Review of Malbrook

Cristina Chifane · Post by **Cristina Chifane** » 07 Mar 2022, 02:10

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Malbrook" by Brian Long.]

3 out of 4 stars

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Alex Moran has just started his senior year at Malbrook West High. His cousin, Dave Kane, is in his junior year at Malbrook East. Although their schools carry a fierce rivalry, Alex and Dave get along very well. At Dave’s invitation, Alex attends a meeting of the East chapter of the Phi Gamma Alpha fraternity they have both joined. He is surprised to discover that one of the boys, Marco Scotti, promotes the symbol of the swastika and the Nazi flag.

Later on the same evening, Marco and his buddy Jimmy beat Jevonte Jenkins senselessly. There is no reason for the irrational attack on the 16-year-old kid other than the color of his skin. Driven by outrage, Alex jumps to Jevonte’s rescue and sets the wheel in motion for an unpredictable chain of events.

Malbrook by Brian Long is a coming-of-age novel that tackles the negative consequences of bullying and racial discrimination. The conflicts between teenage boys reflect deeply-rooted social issues. The author excels at describing the atmosphere in a community where concepts such as diversity and difference are still hard to understand.

The book has more than 300 pages organized into 20 chapters. The storyline flows smoothly, and suspenseful moments keep the readers engaged to the end. The teenagers described in the book cover a wide variety of human typologies. I admired Alex Moran for his courage and sense of justice. I also empathized with Jevonte, an honor student whose only crime “was being a black child in a white neighborhood.” (p. 40) Despite his reckless behavior, Marco is still a relatable character. He grew up in a dysfunctional family and moved from being a victim of bullying to bullying.

The description of the complex relationships between the characters is my favorite aspect. These relations range from friendship and loyalty to envy and betrayal. However, there were some things I did not like so much. For example, John, Alex’s best friend, talks degradingly about girls. Female characters like Julie or Alyssa are not particularly credible either. Similarly, the candidates to a fraternity have to do menial tasks and chores for the older members. Last but not least, the novel features minors getting drunk or getting revenge by using physical violence.

Considering the reasons I previously mentioned, I am rating Malbrook by Brian Long 3 out of 4 stars. I only noticed four minor editing errors, so I have no complaints in this respect. I would recommend the novel to high school students for the excellent depiction of the interrelations between the teenage protagonists and the lessons they learn on their path to maturity. Nevertheless, profanities and the graphic description of violence make the book suitable for a more mature audience interested in racial prejudices and social changes.

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Malbrook
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Amy Luman · Post by **Amy Luman** » 08 Mar 2022, 11:28

Racial issues are sometimes hard to navigate, but wrong is wrong, no matter the circumstances. I understand that Marco is probably just repeating things from home, but that is no excuse.

Blessing Odii · Post by **Blessing Odii** » 08 Mar 2022, 21:00

I love the fact that the book talks about bullying. Nice review.

Pauls_ · Post by **Pauls_** » 09 Mar 2022, 00:03

I admire Alex for saving a black skin. Racism can never completely be jettisoned. I would like to see the chain of events that follows. Thanks for the great review.