Every Bright and Broken Thing

by Brian McBride

Haunted by the last question their mother ever asked them, the Greyson brothers struggle to cope with their grief and adjust to life after tragedy. Semi-popular sixteen-year-old Liam spends his nights performing as the lead singer of his high school indie pop/rock band, Liam and the Landmarks. But something happened to Liam four years ago at his friend's house - a secret Liam will take to his grave. But in small towns like Summit, Colorado, secrets always seem to find their way out. Twenty-four-year-old Ezra thought that he could cure his grief when he left Summit behind for a prestigious art school in Chicago, but things only got worse. Now a college dropout working at a gas station mini mart, he turns to alcohol, prescription painkillers, and meaningless one-night stands. But Ezra can't run forever - life always catches up with you. With abrasively honest dual-perspective narratives, Every Bright and Broken Thing illustrates the unbreakable bond between brothers and the power in coming home.

Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult, Christian, Christian Fiction

379 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 11, 2019

About the author

Born and raised in the misty mountains of Oregon before moving to the San Francisco Bay Area, Brian has been writing since he was old enough to hold a pen and has been reading for even longer. A profesionnal multi- tasker, Brian has built a Tiny House on Wheels, started a small business, launched his own publishing house, and serves as pastor at his church. His growing list of interests include but are not limited to: his goofy German Shepherd, Arlo, iced tea, tropical getaways, and angsty teen dramas.

Reviews

[Brian McBride · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote this book, so I might be biased. *shrugs*

[Brooke Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, wow.

I am left nearly speechless by what this book has to offer.

Let me begin by saying I picked up this book because I have heard of Brian McBride within the Indie author community and it sounded like he didn't shy away from really tough subjects, which is something a lot of Christian fiction writers in general, Indie or traditional, tend to do. I, myself, am not a writer of Christian fiction and in general, I am annoyed by Christian fiction.

This book is more than just another Christian fiction book.

Does this book talk about church and God and Jesus? Yes.

Does it shove a narrative down your throat about these things? No. Absolutely not.

In fact, this book is so tactful in how it addresses Christianity and Jesus and life that I daresay a nonChristian would enjoy this book.

The characters are human. Ezra deals with addiction of many kinds. Liam deals with a haunting past. Both brothers deal with the loss of their mother.

This book covers addiction, sex, and rape in the most tactful way. It covers things that most Christian fiction authors stay away from for fear of being too real. And I love this book for that. I love that Brian McBride didn't stay away from the really hard realities of life. And he put them so plainly that it hurts.

I will definitely be reading more from this author. He's definitely an author on the rise.

Five stars.

[Kaitlyn Krispense · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every Bright and Broken Thing . . . wrecked me. Wow. Um.


I thought I'd never read a book with prose that I could compare to Charles Martin.

I was wrong.

Every Bright and Broken Thing was beautiful. And it HURT. Reading reviews about it made me think that it'd break my heart and make me wanna sob the whole way through.

But no . . . it's one of those books that make you start hurting at the very beginning, just a little bit. And that ache grows deeper and deeper until it sticks in your mind and you wonder if there's anything good in the world. Liam and Ezra sinking deeper and deeper into the pit of despair, trying to get out by themselves. Knowing that they're not good enough. Knowing that they'll never be enough, never be able to fix what's broken.

And then...redemption.

I finished this baby several days ago and I'm still not sure how to rate it. It was so, so heavy. So, so good.


Liam was . . . oh my goodness. Liam was, by far, my favorite character in the whole book. Both he and Ezra went through things that I . . . I can't even imagine. Yet some of the things they said hit me deeply because they were . . . me. But Liam has a secret. A secret he won't tell anyone.

But, of course, secrets always have a way of coming into the light.


Ezra was good. A messed-up, sick painter, in desperate need of help. To be honest, he made me mad most of the time. I wanted to grab him by the face and say "EZ! C'MON! GO HOME!" But I also knew why he was the way he was. And it made me okay with it. So there's that. (But that ONE SCENE AT THE END YES DUDE YESSSS)

Mr. Grayson was the besssst <3


And Theo. Can't forget Theo. #everyoneneedsaTheo

All the music tie-ends with this book resonated so deeply. I love music. Right up there next to books, it's one of my most favorite things in the world. And the fact that Liam was writing his own music, a part of his own band (Liam and the Landmarks. How cool of a name is that??), getting lost in the music . . . I. Adored. It.

