{Book Tour/Review} Goodnight, Brian by Steven Manchester

ISBN #: 978-1611880618

Page Count: 308

Copyright: January 8, 2013

Publisher: The Story Plant

Book Summary:

(Taken from back cover)

Fate was working against little Brian Mauretti. The food that was meant to nourish him was poisoning him instead, and the doctors said the damage was devastating and absolute. Fate had written off Brian. But fate didn't count on a woman as determined as Brian's grandmother, Angela DiMartino - who everyone knew as Mama. Loving her grandson with everything she had, Mama endeavored to battle fate. Fate had no idea what it was in for.

An emotional tale about the strength of family bonds, unconditional love, and the perseverance to do our best with the challenging gifts we receive, Goodnight, Brian is an uplifting tribute to what happens when giving up is not an option.

Mandy's Review:

Anybody who read my review of Steven's other book, Twelve Months, knows how much of an emotional impact he made on me. He quickly became one of my must-read authors, so I had to say "yes!" when I was offered the opportunity to review Goodnight, Brian for this virtual book blog tour hosted by Providence Book Promotions.

Angela DiMartino became the focal character in this book, not Brian (at least for me). She was the one making personal sacrifices. She was the one determined that Brian beat the odds and she made sure everyone else in the family took part in his success. She was the one whose house everyone gathered at twice a week. She was the one calling Brian every night to see how his day was. Angela, or Mama, was definitely the main character, and a great one. Reading about her as a person and her role in her family made me want to know her and call her my grandmother.

When I read Twelve Months, I thought Steven writing in a timeline format was for the purposes of that book. As I began reading Goodnight, Brian, though, I realized that the timeline formatted writing style is simply Steven's preferred way to write. Each time period is segmented in some way so that the reader doesn't get confused. This style doesn't work for a lot of authors, but it seems to work well for Steven. If it's not broke, don't fix it and all that ...

While Goodnight, Brian had some emotional moments, it didn't grip me by the heartstrings like his other book. I enjoyed the story, but it wasn't my favorite. I would still recommend Steven as an author you need to read, especially if you enjoy faith-filled fiction based in reality.


*A paperback copy of this book was provided by the tour host for the purposes of this tour and in exchange for an honest review.