Friend of the Family
By Lisa Jewell

     Friend of the Family is a story about three brothers who are all going through life-changing metamorphoses. Tony, Ned and Sean grew up in a seemingly perfect home. Their parents loved them and each other and there was always enough food. However, now that the boys are entering their thirties, nothing is as it was. Tony has gotten divorced and is now in love with the most unattainable woman out there, as she is engaged to his younger brother, Sean. Sean should be happy with his engagement but his intended has dropped a bombshell on him; one that he hadn't planned on. The youngest brother, Ned, had been in Australia for three years but has just recently returned home with nary an explanation. Compound all these problems with a drifter named Gervase that their mother has taken in and you have a very confused family.

     Friend of the Family is a highly original story, one that captivated me from the very first sentence. I was looking forward to reading this book and I was not disappointed in any way. The writing is seamless and the dialogue that flows between the brothers is filled with humor and love. From the title, I though Gervase would play much bigger part but the role that he played tempered out the rest of the point of views. I highly recommend Friend of the Family for anyone who enjoys stories about relationships and how they affect your world.