The stuff I liked not-so-much?

So, all the sexual stuff I . . . could've done without. Like, it wasn't graphic at all and I'm not upset that it was in the book, because it really had a big thing to do with the plot (and I'M SORRY I'd talk more specifically, but SPOILERS *cries* If you have questions, comment them and I'll answer them to the best of my abilities). But I have a very active imagination, y'all. Just a bit less than what was in the book could've been nice. (Plus the mentions of bare chests + taking showers was juuuuust a bit much for my tastes.)

And, there were a few inconsistencies/typos. If you asked me to point out the inconsistencies, I honestly can't remember them all right now, except for the main one being that Liam's secret, according to the back cover blurb and the first few chapters, occurred four years ago. For the rest of the book, it was two years. So yeah.

And I've waited until now to rate this book because I honestly wasn't sure what rating to give it. So, after reading through all the notes I've made . . . yes. Five stars. Because what I didn't care for was far outweighed with the deep stuff. The heavy stuff. The amazingness.


TO THE AUTHOR: Brian, thank you for writing this book. Thank you for not shying away from the fact that this world is broken, so broken. That there's only one thing that can give us hope.

[Hannah Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll write a longer review once it's published, but I wanted to say some words.

-it will rip your heart out (a roller coaster of hope, love, pain, brokenness, and more pain)
-it has best bro friendships (my favorite)
-if it was a film, i'd cry so hard my eyes would probably fall out or something (mhm)

[Ryan Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful and emotionally intense. I'll be posting a full review on my blog sometime soon.
Brian McBride is, without a doubt, my new favorite contemporary author.

[Micaiah Keitel · Rating 4 out of 5]

MY RATING: Three and a Half Astronaut Murals out of Five

Every Bright and Broken Thing by Brian McBride is a book that you won’t soon forget.

Full of beautiful prose, this book is sure to break your heart. The story will haunt you and leave you aching. Read on for more of my thoughts on Every Bright and Broken Thing.

WHAT I LOVED....

The friendships in this book are so good. All too often, friendships get snubbed in YA fiction and romance is put on center stage, but that’s not so here! Yes, there is romance. But I feel like the friendships are just as, if not even more, important.

The author has a beautiful writing style; it’s full of prose and almost sounds like poetry. Here’s a quote from Every Bright and Broken Thing just to prove it: “I try to see my life in color, but the colors fall flat. Dull. Muted. Completely and irrevocably unspectacular.”

I loved the author’s descriptions. From settings to characters to thoughts to actions, everything that the author wove together read like art.

Just seeing Christian fiction makes me happy okay? I love love love Christian fiction and it’s really important and exciting to see another YA Christian fiction writer share a story, which is one reason I was so excited to see this book!

THAT COVER. It looks so good and am I being shallow mentioning how much I love it here? I hope not because WOW that is a great cover. And speaking of the cover…

Everything about this book is really professional, which you don’t often see in indie books. I was very impressed with this. If you had just handed me a page and asked me if the book was indie or traditionally published, I would’ve said traditional (not because indie is bad but because indie books don’t exactly have a reputation for looking professional).

The Sanctuary was so good to see in fiction. I wish that I could go there and volunteer and that a place like that was real for all of the homeless people of Chicago.

The supporting cast of characters (including Mama Gracie!) MADE this book. The author poured so much personality into the supporting characters, and it showed! I loved this so much because too often side characters get pushed to, well, the side. Here the author did them justice.

I love seeing guy main characters in a Christian fiction book. In my opinion, there aren’t enough guys, or really enough diversity, in Christian fiction. I loved seeing it here.

WHAT I DIDN'T LOVE....

It seemed overly poetic and prose-y sometimes. While I LOVED the writing style, sometimes I felt like it was… Too much. At some points it felt like the author was leaning too heavily on prose to tell the story. I loved the prose, but felt that there was just a bit much of it.

