Blood Brothers

by S.A. Harazin

Without his job at the hospital, Clay would be lost. The hard work, the struggles of the patients, the drama in the ERÑit makes his days worth something, and gives focus to his dream of someday becoming a doctor. Clay can't afford to go away to college like the rest of his graduating senior class, but what other 17-year-old has delivered a baby or helped save a life?

Still, Clay wishes his life could be more like his best friend Joey's. Joey has it all—a great family, a good college waiting for him at the end of the summer, money, a car. Clay has to bike everywhere, and the miles are starting to wear him down.

But Joey's golden future shatters one day when he overdoses at a party. Now he's clinging to life at the hospital where Clay works, and Clay may even be implicated in Joey's injuries. Tension and emotion rise as those who love Joey gather and wait. Clay will do whatever he can to find out what happened at the party, and to help Joey recover. But to survive this ordeal Clay must draw on a strength he never knew he had.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery, Teen, Realistic Fiction

240 pages, Hardcover

First published July 10, 2007

Reviews

[Brandon Dittmann]

Name: Brandon Dittmann

Book title: Blood Brothers

Personal Response:
I really liked this book. It seemed to have a lot of action. The reason it had a lot of action is mainly that it took place in an ER. I really like books with a lot of action because they never get boring.

Plot Summary:
Joey and Clay have been friends since elementary school. They both Graduated high school together. Both of the boys want to be into the field of medicine, but only Joey can. The reason Clay cannot become a doctor is that he does not have the financial support to pay for schooling like Joey. Joey and Clay get into a fight over a girl. Clay feels bad for Joey and goes over and decides to check on Joey. When Clay gets there, he cannot find Joey. He then finds Joey. Once Joey realizes Clay found, him he starts to attack him. Clay freaks out and calls 911. While Clay is on the phone with 911 Joey attacks him again and the dispatcher hears the whole fight. Joey is taken’ to the hospital where he falls into a coma. Many people are starting to question about Clay if he is responsible for Joey’s incident.

Characterization:
I think Joey was the character that changed the most because he started off as a good kid. Joey started off at the beginning of the book as a good student. He wanted to go to Duke to become a doctor. Then he made some poor decisions that cause him to end up in the hospital. The mistake that he made will change his career forever.

Recommendations:
I recommend this book to those who like dramatic books. I also think those who like books that have a blind corner in them would be interested in this book. I personally think all teens would really enjoy this book because it is about two teens and their dramatic life.

[Heather Scheer · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Blood Brothers" was an interesting book. When I first started reading this book, I didn't think I was going to enjoy it. It wasn't that great at first, wasn't catching my attention. The more I read and got into it, the better it got. It really relates to a lot of high schoolers and I am sure many can relate to the events happening in this book. As the story goes on the main character, Clay, explains what is happening in the present and flashbacks. Clay's best friend Joey is a very popular guy unlike Clay. Clay's family lived with Joey's family for a while and that gave them time to grow close and become best friends. They each spit into a bottle and shook it up making them blood brothers. Clay and Joey had gotten into a fight because Clay's girlfriend Michelle was trying to get with Joey behind Clay's back. Joey tries to explain to Clay that he told Michelle to leave him alone, but Clay doesn't believe him. They stopped talking for a while and one afternoon, after Clay gets done with his shift at the hospital, he rides his bike to Joey's. Clay finds Joey naked and out of control. He ends up trying to cut Clay. Clay calls 911 and Joey is taken to the hospital. Joey is in a coma. Nobody knows what happened. The rest of the book leads you through what happens to Joey.
I recommend this to high school students, both male and female. The content may be too explicit for younger, middle school children. I believe that high school students could relate to the different issues facing the teens in the story.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a few weeks since I finished this one, but I am glad we picked it as one of the 20 Nominees for the 2010 Peach Award for Teen Readers because it is distinctly different from the other titles on the list. Fairly gritty realism in a problem novel with some mystery thrown in and a strong male protagonist who is struggling with his job as a nurse's aide--the youngest in the hospital--as his best friend lies in a coma that he isn't sure if he caused when subduing him. It has class differences, a bitchy user-girlfriend character, a seemingly good-for-nothing of a father. Nice YA from a GA author.

[Phyllis Tucker]

This book is about two senior guys who have been friends since elementary school. Clay wants to be a doctor, but finances stand in the way. Joey was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. The boys take different directions their senior year. There are consequenses with Joey's partying!

[Michael Pauls · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this was a really good book. I liked that it was exciting right from the start. It didn't start off boring like most books. I'd recommend the book to everyone. It has a lot to do with drugs and alcohol so anyone who likes books about that, this would be a good book.

