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Living Through the Epilogue
Five years ago, star athlete Bran Sykes had great grades, great friends, and one foot out the door of his abusive home. Now, Bran is seen as a waste of potential. Leaving would have meant abandoning his younger brother, Harry, to the same neglect Bran had wanted to flee. As inseparable siblings, the two plan their futures together. But when Harry turns eighteen and gets a scholarship across the country, Bran is suddenly devastated and directionless. Without his role supporting Harry, what’s left?
Forcing a smile, insisting he’s fine, Bran is at odds with his deep-seated secrets while losing all he’s known. However, in a whirlwind summer, he connects with an aspiring artist with her own mysterious past. With her, Bran acts helpful and happy like people want him to be. But hiding behind his optimistic façade may be what lets his inner battles win. In a journey of self-acceptance and overcoming grief, Bran explores the complications in learning how to love and how to be loved in turn.
Forcing a smile, insisting he’s fine, Bran is at odds with his deep-seated secrets while losing all he’s known. However, in a whirlwind summer, he connects with an aspiring artist with her own mysterious past. With her, Bran acts helpful and happy like people want him to be. But hiding behind his optimistic façade may be what lets his inner battles win. In a journey of self-acceptance and overcoming grief, Bran explores the complications in learning how to love and how to be loved in turn.
388 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 24, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 6, 2025
This was such a moving story that really delves into how we see ourselves, and the extent that we will give and give to others without taking care of ourselves. I loved Bran, and hated how some people made him loathe himself. Getting to see his heal was truly a gift. Really well done. 5 stars, no notes. ❤️
May 19, 2026
I honestly wasn't expecting this story to capture my attention until the very end of the book.
I dove into this book thinking I was going to get an easy, fast read to help me catch up on my reading challenge this year..... however, the story went much deeper than I expected.
It was very well written, and the pacing was excellent. There was a mix of many life challenges and the journey toward healing. The story progression was gradual, but it never became boring because Bran is not only struggling with himself, but he is also slowly starting to realise that the “idea” he had of his best high school friends might not have been genuine. He begins to realise that he has been moulding himself to please others because he is afraid of disappointing people and being seen as flawed.
This book has some of the best character progression I’ve read by far...... it was so well done. I felt like I was learning something from Bran’s experiences too. Yes, there were moments while reading when I wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake some sense into him, but I also understood that Bran grew up in a toxic environment, so his people-pleasing habits were never going to disappear overnight. This book gives an in-depth portrayal of how someone experiences grief and trauma and unconsciously adapts to survive while cloaking their true feelings.
The story starts strong; you immediately get the impression that Bran has severely low self-esteem. He always tries to remain neutral, even when it comes at his own expense. He is extremely protective of his younger brother, which is understandable considering he has such a detached mother who seems too focused on her own failed dreams and future plans.
Bran also seems to walk on eggshells around his mother so he can avoid fighting with her and prevent Harry from feeling trapped between them. Not to mention, his mother constantly picks at Bran’s insecurities and boldly shows her disapproval through her so-called “motherly affection,” if you can even call it that.
The romance in this book is secondary, which is one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much. While I really liked Maya and wanted her and Bran to end up together, I also didn’t want the story to suddenly shift and have all of Bran’s problems magically disappear just because he found love. That is what many romance books do, they take the shortcuts but trauma does not work like that. If it took years to build those emotional wounds, it will take years to heal from them.
His self-acceptance also comes from realising that he was a good person just the way he was.
***Spoilers***
I do not care for his mother, and I’m glad she died. Elanor is one of the most selfish and detached mothers I’ve ever read about. I’m not even sure she truly wanted to be a mother. Maybe she had two sons because she loved her husband and hoped he would take on the affectionate parent role. When her husband died unexpectedly, she felt trapped and took out her frustration on her children. It could also be that she was projecting behaviour she experienced in her own upbringing, perhaps from very strict and emotionally distant parents. Either way, Elanor’s cynical parenting, emotional neglect, and dismissiveness toward her children had deeply damaging effects on both sons. A child’s basic need for love went unmet, leaving them traumatised, and I was genuinely surprised neither of them turned into serial killers. She did not deserve the funeral she received or the praise from her “friends” who spoke kindly about her. She certainly did not deserve her sons. GOOD RIDDANCE!!
