Brother

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of bullying, sexual violence, rape, child abuse, child sexual abuse, child death, animal cruelty, animal death, addiction, graphic violence, sexual content, cursing, death, physical abuse, and emotional abuse.

In Brother, Ahlborn creates the murderous Morrow family, and through them, she explores the negative ways that family members can affect one another and the overall family dynamic. The family’s dynamic is shaped by murder and abuse, and as the novel develops, she illustrates how Momma’s influence has shaped the family and can lead only to their eventual destruction.

The Morrows have a negative influence on one another—they create harmful models and push one another into toxic behaviors. Momma, as the head of the family, organizes the family’s savage murders to fulfill her need to kill, molding each member of the family to fit their role. Wade, Reb, and Michael abduct and torture women for Momma’s benefit, but she also determines the fate of her children. She kills Lauralynn and Misty Dawn but keeps Reb and Michael alive. Separately, Momma and Wade adversely impact their children, whose actions begin to reflect the dynamic they’ve been raised in. Momma keeps Misty Dawn in the house, compelling her to try and start a romantic relationship with Michael.