[Amy Gebhardt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recommended to me by a student.

Blood Brothers follows long time friends Clay and Joey. Clay, a high school student working at a hospital dreams of becoming a doctor. He finds purpose in his job but envies the seemingly perfect life of his best friend, Joey. Joey's life takes a drastic turn when he overdoses at a party. Clay struggles to unravel the events of the party and help his friend recover. The tension rises as Clay becomes implicated in Joey's injuries, adding layers of suspense.

While the book explores important themes, such as addiction and resilience, Clay's role in the hospital is unrealistic. A high school student in Atlanta in 2007 would not be performing medical procedures (delivering a baby by himself, assisting with intubation, bathing patients) with zero medical training. This aspect detracted from the overall believability of the story.

[Janessa Paun · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars. I was not a fan of the way that this book was written, which was a shame because there were some aspects of the book that I enjoyed, such as the complicated brotherly relationship between Clay and Joey. I also, for the most part, liked the other people at the hospital where Clay worked.

[cassidy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐

[Richie Partington · Rating 5 out of 5]

18 March 2007 BLOOD BROTHERS by S.A. Harazin, Delacorte, July 2007, ISBN: 0-385-73364-9

"Darkness, darkness be my blanket,
Cover me with endless night."
-- Jesse Colin Young

"Don't die, don't die, don't die. Can't you hear me? You can't die when we're doing all we can to save you.
"A few more minutes pass. The doctor tells me to stop. 'Still no pulse without CPR,' Guthrie says finally.
"The doctor breathes in deep and lets it out slow. 'Let's call it.' He removes his gloves, his face mask, his gown. He slams them into the trash. 'We can't do anything more.' He frowns and his big brown eyes glisten in the bright light.
"I don't want to stop. I want to tell the girl I'm sorry she's dead and won't ever go to college, or fall in love, or do anything she ever dreamed of doing. I'm sorry she won't ever be able to get mad over something stupid. I'm sorry, but we gave everything we had to give.
" 'Thank you,' Dr. Murphy tells us. 'For all your help.'
"I stand there and listen. All I can hear is a buzz from a machine. All I can see is the dead girl. She fills the room even though she's just a small, still body on the metal table.
" 'I can't do this right now,' Guthrie says. 'I'll be back in a few minutes to finish up.' I pull the sheet over the girl. I won't leave her there lying naked. On the way out, I leave the door cracked just in case there really is a soul and it needs to escape.
"I step into the waiting room in time to hear the wailing of the girl's mother, her father's anguish. Head down, I start thinking about Michelle, about Joey, about myself -- and it hits me. What right do I have to be so pissed about how they treated me? Everything that's happened with them seems as important as bird droppings when a teenage girl dies in front of you."

Clay Gardener, Med Tech One, is the youngest employee in a Georgia hospital. Nearly eighteen years ago, Clay himself entered the world in a far away hospital in Endurance, Texas, where his mother died giving birth to him.

For the past ten years Clay has been best friend and cycling partner to Joey Chancey. The pair met after the warehouse in Endurance, where Clay's dad had worked, burned to the ground and Clay's dad moved him and his sister to the Georgia town where his dad's old Vietnam War buddy -- Joey's dad -- lives. Clay, who with Joey, graduated from high school last month, has always wanted to be a doctor, but he doesn't have the grades or the money to pursue his dream. Instead, he's doing twelve-hour shifts at the hospital. Joey, the class valedictorian and football hero, is heading to Duke in the fall.

But after Clay gets off the tough shift that was marked by the teen girl's death (after a car accident), he wearily enters the shed in Joey's backyard -- the shed that has always been Clay and Joey's clubhouse and sanctuary -- and finds Joey naked and in a violent, psychotic state. Apparently it has something to do with a party Joey had been at. After an intense struggle in the shed, Clay has to call 911 and soon Joey is on life support at the hospital.

What has happened to the supposedly straight-arrow Joey and what is the deal with Michelle, the girl who was sort of with Clay but who has been coming on strong to Joey?

"Everybody I talk to is ready to leave
With the light of the morning
They've seen the end coming down long enough to believe
That they've heard their last warning"
--Jackson Browne, "For Everyman"

BLOOD BROTHERS is a gritty mystery which is relentless in its pacing because Clay has to sandwich his attempts to figure out what happened to Joey into those all-too-brief periods of time when he is not either working at the hospital or watching his friend's struggle in critical care.
The author's long career working in hospitals, beginning as a teenager, is clearly responsible for the vivid depictions of hospital work -- from the yucky and mundane tasks to the life-and-death climaxes -- which will hold the interest of all but the most squeamish readers. Chalk another one up to the Class of 2K7.

Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_... http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...

[Yorely’s Munoz · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book and storyline was alright. Enjoyable enough to get through. I feel like I enjoyed more because the main character worked in a hospital and I work in the medical field so it felt like it was something I could relate with. Over all I found the backstory a bit boring at times, like it was dragged and some of it wasn’t necessary.

[Emily Cassady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clay and Joey have been friends ever since Clay’s family showed up on Joey’s family’s doorstep during Thanksgiving without a dime and starving almost ten years earlier.
Now the boys have graduated from high school. Joey is valedictorian and is attending Duke pre-med. Clay would love to do the same, but his family is still struggling financially. Although Clay’s dad has a job, he still relies a bit on Joey’s family. The two are like brothers. In fact, they made a pact that insured they were Blood Brothers (hence the name).
After a particularly heinous day at the hospital where he works, Clay stops by Joey’s to try and mend their relationship (they had been fighting over a girl). When he gets to Joey’s shed (a place where the boys hang out together), he finds Joey behaving frantically. Joey is also naked. When he blatantly pees on the floor, Clay realizes that something is definitely wrong. He fears for the worst and calls 911. The emergency call records the events that transpire. Joey attacks Clay with a garden hoe. Joey pushes Clay away out of protection and Joey ends up falling to the ground and hitting his head.
Throughout the course of events that transpire, Joey gets a brain bleed and goes into a coma. Clay feels primarily responsible and Joey’s parents support that guilt by turning away from him. The chief of police befriends Clay and reveals that Joey’s toxicology report revealed he had traces of PCP in his system and that the brain injury is a direct result from actions earlier in the day, not Clay’s self-defense moves.
It is a page turner that is riveting enough to keep even reluctant readers interested. You are wondering if Clay will get to the bottom of the mystery that keeps unraveling at every page turn.
Although there is drug use, alcohol use, and mild mention of sex (resulting in STDs), it is not inappropriate and I think it paints a terrifying picture of the “what if” scenario that students should see before experimenting with drugs. Joey’s death brings everyone back together in an ending that might be too pat, but at least leaves readers with satisfaction and closing the final chapter in this book.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

In BLOOD BROTHERS, S. A. Harazin combines many "teens will love it" elements sure to be a success for the young adult crowd.

Clay and Joey are best friends, even though their lives are quite different. Clay's mother died when he was just a baby, and while he lives with his dad, there's not much interaction between them. He pretty much fends for himself. Joey, on the other hand, has a great family, gets good grades, and has a terrific future ahead of him.

One night Joey calls Clay. It is obvious that Joey is not himself. He sounds confused and angry, possibly drunk. When Clay arrives, Joey flies into a mad rage, and while attempting to calm Joey and protect himself, Clay shoves Joey. The incident ends in a 911 call with Joey ending up in the hospital in a coma.

Clay works as a nurses' assistant at the hospital and knows just how bad things look for his friend. The personal guilt combined with the hostility he feels from his best friend's parents make Clay determined to investigate exactly what happened to Joey that night. There was some sort of party. Was Joey really just drunk or was it drugs? And if so, what kind of drugs and where did he get them?

Readers are taken along on the wild ride as Clay tries to solve the mystery, do what he can to keep his friend comfortable, and hang on to his own job. Teens will appreciate that S. A. Harazin writes on a realistic level and doesn't try to baby them. The direct, honest approach will attract teen readers and have them recommending this one to their friends.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a moving story about two boys who have been best friends since early childhood. Now at age 18, Joey is planning to go to Duke and Clay is working as a hospital orderly struggling to pay for rent and food and dreaming about becoming a doctor one day. They share a dream of biking across the country from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Joey's affluent parents are protective of their only son while Clay has been raised by a father who seems uninvolved and sleeps all the time when he isn't working. The story begins with conflict between the two boys over a girl that Clay is interested in who is actually using him to pursue a relationship with Joey. After seeing a teenage girl die at the hospital, Clay realizes that his friendship with Joey is too precious to lose and he goes to see him and apologize. Clay finds Joey acting crazy and thinks that he is drunk. Joey attacks Clay and Clay pushes him in self defense even as he is calling 911. The 911 call records Joey's attack on Clay. Joey hits his head when he falls.
THe story moves on through Clay's struggle to understand what happened to Joey who is now in a coma, and his fear that he will be blamed for the whole mess. I read this one in one sitting because I had to find out how it ended.