While Bran adores his father because he was the only parent who showed him genuine affection, he also places him on a pedestal of martyr. He took his father’s last words to heart, especially since his father never had the chance to properly explain himself to a frightened nine-year-old boy. Dumping that level of responsibility onto a child’s shoulders — especially when his father already knew about his wife’s lack of affection — was unfair. It became even more tragic because Bran was away buying his father’s favourite candy when he died. Those final words essentially chained Bran to a temporary father role for Harry. I don’t blame his father entirely, but I completely understood Maya’s reaction when she first heard about it.
I think Bran sold himself short. He should have accepted the scholarship and continued his studies. Being away from his toxic mother and gaining independence might have helped him heal, while also allowing him to bring Harry to visit during holidays and semester breaks. Bran is not dumb or average — he excelled academically and physically. He had so much potential, and I genuinely believe he would have turned out fine even if he had gone to college and left Harry behind. Yes, leaving Harry in such a miserable household would have been worrying, but knowing Bran, I think he would have found a way to make it work.
I adore Maya, and I’m so glad she became such a positive influence in Bran’s life. I liked that she also had a dark past, yet she maintained a more hopeful and progressive outlook on life and genuinely wanted to create a better future for herself. However, she is not some magical cure for Bran. She didn’t suddenly “fix” him, and that is what made her character feel so realistic. She was there when he needed her and didn’t rely on grand gestures to prove her care. The grounded and realistic character writing is what made her so likeable. I’m glad she and Bran found happiness and healing by the end.
I liked Harry, but I also think he is dealing with his own issues while remaining slightly ignorant about certain things. I understand that Harry never truly experienced his father’s love and affection. The only parent he really knew was an emotionally disconnected mother who barely acknowledged him, while Bran essentially took on the father role. Still, I wish Harry had paid more attention to Bran because he missed many signs until they were directly pointed out to him. I especially felt bad for him when he discovered that Bran stayed behind for his sake and “ruined” his own chances at a better future.
Bran’s friends, like I mentioned earlier, were also pathetic and self-indulgent in their own world. I feel like Bran lost his sense of friendship and youthful connection with them the moment he chose to stay behind. They never gave him the respect or support he truly needed and perhaps only stayed around for the sake of maintaining the so-called “friendship.” None of them acted as though they genuinely cared about Bran or cared enough to truly check in on him. Their envy and disrespect started to show when Bran stood his ground and stopped molding himself to please them. FAKE ARSE FRIENDS!!!
The story captured psychological trauma exceptionally well and showed how it can shatter your sense of safety while leaving a lasting impact on the brain, nervous system, and behavior. It also highlights how unresolved pain and unprocessed grief can become deeply destructive over time.
I dove into this book thinking I was going to get an easy, fast read to help me catch up on my reading challenge this year..... however, the story went much deeper than I expected.
It was very well written, and the pacing was excellent. There was a mix of many life challenges and the journey toward healing. The story progression was gradual, but it never became boring because Bran is not only struggling with himself, but he is also slowly starting to realise that the “idea” he had of his best high school friends might not have been genuine. He begins to realise that he has been moulding himself to please others because he is afraid of disappointing people and being seen as flawed.
This book has some of the best character progression I’ve read by far...... it was so well done. I felt like I was learning something from Bran’s experiences too. Yes, there were moments while reading when I wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake some sense into him, but I also understood that Bran grew up in a toxic environment, so his people-pleasing habits were never going to disappear overnight. This book gives an in-depth portrayal of how someone experiences grief and trauma and unconsciously adapts to survive while cloaking their true feelings.
The story starts strong; you immediately get the impression that Bran has severely low self-esteem. He always tries to remain neutral, even when it comes at his own expense. He is extremely protective of his younger brother, which is understandable considering he has such a detached mother who seems too focused on her own failed dreams and future plans.
Bran also seems to walk on eggshells around his mother so he can avoid fighting with her and prevent Harry from feeling trapped between them. Not to mention, his mother constantly picks at Bran’s insecurities and boldly shows her disapproval through her so-called “motherly affection,” if you can even call it that.