I felt like Every Bright and Broken Thing didn’t focus as much on the question that the boys’ mom asked them as I thought it would. Again, not necessarily a bad thing, but I kinda wished I saw a bit more of it.

The ending felt super abrupt. Everything sort of just happened and then the book was over. Although it was a good ending that had me wanting to know more about where Liam and Ezra would end up, I wished that there was a little more to it.

I felt like the characters’ arcs barely changed during the book and then all of the sudden drastically changed. One moment they are lost and completely broken, and then the next they realize what they need to do. I could be the only one, but I felt that this happened too suddenly.

There were vague mentions of the church hurting the family, but we didn’t get a good picture of how or why. I thought that this should have been expanded upon a bit since it was such a big part as to why Ezra and Liam left God and the church behind.

It felt like the tone almost never changed. Everything felt dramatic, dark, and gloomy. I wish that the tone had some more changes instead of just staying at one level.

A NOTE ON THE CONTENT...

This book is probably one of the few Christian fiction books I’ve read that isn’t afraid to get into the dark, gritty parts of our world. These subjects are not handled comfortably, and, frankly, they shouldn’t be handled in a way that makes us feel comfortable because we should not feel comfortable with these subjects. However, these subjects do need to be handled with care. I feel that the author did an okay job of not getting into too much detail while still conveying reality. Some of the subjects dealt with include: Alcohol, drugs, sex, rape, and thoughts of suicide and self-harm, amongst some other things.

With that said, I understand that not everyone is okay with reading books that have such heavy themes and topics. Because of the heavy themes and topics that Every Bright and Broken Thing deals with, I would not recommend it to younger teens. I’d say that a good age range for this novel would be at least 16+.

I will be doing a blog post series on hard topics in Christian fiction soon, so stay tuned for that!

CONCLUSION...

This was a very hard book to read because of the characters’ hurt and pain and because of the heavy topics it deals with. And that is not a bad thing. We need books that are hard to read, that illustrate the reality of our world and offer us hope and healing as this book does. Some other elements (not the “hard to read” aspect) kept me from falling as in love with this book as I wish I could have. However, it is a good book, and I’m sure that many others will enjoy this story and find hope within its pages.

[allison riera :) · Rating 3 out of 5]

okay. this book was great and powerful and moving, but also very heavy, dark, and emotional. and for me, the darkness kinda overshadowed the light.

the content was very heavy. i appreciated it, in a sense, as a majority of Christian fiction tends to shy away from difficult issues such as abuse, addiction, etc. but, it was still difficult and hard to read. and at times, i felt like it was overly descriptive.

i wish that the ending would be have been a little more hopeful, or resolved some of the issues that Ezra and Liam were dealing with (i.e., painkiller addiction, drinking, etc.)

all in all, a good but heavy read.

- - - p.s. also, i'm pretty sure there was a Sons of Slaughter cameo appearance in it! so that was fun. :)

[M Shen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay but I DID WRITE A REVIEW.

What happened to my review.

It wasn't even much really, just me being 😶😶😶 but COME ON GOODREADS.

[Kaitlyn S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can only recommend this book to those who are willing to face the brokenness of humanity.
To those who are ready to face the ugliness of our world and the dark places and the depression head-on.
To every person who is willing to take an epic journey to the depths of human depravity. To those ready to have their lives rethought and their convictions reformed at the hands of a book.

I can promise you: this book is no ordinary book. It is powerful and raw and real. So very real. And it will rip your heart out, trample it, and put it back in again, bruised and shaking.

This is a book that is unlike any other that I have read so far. Instead of glossing over the brokenness of humanity, it powerfully painted a picture that brought me to tears. Instead of running from the hard issues, it charges towards them, head held high, waving a flag of redemption.

Brian McBride has written a powerful tale that I keep thinking about. It was eloquent, it was beautiful, the words were woven together in a beautiful tapestry; but most of all, it showed human nature for what it is, and it showed Christ for who He is, and it showed that there's hope and redemption in every situation. And that, my friends, is rare.

The storyline was moving. The characters were brought to life through paper and ink. I felt for them, I cheered them on, and I cried with them and for them. I was brought into their conflicts, into their emotions, and into their dreams. I wondered about the song and the painting, and I hoped with them that they would find out what would save them one day.