This is a great story for teens.
It deals with:
*friendship
*the dangers of smoking and drugs
*Peer pressure and feeling like an outsider
*conflicts with parents and authority figures
*setting goals
*working for what you want

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clay and Joey have been best friends since the day ten years ago when Clay and his dad showed up at Joey’s house, unannounced and basically homeless. So Clay is surprised one summer night when he encounters a violent, combative and clearly under-the-influence Joey. Their ensuing fight ends with Joey clinging to life in the same hospital where Clay works as a medical technician, and with Clay under suspicion by the family he has come to think of as his own. Through flashbacks, we learn more about Clay and Joey’s friendship, and watch Clay try to decipher why Joey, class valedictorian with everything ahead of him, would jeopardize it all by taking drugs. Blood Brothers is a compelling novel with very strong writing, a solid plot and an incredibly endearing character in Clay, whose compassion and common sense make you want to know him personally. If this novel has a weakness, it is Clay’s one-sided relationship with Michelle, his elusive girlfriend who has a past with Joey. It is hard to understand why such a thoughtful character would get so wrapped up in her, but perhaps this reviewer is just biased since I liked Clay so much. This highly recommended book by first-time author Harazin will hook readers from the first page, and hold their interest through the last.

[Danny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Danny Stenseth
5/1/08
Block 4

Blood Brothers

I thought this book was an okay book. This story is about two really good friends. Clay works at a hospital all the time and doesn’t really have a family. Clay and his dad don’t get along and Clay’s mom died when he was young. But Joey has the opposite life that Clay has. Joey has an awesome family and he has a spoiled life. Joey is going to an Ivey school. He has an awesome girlfriend and many more. Clay doesn’t like his life at all. To make his life even worse, Clay got fired at the hospital. Clay’s dad is even madder because Clay got fired and his dad can’t really support Clay. Now Clay asks if he can stay with Joey for a while. Clay finds out that him and Joey aren’t as close as he thought they were. Clay finds out all these secrets about Joey. He finds out that Joey gets drunk a lot. One day Joey calls Clay and Joey sounds drunk. Clay gets at the party and Joey is screaming at Clay for no reason. Clay tries to calm down Joey and Clay pushes Joey down. The next thing you know is Joey is in the hospital. Joey could die! They don’t know if Joey was doing drugs or drunk. Joey is… read and find out.
I would recommend this book to people who like mysteries.

[Clickety · Rating 2 out of 5]

I dunno, maybe I was remembering another plot summary, but I was expecting something COMPLETELY different from this. Kidnapping and high-speed chases, I think. Also based on the cover. Looks very suspense-y, like a Caroline Cooney or something.

So it wasn't what I expected, but not in a really good OR bad way. It was kind of surprising when it seemed like EVERYONE was dogging Clay. I didn't really see justification for that. And that's based on things that other characters said/did. I mean, given that Clay's a teenager who's had things tough for awhile, I could totally see if he FELT persecuted, but it just seemed like he WAS.

While it wasn't my cuppa, I really appreciated the book from a gender standpoint. I mean, flip the genders and you TOTALLY could've gone Lurlene McDaniel with a pastel cover and a title like Dear God, Please Don't Let My Friend Die!!! I love that neither Clay's job nor his concern for his friend is seen as effeminate.

Oh, yeah, and kids? Don't do PCP.

[Hazel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clay Gardener ,although his life is hard, loves his job at the hospital. His Dad is a garbage truck driver and Clay transports himself on his bike since he can't afford a car. His best friend, Joey, is more fortunate but they are extremely close especially just after graduating from high school and looking forward to college. Joey plans to attend a great college and Clay on the other hand has to work till he can afford to go to college and become a doctor, his dream. One night after returning from a late night at work Clay visits Joey and finds him in a mess in the shack after having an overdose. Suddenly Joey's dream are harmed when he has to be rushed to the emergency room after hurting his head while fighting subconsciously with Clay. Slowly all that led up to Joeys accident is revealed in this epic, page-turning, heart wrenching story of two guys who become blood brothers.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clay Gardner and his pal Joey have been best buddies for years. Clay dreams of becoming a doctor but knows it's an uphill battle due to the need for scholarships etc. to go through med school. Joey is a star athlete and has the grades. Suddenly the world is upside down as he finds Joey in their shared shed out of his mind even trying to strangle Clay. Clay gets an ambulance there and does his best to stand by his friend. Joey's parents anger as they try to save their son turns against Clay. Clay works at the hospital so he does what he can to stand by his buddy despite their reaction. As Joey slips away, Clay is able to uncover those who were with him and giving him a toke off of a joint laced with PCP. While Joey's parents finally understand it was not Clay who did this, Clay still loses his job at the hospital for discussing a patient with others.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blood Brothers was such a good book. I seriously describe it as "nice". The first 3 pages I was basically groaning inside my head cause I felt like I won't like it but then I started to read more and I was intrigued. Clay and Joey are best friends who are you guessed it, opposites. Joey is a someone and Clay is a no one. Seeing the love Clay has for Joey throughout the book was so cute and amazing. The ending is a water works ending, well at least I cried. i knew it was all Michelle's fault. This book also teaches readers that friendship is important and valuable and if I girl like Michelle comes in between you guys, just cut her out of your lives before she does some crazy ass shit like drug your best friend up so bad hes dying. But, other than the sadness, the book was great!

[Frezanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story that makes you crying if, if,if, just if. If Clay did not fight with Joey, If Clay did not visit Joey at that time, If someone did not give drugs to Joey ...So many if...I guess that's how strange life is. How sometimes, you just wish you can go the past and change your decision even if it is just as small and mundane at that time.
Clay is an easy character to root for. He is hard working, humble, and well...kind. I just wishes that he never has to lose Joey. Sorry for the spoiler..Most of the time in reality there is no simple happy ending.

[Reynoldsburg Teens]

Reynoldsburg Branch Teen Book Group Selection: Clay wishes his life could be more like his best friend Joey's. But Joey's golden future shatters when he overdoses at a party. Now he's clinging to life at the hospital, while Clay tries to find out what happened and who's responsible. Teens who like gritty, realistic fiction will enjoy this friendship drama with a hint of criminal investigation. Fans of C.S.I. and emergency room dramas will appreciate the behind-the-scenes look at hospital operations.

[Sawyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, the reason I gave this 5 stars isn't because of the actual plot or climax itself. The book starts off by giving us the exposition and then continuing along with the story as planned. This in itself I would give 4 stars because it was an interesting read. I gave it 5 stars because of the denoument, or resolution. Wow, talk about an ending, Clay lets go of Joey's hand for the last time or something like that. Talk about dramatic! Harazin really knows how to tie all the storie's loose ends together in one dramatic closing!

[Marlene · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Blood Brothers" was read when I was in a Reading Bowl Club so this is not my usually book that I like to read, but it kept me entertained enough that I actually finished the book. It was about two guys, who use to be the best of friends, in their senior year of high school. Both go through dramatic changes in their lives, which changes their life for the worse. One of the guys has to deal with the aftermath of his friend's problem and starts to see life differently. The book had a sad undertone to it so I knew what was going to happen at the end of the book. An alright read.

[Taylor Estep · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blood brothers is about a boy named Clay who works at a hospital and dreams of being a doctor. Almost every day he rides his bike to work because he can't afford a car. Clay's best friend named Joey is the opposite of Clay and has a bright future ahead but things turn and Joey ends up emitted in the same hospital Clay works at and Joey's parents think it's all Clay's fault.
I really enjoyed this book because I liked seeing how Clay's life changed and how Clay searched to find out what happened to Joey at the party. Their close friendship made me want to keep reading.

[Dr. K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Told from the perspective of a 17 year old high school student (Clay) who is trying to figure out what happened to make his best friend (Joey) attack him. Clay has a full time job as a med tech at a hospital and has constant money problems. In addition his girlfriend Michelle breaks up with him. Even though Clay does not believe in himself like he should... he begins to see himself through the eyes of other characters in the book who describe him in postivie terms.

[Karenc5 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is okay, Gale a 17 year old works most of the time in the hospital.
His jod is to clean the blood, change the sheets, help the nurses if they need anything, he works at the emergency hospital. One day his bestfriend got intoxicated but he didnt know why or th cause of why he was intoxicated. i don't like this book at all is always talking about the hospital and is not a oood book it only talks about medicine.

[Janet Frost · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for the mystery month of the Book Boot camp. I enjoyed it at the time. It was definitely older YA because of under-age drinking, drug use and references to sexually active teens. The main character works as an orderly in the ER and I found the medical references spot on.
The protagonist must find out how his best friend ended up in a coma following a night of partying. Some depressing depictions of the teen culture.

[Yichen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book mainly talks about the incident that happened between two best friends, who are in families with completely different economic status. One of the friends was an intern at a hospital while the other one is really smart and about to go to college. However, the incident left the smart friend unconscious and will not wake forever. This book describes every detail well and I could not stop reading once I start.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book taught me to not believe that I am weak. Because inner strength comes when you least expect it to but comes just when you need it the most. Also Blood Brother shows me that friendship is very important in the book and it taught me to value my friends.

[Jj · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the truth. It's sad how drugs can effect the person that is taking the drugs and the people who love them the most. This book is nothing but pure reality. What happened in this book could happen to anyone.