Title: The Dead Brother Club
Author: Coren Beck
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 978-0994950109
Pages: 305
Genre: Memoir/ Spirituality
Reviewed by: Lisa Brown-Gilbert
Hollywood Book Reviews
The loss of a loved one is never easy, and for author and memorist Coren Beck it shook him to his existential core and became the catalyst for a deep soul searching journey in which the exploration of his spiritual fortitude became a necessity that ultimately changed the course of his life. In his debut novel The Dead Brother Club, which memorializes his experiences, author Beck unflinchingly invites readers into his conflicted, grief shaken world and spiritual sojourn, which was started by the sudden and accidental death of his seventeen-year-old brother, Billy.
At thirteen years old, Corey Beck was an intelligent, chubby, and impetuous, young man who wanted nothing more than to fit into a world where he often felt out of place. After losing his brother in a tragic car accident, Corey finds that he is suddenly abandoned to dealing with his grief alone, as his parents can barely manage handling their own grief and unintentionally remain aloof from him as they grieve. Compensating for his lonely lamenting, a dispirited Corey creates the Dead Brother Club as a way of getting the attention he so sorely lacks which, turns out to be not as beneficial as he thinks.
As I read, I could sympathize with Corey as he reeled from the loss of his brother and struggled with his emotions, parents, and peers. Becoming steeped in a sad, drug abusing, and selfishly superficial way of life Corey found support in Travis Benson, a befriended youth pastor at a local church. It was through the development of their brotherly relationship and the advent other soul stirring events that Corey began to see that the missing element in his life is a relationship with Jesus Christ. It was a tough journey of highs and lows as he experienced his spiritual awakening and coming of age as a Christian.
I enjoyed The Dead Brother Club, and do recommend reading it. I found the book to be a thought provoking and a fascinating narrative, that was easy to understand. Beck’s story of his spiritual journey made for worthy reading, especially, with his grounded, detailed recollections and comfortable writing style that flows fluently in an easy going conversational tone that invites you to read on. At times gritty, sometimes impassioned, and tangibly emotional this memoir of a young man looking to find his place in the world and finding it through the awakening of his faith and love for Jesus Christ was a worthwhile read.