Maybe this story was so powerfully moving to me because my mother actually did almost die, and I was almost these characters. Maybe I could see a bit of what I would have faced seven years ago if the Lord had seen fit to call my Mama home. Maybe its because I have faced this broken world and cried in its face, or maybe its because I still am fighting this brokenness daily.

Maybe this story was so powerful because we all, at one time or another, have to face the brokenness of the world, the ugliness of our human finiteness, and come up with answers. Regardless of the reason, Brian has taken words and created a powerful story that I feel that everyone should read, at one time or another.

This story follows two very different brothers who are still so alike. They must face the world after their mother's death. They must grapple with the sovereignty of a God who their parents call good and gracious and merciful, knowing that their mother is gone forever. They have to learn to reconcile who God is with what they see around them. Those two find out that they cannot rely on their parent's salvation; they must have their own faith in the Lord, and their parents Saviour must become their own.

This book takes some tough, uncomfortable topics and discusses them, delving deeply into them, and for that reason alone I would say that it would be best for those who are more mature. I wouldn't let my 16-year-old sister read it yet, but our family is very conservative. My cousin who is 16 and public schooled could read this book with no problems, and much understanding.

I appreciated the way the subjects were handled. There was nothing described in too much detail, although enough information was given that you knew exactly what the author was speaking of.

There are mentions of drinking, underage drinking, partying, kissing, mentions of suicide, rape, and some "off-screen" sex scenes. Again, nothing too vile. Nothing too detailed. But it is there, and every single thing plays a huge part in the storyline.

My one issue is that, for all the brokenness, I think there should have been a bit more redemption shown. There's a thread of redemption throughout the whole book, but still . . . there could have been more. Although, saying that, I'm not sure exactly how that would have worked into the plot of the book.

I appreciated this book, and I will definitely be reading it again. I have a feeling it's one of those books that you discover some new gem each time you finish it. And I am definitely looking forward to reading Brain's other work, sooner rather than later =)

*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to enjoy it, simply to give my honest opinion.*

[Sunshine Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

What to say about this book? It amazingly raw. Realistic. Intriguing. Phenomenal. A another book off the charts. Relatable in some ways. A story so Incredible, I don’t why you haven’t read it yet.

[Libby Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

To say I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I opened this book is an understatement.

Every Bright and Broken Thing deals with some very heavy issues in a raw, yet hope-giving way. Within the pages of this book, there is hurt and misunderstanding, anger and agony. But there is also life and rediscovery and healing. The author has a gift of drawing the reader into the character's minds, feeling their pain and their confusion... it's incredibly visceral and oh, so relatable. In both Liam and Ezra, I saw a little bit of myself. I think most readers will.

The prose is perfect, almost breathtaking at times. This book is a journey from brokenness to mending, and it's told so beautifully.

At the same time... I felt it was missing something. As Ezra and Liam's father is a pastor, there was talk of the church, and of God, and faith, and prayers woven throughout the book. And yet... I felt like the hope that was being offered, the healing that promised to take place didn't really find its foundation in God's grace. In the end, I was left a little confused on the place God had in the story, as the conflict with the church didn't feel resolved and the concept of the Gospel didn't seem to be the answer to the brokenness put forth in this book. Not that Every Bright and Broken Thing was bad in any way. I just felt... uncertain, as if the resolution in the end wasn't quite adequate. Perhaps this is just me, and maybe I missed some things that I would understand better through a reread.

All in all, Every Bright and Broken Thing was a journey I'm glad I got to take. It's heavy and deals with mature topics, but for older teen/adult readers, I think it's worthwhile.

[RebeccaCaraway · Rating 5 out of 5]

DISCLAIMER: I was given a free copy of this book by the author in exchange for a honest review.

This book surprised me. I wasn’t expecting such good writing with raw stories in a Christian novel. My favorite thing about this story is that it doesn’t hide away from REAL issues just because it’s a Christian fiction. (though you will still enjoy this if you aren’t religious) It handles and deals with the subject of sexual assault in a heartbreaking yet respectful way. I related to Liam in a way that I haven’t related to any characters before. This book tugs at your heart while also giving you hope. While I did find one perspective more appealing than the other there were never any points where I felt bored. The writing in this book can only be described as a lyrical triumph. Brian is the young Christian writer I’ve been waiting for and I can’t wait to see what he does next.

