Brother

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains descriptions of bullying, death, physical abuse, and emotional abuse.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Discuss Ahlborn’s depiction of the Morrow family. What makes them cruel? How do they come across as sympathetic? What are your impressions of Michael’s complex relationship with the Morrows?

2. The novel uses a range of genres and elements, like references to pop culture, music, and horror movies. Which elements of the novel were most compelling to you? Did any of them detract from your reading experience?

3. Compare Brother to a novel with similar themes, such as Until They Bring the Streetcars Back. How is Gretchen’s situation like Michael’s? How are Cal and Michael alike?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. How did the book’s graphic imagery contribute to or detract from your reading experience? Why do you think Ahlborn chose to vividly represent the Morrow violence?

2. Discuss the novel’s presentation of the role of family in one’s life. How does it differ from your view of family life?

3. The novel concerns itself with issues of complicity and loyalty. Have you ever, in your own life, faced a situation in which the two felt confused? What are some strategies you use to distinguish the difference between standing by someone and encouraging malign behavior?

4. Discuss the various characters’ responses to their personal trauma. How might you have handled things differently if you were in the Morrow family? How do their responses differ from your own response to trauma?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The novel features implicit comparisons of men’s and women’s acceptance of authority. How does the novel’s representation of men and women reflect modern attitudes about gender and power? 

2. The book takes place in 1981. What details suggest the 1980s? How does the time period impact the novel? How might the social issues that the book touches upon be dealt with differently now? 

3. The book mentions real-life serial killers like John Wayne Gacy and Ted Bundy. How does the novel intersect with the recent societal fascination with true crime and serial killers?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Discuss Ahlborn’s decision to structure the novel with past flashbacks that inform the present. How might the novel be different if she had structured it chronologically? 

2. Analyze the development of the characters, including Ahlborn’s choice to complicate their personal histories. What does this development add to their characters and the narrative? 

3. Discuss the significance of the title of the novel, Brother, and how the term manifests in the book. When does Reb refer to Michael as a “brother”? What does Reb mean when he uses the term?

4. How does the story normalize the Morrow violence? What words does Ahlborn use to make it seem common? How does the violence relate to Michael’s job?

5. How does the rural Appalachian setting affect the characters and plot of the novel? Does Ahlborn advance or undercut stereotypes?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Using Misty’s record collection, create a playlist for the novel and talk about how the songs reinforce or contrast the violent setting.

2. Ahlborn says she was mainly inspired by the movie Chained. Watch the film and connect it to the novel. What do the book and the movie have in common?

3. Imagine a sequel or continuation of the story in which Alice lives. Where would she go next?

4. Alice inspires Michael to use comics to document his life. Follow Alice and Michael and create comics that relate to your experiences. If you need inspiration, look through an autobiographical graphic novel such as Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis (2003).

Need more inspiration for your next meeting? Browse all of our Book Club Resources.