In my experience as a non-native reader, I have seen how my reading rate has eventually slowed down because of this.

🕵️‍♂️ Regarding the characters, Mr. Kesselman I consider that he has treated them individually, with care and putting great care in their psychological construction. I believe that he has managed to bring me a little closer to American society and the ethnic groups that live in the United States. Together with the description of the settings, the work gains a lot of strength in this regard.


🌸Conclusion: Finding Bryan has fondly reminded me of The Odyssey due to the situations presented throughout the plot. On a technical level, it seems to me to be a very well written, thought-out and structured work with an interesting plot of drama and adventure. I consider it to be a good read for entertainment and thinking. With that said, I am awarding you a well deserved four cherry blossoms 🌸🌸🌸🌸 and I encourage you to give it a try.

Verdict: 4/5 🌸


Arigato gozaimasu for your time 🌸

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This book was a real surprise for me. From reading the description I was immediately intrigued and new I had to find out what this book was about.

The story follows Forrest, who goes on a road trip with his daughter to find his brother, Bryan. Forrest's brother has been missing for 16 years and the need to find him has come at the request of his mother who is battling cancer.

The book is written in first person which I always really enjoy. We get a true sense of the character and of who Forrest is and how he thinks. He is an imperfect character and through the task of finding his brother we see his flaws and also his attempts to make a relationship with his daughter.

All in all, this was a really good read and one I would recommend

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I absolutely enjoyed this book. The author puts humor into and I greatly appreciate it. Also I would like to add thank you for making a main character that is like all a**holes in rural communities. I enjoyed that. We deal with people like this in rural communities all the time. Always angry at the world, and don't understand as times goes on time changes. For example the comments he would make about people who were not like him. For example, different race, or LGBTQ.
The book also throws your for cliffhangers or loops. You think something is going to happen one way, and takes a left turn and goes completely another way!

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I am three quarters of the way through the book and it is honestly really good! At first, at the beginning of the book, I didn't think I would really like it, however, about a quarter of the way through I was hooked. There are so many twists and turns. I am to the point where they have uncovered what has happened to Bryan and they are in Santa Ana. Without giving it away, I was heartbroken when they read the news of Bryan, aka "Billy" on the internet. I can't wait to finish the book, but I really hope they make it home before Forrest's mother passes away. This book is very different from other books I have read. In fact, I am usually a love story person, but I have learned through reading this book, that suspense and mystery are very much in my wheel house. I am a fan of the author and looked him and will read his first book as well. I like how he incorporated diversified lifestyles and how Forrest was surprised by the fact. I though it was good that the author showed how Forrest was surprised by the same sex couple, but Bryan "Billy" had no judgement. This has lead me to believe that Bryan "Billy" was a very good guy who was accepting of everyone, and had Forrest gotten to be around him more, this quality might have rubbed off on Forrest more. Overall, excellent book, and I would definately recommend.

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.“I was only thirty one. I shoulda been jumpin’ around makin’ money, runnin with a son, but instead I was gettin’ fat and getting stuck on old thoughts.

This contemporary novel was a good read. I don’t think I have read something like this before. My fiction choices always had a lot of mystery and probably dead bodies somewhere in between.

Finding Bryan is about the journey of a thirty something old man named Forrest who’s life was already a chaos. As his mom asked him to go on a trip to find his brother; who cut his family off many years ago. Forrest is focused on this task to get it right but as things unfold you will clearly see how Forrest messes up his life even more.

You get to see how does it feel like to be someone who’s stuck in the past. Who has one image on his mind and keep living it on a loop; instead of facing reality and taking responsibility on his own. I even got angry at Forrest because he was too messed up. Being an adult man, the father, the husband; and not willing to put the right effort to create a healthy, financially stable family and still risks everything in his life to go after the brother who left them behind. There was a lot of misunderstanding between him and his father, him and his wife, him and his daughter….

The novel took me all the way to the west. I was listening to a playlist (Country instrumentals) I really enjoyed the ambiance. The writer had done a pretty good job regarding the first person writing style. It is usually hard for me to adjust with but with this one I was hooked from page one.

Finding Bryan is about, Family, fatherhood, brotherhood, change, moving on, and being stuck in past memories.

The question is: Will Forrest find his brother ‘Bryan’?

Thank You Netgalley and Novel Novels for the ARC. I enjoyed it.

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“Finding Bryan” is as much a family love story as it is a coming-of-age story for a section of America still unwilling to accept the tides of social progress. Forrest, the novel’s narrator, is a representation of a lost generation of hyper conservatives more focused on continuing traditions of bigotry than accepting a changing political and socioeconomic American landscape. In the mind of Forrest racism and homophobia are acceptable, and anyone who doesn’t agree is part of the problem.

Taking place in the birthplace of the nation, Virginia, a thirty something year old mechanic, Forrest, embarks on a journey to find his older brother, Bryan, at behest of his mother, who is dying of cancer. In defiance of his wife, Forrest, leaves for California with his twelve-year-old daughter, Casey, with little more to go on except a sixteen-year-old letter written to him by his brother from Arizona. The search for Bryan becomes one big wild goose chase across the American South-west. Forrest, driven by tradition and family values, stops at virtually nothing to find Bryan and bring him home for one last, wholesome, family reunion. This journey becomes one of maturation and a realization that the author, Matthew Kesselman, demands the reader to acknowledge; either change or hate everything.

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I finished this book in two nights. First off, it was based out of the Hampton Roads area, which is where I live, which was kinda neat. But the story was intriguing and kept me in it. The writing style was a little different, but it grew on me and I didn't mind it; I like different. The storyline was sporadic, but it all tied together. Would recommend!

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"It's you, so callous, so blind, with so little regard for others, that you don't even recognize when you're being an ass."

Finding Bryan by Matthew Kesselman was definitely cringeworthy more times than I can count. You see, Forrest is the epitome of a racist. He uses racial slurs and he thinks that anyone different than him is less than him. His way is the right way no matter what. So if you can't get past that, this book probably isn't for you.

Forrest finds himself in quite the conundrum when he learns his mother is dying and her last wish is for him to find his brother who left more than 15 years ago. Forrest got one letter from him all those years ago and he was in Arizona. It is the perfect time for the trip because Forrest is having martial troubles and his 12 year old daughter Casey goes with him much to his wife's chagrin.

Their road trip doesn't go all that well. Forrest is low on funds and his father, whom he works for as a mechanic, was supposed to pay for his trip yet the credit card doesn't work. He hits a guy on a bike. His wife, Sandra, is furious he left with Casey and all the while Forrest thinks he is going crazy.

Does he find his brother in time? What does he learn? These are all questions that I won't answer so I don't spoil it for you.

This was a fast paced read for me and although Forrest is a highly unlikable character there were things in the story that had I been in his shoes I may have chosen a similar path. This book explores many relationships!

Thank you to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for the #gifted copy of this book.

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This was such a fun-filled story that kept me hooked throughout. The writing style and the accent is far different from the books that I have before but that didn't affect my interest while reading it.

This is a story of a young man in his 30's Forrest, whose life is already in chaos. He messes up everything in his life which might make the readers cringe at his character. When his mother informs him about her cancer and wanted him to find his brother Bryan who left them years ago and with his wife's constant nagging about having a second baby Forrest was left with no other option than to go on an odyssey with his 12-year-old daughter Casey to find his longest brother.

The story thus follows his journey toward finding Bryan and at the same time his self-discovery. We get to see a lot of emotions, love, friendship, family, relationships and so on through his journey. He leaves no stone unturned to find his brother. Will Forrest ever find Bryan and bring him back? Will he be able to resolve his already chaotic life and bring peace into his life?

The author sure has a knack for storytelling. The characters are not perfect with each having a bit of flaw in them. They are portrayed really well and the story is also fun to read and emotional at times. I enjoyed reading this book a lot.

Thank you Novel Novels and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.

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A huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book was great! I was invested in their lives fairly quickly and wanted to know how everything played out. It had so many great moments and was quickly paced and had me wanting to keep reading.

It was a fantastic journey from beginning to end.

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First and foremost I would like to thank the publisher Novel Novels for providing me access to this title as well as NetGalley!

This contemporary novel was something I really enjoyed. I really like reading stories about mid aged folks with kids as this isn't something you typically see right now. The journey that Forrest goes on, while I found him insufferable at times, made the book so wholesome to me. When his mother asks him to go on a trip to find his brother, he is forced to confront demons that he lives with while obsessing over the mistakes he made in his past. This is a man who lives in an infinite loop of self loathing and regret and being able to take responsibility for his life is something that we all need to see. Forrest risks everything to piece his family back together even with the anger and resentment of his brother leaving them behind. Every day we are faced with choices, especially those rooted in misunderstanding. I really loved seeing him develop a better relationship with his own nuclear family.