[Kara Linaburg · Rating 5 out of 5]

"We sail, higher and higher and higher. Up here, everything is bright. Up here, we thunder across a technicolor sea of stars and their light is enough to guide us home."
*Closes book*
*Stands to applauds*

First Truth: Not everyone is qualified to right books that touch on such deep and raw subjects with such honesty.

Second Truth: But Brian Mcbride is.

I will admit that the writing style took me a bit to enjoy. Poetic and often times deep, I am accustomed to the more generic form of writing.
BUT once I allowed myself to dive into this story full of bright and broken things...
WOW.
Just wow.
There is beauty here dwelling with the pain. There is a journey of coming home and two brothers who seek that more than anything. This is a masterfully told book with characters we feel for and can understand, that we mourn with and laugh with. We feel their hurt as well as our own.
This is an honest book that doesn't hide from the pain in life, but without being explicit and casting you away from the point of the story in the first place. Brian Mcbride also captures brokenness without making his book a moral lesson....and yes, in it's own way it is just that. However it is also so, so much more.
Highly recommend if you are in for a deeper read that forces us to search in the darkness in our own lives.

[Rose | Adventurous Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a book to recommend to you today and I’m so excited to share it with you all. I had heard some great things about Every Bright and Broken Thing but didn’t know much about it. I am so thankful that I read it because it is so heartbreaking and inspiring and perfect....
This book just tore me apart! It has jumped to one of my favorites. This novel was just so raw and powerful; a story of hope in the hardest times.
Seriously, this book is AMAZING. I have already reread it. (Yes, it was that good.) It is going on my bookshelf as soon as possible in a position of honor.
This book deals with multiple harsh (but realistic) subject so I cannot recommend it to everyone.
Rating: 5 Stars

*I received a complementary copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review. A positive review was not required and all thoughts are my own.

[Morgan Giesbrecht · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Brian once again created a story that simultaneously broke and touched my heart.

First, the themes. They are gut wrenching. Grief and brokenness is messy. Unless you’re ready and able to come face to face with the broken and the messy, this isn’t the book for you. Ironically, there was a time when I wouldn’t have been able to read this book, but because of the pain and brokenness I’ve faced, I was able to see myself in these characters, relate to their struggles, and learn from their lessons.

Second, the characters. Ezra and Liam are great main characters, and my heart was breaking for them chapter after chapter. I can’t say I liked Liam’s girlfriend, Stacy, but I did like Ezra’s friend, Elaine. And the older couple at the shelter (their names escape me at this minute) are just the sweetest! While I don’t like the teen boys drinking aspect, I think Theo is honestly a great friend, especially later in the book. He warms my heart.

Third, the storylines. A family scattered by the tragic death of their mother and the subsequent feelings of abandonment as they handle their grief differently. This was heartbreaking but incredibly well handled. It was raw but real. Now for a spoiler…. One of the storylines deals with Liam being sexually assaulted by his best friend’s father - who is a church deacon and assaulted his wife and his own son - and Liam is afraid of telling anyone what happened. I guessed this was the case pretty early on in the book since it was hinted at and later confirmed, but it was so sad, especially because when he did tell someone, he was overhead by someone else. This made him the target of bullying, and an older male student then attempted to assault Liam. It was at this point that I got mainly uncomfortable. There were a scene of the assault *almost* happening, and then another where it did happen. I will say that the scene wasn’t in anyway glorified and was clearly wrong. I wouldn’t call them graphic but perhaps semi-detailed. You know what’s happening without definitively being told.

I’ll also mention that there are two other *almost* scenes, one between Liam and Stacy, and the other between Ezra and a woman. Both times things are stopped before going too far, but they are there and semi-descript as some clothing is removed. There is also a thread of Ezra’s habit of one-night stands, though they happen offscreen.

Lastly, faith. Liam and Ezra’s dad is a pastor, so they grew up in the church but have drifted. There are also mentions of singing “heart songs.” Both boys are genuinely grappling with the faith they grew up hearing and believing and the heartache and brokenness of the world they now find themselves in.

