Maybe

Brent Bunton's MAYBE uses the first person narrative style to display the emotions and thoughts of Brian, who is still gripping with his older brother's death. He's recently moved to a new town and is starting a new school - but he's unable to escape his past. The narrative is moving and involving - hard to put down.

In MAYBE by Brent Runyon, Brian's unpredictable behaviors make it hard to know him at first. In fact, I disliked Brian so much in the beginning and didn't know if I wanted to continue reading the book. He didn't share any deep thoughts and tried to cop cheap feels on girls at his new school. Even Brian admitted that he was a . And an . At least we agreed on something. So I decided to give him a chance. And I'm very glad I did. Brian began the book being p.o.'d about having to move to a new town and go to a new high school. As Brian left his old house he ripped a sign off of his brother's bedroom door. It was a sign his brother had made in shop class. He "just wants to have something." I didn't know what that "something" was, but figured he wanted a part of his brother with him. Yet when Brian registered for classes at his new school he had to decide between chorus and shop. His brother took shop, so Brian picked chorus. As Brian began to get comfortable at school, he made friends with a group of students involved in theater. Thespians. He made guy friends, had a few girlfriends, but seemed to only think about how he could get laid. Or he thought about his brother. Brian struggled between feelings of anger towards his brother, fondness, and terrible longing for him. Throughout most of the book Brian had a difficult time showing people anything real about him. His parents were the same way. Neither Brian nor his parents ever said much. They sat through silent meals, found reasons to leave the room when others joined them. And his brother continued to not be around. However, as Brian got closer to people, he began to let them into his heart. But only a little. And when Brian allowed himself to think about real feelings, he wondered if maybe he would feel better if he actually talked about what bothered him. What no one in his family would say. Maybe. Maybe he could let a person get close to him. Maybe. MAYBE is a heart-wrenching book for anyone who has ever had feelings bottled up inside. It's for anyone who has been confused, sad, hurt, and angry all at the same time. If you have ever been reluctant to let someone close to you because they may hurt you or leave you, then you will know exactly why Brian is hurting. You'll ache for his emptiness and celebrate his attempts to reach out. Reviewed by: Dianna Geers