The romance in this book is secondary, which is one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much. While I really liked Maya and wanted her and Bran to end up together, I also didn’t want the story to suddenly shift and have all of Bran’s problems magically disappear just because he found love. That is what many romance books do, they take the shortcuts but trauma does not work like that. If it took years to build those emotional wounds, it will take years to heal from them.
His self-acceptance also comes from realising that he was a good person just the way he was.
***Spoilers***
I do not care for his mother, and I’m glad she died. Elanor is one of the most selfish and detached mothers I’ve ever read about. I’m not even sure she truly wanted to be a mother. Maybe she had two sons because she loved her husband and hoped he would take on the affectionate parent role. When her husband died unexpectedly, she felt trapped and took out her frustration on her children. It could also be that she was projecting behaviour she experienced in her own upbringing, perhaps from very strict and emotionally distant parents. Either way, Elanor’s cynical parenting, emotional neglect, and dismissiveness toward her children had deeply damaging effects on both sons. A child’s basic need for love went unmet, leaving them traumatised, and I was genuinely surprised neither of them turned into serial killers. She did not deserve the funeral she received or the praise from her “friends” who spoke kindly about her. She certainly did not deserve her sons. GOOD RIDDANCE!!
While Bran adores his father because he was the only parent who showed him genuine affection, he also places him on a pedestal of martyr. He took his father’s last words to heart, especially since his father never had the chance to properly explain himself to a frightened nine-year-old boy. Dumping that level of responsibility onto a child’s shoulders — especially when his father already knew about his wife’s lack of affection — was unfair. It became even more tragic because Bran was away buying his father’s favourite candy when he died. Those final words essentially chained Bran to a temporary father role for Harry. I don’t blame his father entirely, but I completely understood Maya’s reaction when she first heard about it.
I think Bran sold himself short. He should have accepted the scholarship and continued his studies. Being away from his toxic mother and gaining independence might have helped him heal, while also allowing him to bring Harry to visit during holidays and semester breaks. Bran is not dumb or average — he excelled academically and physically. He had so much potential, and I genuinely believe he would have turned out fine even if he had gone to college and left Harry behind. Yes, leaving Harry in such a miserable household would have been worrying, but knowing Bran, I think he would have found a way to make it work.
I adore Maya, and I’m so glad she became such a positive influence in Bran’s life. I liked that she also had a dark past, yet she maintained a more hopeful and progressive outlook on life and genuinely wanted to create a better future for herself. However, she is not some magical cure for Bran. She didn’t suddenly “fix” him, and that is what made her character feel so realistic. She was there when he needed her and didn’t rely on grand gestures to prove her care. The grounded and realistic character writing is what made her so likeable. I’m glad she and Bran found happiness and healing by the end.
I liked Harry, but I also think he is dealing with his own issues while remaining slightly ignorant about certain things. I understand that Harry never truly experienced his father’s love and affection. The only parent he really knew was an emotionally disconnected mother who barely acknowledged him, while Bran essentially took on the father role. Still, I wish Harry had paid more attention to Bran because he missed many signs until they were directly pointed out to him. I especially felt bad for him when he discovered that Bran stayed behind for his sake and “ruined” his own chances at a better future.
Bran’s friends, like I mentioned earlier, were also pathetic and self-indulgent in their own world. I feel like Bran lost his sense of friendship and youthful connection with them the moment he chose to stay behind. They never gave him the respect or support he truly needed and perhaps only stayed around for the sake of maintaining the so-called “friendship.” None of them acted as though they genuinely cared about Bran or cared enough to truly check in on him. Their envy and disrespect started to show when Bran stood his ground and stopped molding himself to please them. FAKE ARSE FRIENDS!!!
The story captured psychological trauma exceptionally well and showed how it can shatter your sense of safety while leaving a lasting impact on the brain, nervous system, and behavior. It also highlights how unresolved pain and unprocessed grief can become deeply destructive over time.
December 6, 2025
I don’t have enough good things to say, there’s something in this for everyone. I’d experienced a similar parent to Eleanor and reading the character arcs through this book helped me put it into perspective. Bran and Harry are so amazing with each other, Bran and Maya even cuter.
Can’t wait to see more by this author!
Can’t wait to see more by this author!