Fun side note…the Mountaintop Creamery! I love crossovers from authors’ other novels, so it was fun to see a glimpse of Dean and Emilia Rivera from Sons of Slaughter.

Final thoughts? In terms of character development, introspection, and the handling of the message and themes, this book is incredible. The main reason I didn’t give it a higher rate was some of the language and content. Going into the book, I wasn’t expecting some of the situations that occurred, and I almost wish there had been a little bit of a warning or something.

Definitely a mature read and not for the faint of heart but wonderfully told.


Content: drunk teenager relieves himself on a polic vehicle; young man flirts with girls at the bar and they head to his apartment, it’s revealed he has a habit of one-night stands but they happen offscreen; alcoholism; drug addiction; teenage romance and kissing; innuendo; mild language (h*lllh*le; for God’s sake; f*gg*t; sl*t; f*g); cursing but no words used; teens smoke marijuana; joke made about porn; guy asks if is a girl’s “time of the month”; guy asks if another guy is gay; a couple crude comments; guys go swimming in their underwear; guy gives another guy a drink with a drug in it to make it easier to sexually assault him

[Zoe Anastasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

They say don’t judge a book by its cover, but this book has a beautiful cover AND a beautiful story inside. It follows the story of two brothers, Ezra and Liam. Both of their stories were powerful and I enjoyed reading from their POVs, but Liam’s was definitely my favorite. Many scenes and specific lines makes you reflex on your own life. Just this morning I remembered the line that said that nothing is too broken to be fixed, and you can decide to fix it or not. That’s your choice. The story is about grief, loss, and family. (Also, there’s a lovely character in it named Theo, and he’s amazing and I love him.)
The only problem was that there were a lot of typos and it took me out of the story several times.
All in all, I give it 4.5 ⭐️. I highly recommend for anyone who wants to read a book with lots of depth and fantastic characters that you’ll love and cheer for.

[Dominique · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Life isn’t one way or the other. It’s not all good and it’s not all bad. Life is every bright and broken thing, working together to create something beautiful – something that reminds us who we are and where we’re going." [Mama Gracie, Page 161]

Every Bright and Broken Thing is a beautiful story that shows grief and how it can hold onto you in a real and relatable way. It shows how it can drag you down, but it also shows how you can pull yourself out and find hope again.
It took me a little while to get into the story, but once I did I became attached to the characters and their struggles, wanting to know how things were going to work out for them.

With both storylines, especially both characters being brothers, you think things would get confusing at times. But they didn't, Brian did a good job at keeping the storylines separate.
At times it felt like the characters were a bit repetitive with some of their thinking, but I suppose it really drove home the point of what they were worrying about/struggling with.

EBABT shows two types of love that can help you through hard times, romantic love and friendship love. Both are important, but I feel like friendship love gets pushed to the side in books sometimes, especially when it's between two guys. I loved Liam and Theo's friendship and how it grew in the book.

My one complaint is I thought the ending wrapped up a tad to quickly. Like the story was a little rushed to get to the end. It was a nice ending, it just felt rushed to get there and like it was missing something.

All in all, it's a beautiful story of learning how to handle your pain, and to grow and as Ezra put it, wake up from the pain.


(I received an ARC in return for an honest review)


~keep reading & keep exploring galaxies~

[Brittney Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, how do I even begin? My heart is torn in 10 different places, something I didn’t know was possible. I feel empty, like something got ripped out of me, and yet I also feel warm, like I was gifted the wisest knowledge. And, maybe I was.
Every Bright and Broken Thing by Brian McBride was packed full of deep messages I didn’t think I needed. It was a page-turning slow-burn (yes, you read that right) that continued to teach me valuable insight about moving forward, taking time to heal, and allowing the light to shine through the cracks in our lives.
In the beginning, I’ll admit that I found this book sad. Too sad. A sadness I didn’t realize I was entering. The book revolves around two brothers, no longer communicating as they both deal with their mother’s loss in different ways. Since reading this book at a time where my own life felt a little dull, I had to set this story down once and again to take it in and wonder when these two boys would catch a break. As a lover of self-help and personal growth, and a happiness and gratitude enthusiast, this book made me go insane, as I so badly wanted to make the characters happy. But, we all heal differently. And this book taught me that as well.
However, ending was so satisfying, and I finally felt hopeful, crying happy tears in the coffee shop. I walked to class with my head hung low, yet a smile lingering on my lips. What an odd, but beautiful feeling.
I recommend this book to anyone willing to immerse themselves in the heads of two struggling yet healing boys. Overall, it was one of the best indie books I’ve read, and it deserves to reach the lives of many.
My rating: 4.5 ✨

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever read a book which gets to you in such a way, that you just don’t think you could properly word a review to explain exactly what it means to you?

Well, the answer is a yes for me and this book is one of those books.

But, forgetting what I just said, I’m going to try my best to explain why I loved it.

It’s a book which before reading it I wasn’t even sure if it was my cup of tea, but after reading it, I’m so glad that I did! I never knew I needed to read something so much in my life.

Brian McBride writes in such a beautiful way but with painful honesty and realism to. It’s hard not to feel a roller coaster of emotions whilst reading. Heartbreaking and poignant but ultimately spreading a hopeful message in the end. It teaches you that however hard things get, and however broken you feel (because it is okay to break), that you can slowly heal and you will be able to feel better at some point. Even if that road is hard, and you don’t feel like you deserve to get help or to heal, you do!

It also shines a light on the power of family and coming home. I really liked the sibling bond theme. These are all things I think that more books need to include.

I loved the dual perspective narrative’s where we follow the two brothers, Ezra (24) and Liam (16). The voices were both different, with similarities in their struggles because of their mother’s death and the questions she left with them, but differences too in their own ways of dealing with it. They both had their own challenges to face and their character development was both complex and enlightening. I also like how by the ending it’s not a 100% happy conclusion (because that wouldn’t seem realistic), we can understand there is still much healing for them to do, but there is a slightly more hopeful vibe by the end from the both of them which is uplifting.

I also liked the addition of the arts, painting for Ezra and music for Liam, as arts is always something that has been special to me myself. There was lots of beautiful, metaphorical language surrounding the themes of colour and inclusion of lyrics which I thought was a nice touch. You can really tell how hard the author worked to bring these character and their passions to life in this book!

One thing that personally I felt could have been expanded on, was perhaps more on the Dad as I didn’t really feel like I gauged much of his character (past how much it is obvious he cares for his family.) I know the book was focused more on Ezra and Liam, but I felt the Dad could have been slightly more involved some how. Maybe just in the narrative towards the end with some more speech between him and his sons. Maybe that’s just me though.



Also I just want to say, I didn’t know this book included a Christianity theme and personally I don’t really believe in God, but this didn’t stop be from enjoying it at all. It never shoves the topic down your throat, trying to make you believe in the same things. It’s talked about from the perspective of these characters and how they feel about it. So please, do NOT judge this book because of the theme before you read it. I really needed it!

It has a special place in my heart now. I highly recommend this book to everyone. (Also the cover illustration is so beautiful which is another bonus!)

[Olivia J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had the privilege of beta reading this amazing book. Can’t wait to put on my favorites shelf.

[Joshua Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every Bright and Broken Thing by Brian McBride is truly an amazing piece of Contemporary literature and I don't mean that lightly. The way he weaves in themes of brokenness, family, grief, alcoholism, sexual abuse, and more is astounding and truly pulls at your heartstrings.

One of the main reasons I love this book is because it doesn't just focus on the brokenness between Ezra, Liam and their father; it also focuses on the brokenness of the their friends, which I don't really see often in Contemporary novels.

For me, I loved the characters of Ezra and his little brother Liam. Ezra, for me, was someone that people can relate to when it comes to the brokenness you can feel when you drown yourself in your grief and cut yourself off from family. Ezra's arc throughout the story is truly amazing and didn't feel rushed in the slightest. Taking his time, Brian gives you a look into Ezra's life and what the death of his mother truly did to him but his eventual reconnection with his father and brother is beautiful.

Liam's arc throughout the story is what truly pulled at my heart. While Ezra's arc focused on him and the fact he couldn't figure out that one art piece that could "save his life", Liam's focuses on his music. I loved the way that Liam had friends like Theo who pushed him to open up about what happened to him two years ago.

Ezra and Liam are some of the most complex characters I've read in a while and it's refreshing. The theme of brotherhood that flows through the story and between the two brothers is beautiful and shows how much the death of their mother affected them separately but also the relationship between them.

Overall, Every Bright and Broken Thing is definitely a 5/5 for me and I can't wait to read Brian's next Contemporary novel Sons of Slaughter.

[Amanda-Victoria Wilcox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is very emotional and raw. It’s about two brothers who are going through a rough time after the death of their mother six years ago. Everyone grieves differently. I love how it’s Faith/Christian related. He has beautiful words that flows onto pages. He’s like another John Green.

He grips his readers and reels them into his story. He talks about Christianity while talking about today’s issues. He has you guessing until the end. EBABT is definitely not a teen cliche novel. It’s a novel that everyone will fall in love with. I know I did. I couldn’t put down the book - even on my break at work I would continue reading if. It’s that good. Trust me when I say, EVERYONE GO READ EVERY BRIGHT AND BROKEN THING when it comes out. You won’t regret it.

You will fall in love with each character; all who has strong personalities.

[Kärt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks again, Brian, for choosing me as one of your beta readers!

I think whatever I have to say about this will not do it justice. Having never felt grief myself, my heart hurt for Ezra, Liam, and their dad.

There was one particular bit that stayed with me and describes the premise of the book rather perfectly:

In seasons of sorrow, you are faced with a choice to either walk the path of pain or walk the path of joy. Because joy is a weapon strong enough to conquer heaviness.

Brian has such an amazing way with words when it comes to describing struggles, grief, depression. You really feel what the character is feeling. Your heart goes out to them. You root for them. Hope they get better and find their way home.

This book will pull at your heartstrings and hurt you, yet it'll leave you with such a sense of hope. It's beautifully tragic, captivating, and heart-wrenching, but all-in-all, thoroughly inspirational and invigorating.

[Ruth Morse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every Bright and Broken Thing is a beautifully written, heartfelt story full of raw emotions and uncompromising descriptions. While reading it, I couldn’t get over the feeling that it was a dialog, a discussion between the reader and the author in which one can count on being heard.

[Annie Twitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Currently unable to talk about this book for emotional reasons. It was good. I will need a copy to hug and soak with tears.

[Sowon Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the daughter of missionaries, this book really hit hard.
There's no flaw I found while reading this story- the characters were REAL, the writing style was so relaxing, and the plot was intense. Most importantly, the themes were able to weave themselves into my brain, and into my heart.
100000000000/5 ⭐

[R.C.Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every Bright And Broken Thing caught me by surprise. I don't know what I was expecting, but this book made me feel everything, in the best way possible. And I cried. Especially over the last few chapters.

Brian McBride's voice is raw and his prose is STUNNING. It was so beautiful to read something so vulnerable and heartbreaking yet inspiring.

The story was compelling, the characters felt very real, relatable, and broken. But not beyond hope. Never beyond hope.

McBride tackles some really tough subjects with grace. He lets the readers sit in the pain and brokeness, but points to hope time and time again. He spends much of the book pointing to hope in the friends, family, and ultimately Jesus.

[Kayla Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of being able to beta read EBABT and I have to say it was absolutely amazing.

Every Bright And Broken Thing is a gripping story about grief and healing and learning to find yourself amongst the broken pieces.

The one thing I appreciate about McBride’s stories is not only the fact that he doesn’t shy away from the tough things that we experience throughout life, but how he creates such complex characters that you find yourself crying with and wanting to fight for.

I also love how his scenes throughout EBABT had such an emotional weight to them that I found myself tearing up at a lot of parts and I tend not to be someone that cries over books.

This is something that can’t be described with words, but I do believe it’s something everyone should read. Everyone should experience this story at least once in their life because there’s no other story quite like it. McBride has a depth to his writing that’s hard to find, so snag a copy when it’s finally released. You won’t be disappointed.

[Emily Reilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I have to say is this book hit my heart HARD. Brian McBride, you’ve outdone yourself. Love love love this story!

[Will Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

Better review to come!