I really enjoyed the writing style. It was easy to read and easy to binge. I finished it rather quickly (though writing this review has taken forever). This book is about fatherhood, brotherhood, accepting ones past and moving on to a better future. If you like books about the underdog and self assessment, this book is for you!

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There are two things that caught my attention and made me want to read this book: the cover illustration and the title. I mean look at those colours! And I'm always ready for a redemption story.

Forest is a man. Just from the outside. He's childish, obnoxious, homophobic and racist, amongst other things. Well, if I put it that way, he's the cis hetero white man stereotype. He reminded me of all the Forests I know here in Argentina.

I loved his daughter Casey! She's the reason he wants to be a better person. She's the voice of reason and clarity.

I feel like I needed some extra pages of him getting lessoned up, though.

All in all, it's a very good read!

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I liked this book and the story was very different from everything that I had read before. I felt a strong connection with the characters and felt like I was right there in the story.
Must Read

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This novel was more about finding self. The narrator, on his journey to find his long separated brother Bryan, finally finds out what was missing in his life. I completely agree with the author here, to know yourself truly, you've got to get out of your home and travel. A charming story in my opinion.

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TW/CW: homophobic comments, death of a parent, cancer talk, micro aggressions

Gosh, there's so much to say about this amazing and well-written contemporary. First of all I will warn you that you will not like Forrest Wilcox. He's grumpy, self-absorbed, and overall a chaotic person who spends all his time focusing on his failures and what he could've done better. Along the way of his chaotic life, Forrest lost his brother Bryan, but not to death. Bryan ran away at the age of 17 in search of a better life. Ever since then, Forrest has felt a little lost. That could be what some of his bitterness comes from.

Now, Forrest is married to his HS sweetheart and they have a daughter named Casey (whose spunky). He also works at his father's auto shop as a mechanic, but Forrest feels like something is still missing from his life. One day Forrest's father talks to him and tells him his mom's cancer is doing worse and she hasn't got much time to live. That's when his father says that his mom wants Forrest to find his brother...Bryan. Forrest doesn't hesitate to go and look for his brother, he even takes his daughter Casey with him despite what anyone was opposed to. As Forrest and Casey travel across the country they come across numerous characters and go through some serious things, but it's all in the name of Bryan.

Let me just say that I absolutely loved this book and the southern twang that the author utilized. I loved how raw Kesselman portrayed Forrest. Yes, he was unbearable and a jackass, but at the same time he still was human under that hard exterior. Special thanks to Novel Novels, and the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Thank you Novel Novels for reaching out to me and @netgalley for the e-ARC.
🅡🅔🅥🅘🅔🅦
I read Finding Bryan in one sitting and it was a breezy read. The writing style was interesting and I enjoyed the father daughter equation of Forrest and Casey, especially Forrest's southern drawl. Although it bother me that Forrest's character bordered on 'mean' and extremely blunt and made it hard to like him. But what I really liked about this book was its emphasis on the importance of communication and how lack of it can lead to so many problems in relationships. This wasn't just about Finding Bryan for Forrest, but also coming to terms with his inner demons as well. Mathew Kesselman did a commendable job with the writing. And books about road trips are always a win win!
🛻💚👨‍👧
Thank you to the publisher Novel Novels for reaching out to me. The review is my own.

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This book has hooked me since the start, i was so invested in this journey and in the story of this family trying to find the Brother that we will see why they cut communications.This story is about exploring the complexity of human nature and what makes us different I tend to like unlikeable characters because sometimes is important to see other perspectives that our own and i really like that the father-daughter relationship was not fix and end up perfect in one step because it that time and i love that the author did that totally recommend this book!

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Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher for an advanced copy for an honest review.

A good read, great characters and a good storyline. I really enjoyed it.

I didn't feel the time passed while I read it.

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A comical book as you travel with Forrest and his daughter Casey. Forrest is a grumpy old bat, I will tell you that you won’t like him. I started to love him and his forward/bluntness.

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Finding Bryan follows the story of Forrest who is on the search for his older brother, Bryan, who ran away from home many years ago. His mother is dying from cancer and would really love to see her two boys together one last time before she passes.
This book was such a lovely read! As always, I loved the short chapters and the style of writing was very casual which I loved! I always enjoy an easy read before bed and that's exactly what this gave me. This book quickly turned into one of those that became your first thoughts when you get home from work. I also loved how the storyline was very unique and unlike anything I've read before and the storyline was not at all predictable, which I was expecting at times.

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