April 23, 2026
This book has fundamentally changed me and touched me to my core as a piece of work, and as an extension of someone's soul and hard work being published.
This book is about an older brother Bran dealing with his younger brother going to college and upending their plans to have an apartment together away from their mom.
Bran deals with a lot of anxiety over this because since their dad died he's focused everything on his little brother, and now that that focus is gone he needs to look at his own life and finally deal with things he's pushed off, grief, anxiety, and an eating disorder.
It's during this transition he (re)meets Maya, who is his romantic interest that brings Bran a new perspective on things and helps him see the world in a new outlook, she isn't just there as a plot device to further his own self betterment, she is her own person who is also growing and adjusting to her own ADHD and family issues with Bran by her side helping her out just as much as she helps him.
This is the first book that I've ever read (EVER) that has just... GOT it.
Got the grief that stabs you in the heart at random times when you have a significant loss, even though it's years later.
The emotional bond with a younger sibling who you are trying to protect.
The emotional aspects of dealing with ADHD in adulthood, the stigmas of bisexuality, the feeling of injustice and anger when someone you love isn't treated right, the feelings of inadequacy of not measuring up or being a waste. The struggle with body image and food and people around you commenting on things that isn't any of their damn business.
The mental health representation as a whole is one reason to read this book.
I have been floored and awed and obsessed with this book since I read it.
I have never felt so seen in a book or characters and that's what I want for anyone who reads it.
I wish I could mind wipe so I can reread it and cry and yell about it all over again and again. But I'll settle for rereading it and doing all those things anyway.
If you're looking for something to make you feel? This is the book.
This book is about an older brother Bran dealing with his younger brother going to college and upending their plans to have an apartment together away from their mom.
Bran deals with a lot of anxiety over this because since their dad died he's focused everything on his little brother, and now that that focus is gone he needs to look at his own life and finally deal with things he's pushed off, grief, anxiety, and an eating disorder.
It's during this transition he (re)meets Maya, who is his romantic interest that brings Bran a new perspective on things and helps him see the world in a new outlook, she isn't just there as a plot device to further his own self betterment, she is her own person who is also growing and adjusting to her own ADHD and family issues with Bran by her side helping her out just as much as she helps him.
This is the first book that I've ever read (EVER) that has just... GOT it.
Got the grief that stabs you in the heart at random times when you have a significant loss, even though it's years later.
The emotional bond with a younger sibling who you are trying to protect.
The emotional aspects of dealing with ADHD in adulthood, the stigmas of bisexuality, the feeling of injustice and anger when someone you love isn't treated right, the feelings of inadequacy of not measuring up or being a waste. The struggle with body image and food and people around you commenting on things that isn't any of their damn business.
The mental health representation as a whole is one reason to read this book.
I have been floored and awed and obsessed with this book since I read it.
I have never felt so seen in a book or characters and that's what I want for anyone who reads it.
I wish I could mind wipe so I can reread it and cry and yell about it all over again and again. But I'll settle for rereading it and doing all those things anyway.
If you're looking for something to make you feel? This is the book.
March 7, 2026
Incredible characters and love at its sweetest
This book has been an incredible journey for me. I feel like I've known or been all the characters at some point or other in my life. Seeing how they all interact to lift each other and themselves up brought tears to my eyes so many times. Seeing the love grow between Bran and Maya set my heart racing and made me feel butterflies in my stomach. Brilliant work. I can't thank the author enough for showing me a path for what could be my own growth, my own love story. It gives me hope.
This book has been an incredible journey for me. I feel like I've known or been all the characters at some point or other in my life. Seeing how they all interact to lift each other and themselves up brought tears to my eyes so many times. Seeing the love grow between Bran and Maya set my heart racing and made me feel butterflies in my stomach. Brilliant work. I can't thank the author enough for showing me a path for what could be my own growth, my own love story. It gives me hope.
March 13, 2026
I don’t think I’ve ever fallen in love with characters more than I have with the ones in this book. I felt both so comforted by this book while also having gentle moments that felt like looking in the mirror. I’ve been/am Bran. I’ve been/am Maya. I’ve been/am Harry. And thankfully, I’m not alone in that and have other Brans, Mayas, and Harrys to carry me when the world is too much to stand. I wish I could read this book for the first time all over again.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews