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Our Brothers at the Bottom of the Bottom of the Sea
Don't fall, Ethan scrawls in red permanent marker across the rides and signs of Sea Town. Since his brother Jason's death, Ethan can't let go of his big brother.
Don't fall, Rachel reads as she prepares to dump back into the ocean the shells her brother Curtis collected. Curtis had Down syndrome, but that isn't why he plummeted to his death from the Rock-It Roll-It Coaster.Together, Ethan and Rachel are about to discover just how far a man will go to protect his kingdom.With lyrical storytelling, Jonathan Kranz spins an irresistible tale of mystery and grief, guilt and culpability.
Don't fall, Rachel reads as she prepares to dump back into the ocean the shells her brother Curtis collected. Curtis had Down syndrome, but that isn't why he plummeted to his death from the Rock-It Roll-It Coaster.Together, Ethan and Rachel are about to discover just how far a man will go to protect his kingdom.With lyrical storytelling, Jonathan Kranz spins an irresistible tale of mystery and grief, guilt and culpability.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published June 9, 2015
About the author
Jonathan David Kranz
4 books10 followersAfter 20 years of marketing copywriting, I'm complementing one kind of make-believe with another, closer to the soul: fiction. Please watch this space for news about my upcoming YA novel, Our Brothers at the Bottom of the Bottom of the Sea, to be published by Henry Holt. It's set on the Jersey shore and features burning amusement parks, hidden luncheonettes, and a heroine with an appetite for shoplifting -- in another words, everything we love.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
June 1, 2016
Jonathan Kranz's debut novel pushes together two teenagers, Ethan and Rachel, who both lost their brothers in connection with Happy World, the ironically named seaside amusement park in their town. As they search for the truth about these seemingly unrelated tragedies, they uncover guilt and complicity, truth and cowardice, and the true nature of the town they thought they knew. Kranz's sharp characterizations and adroit plotting make this a masterful read.
October 22, 2020
I actually enjoyed this book. Not a masterpiece of fiction, but I really got caught up in the story. The characters weren't very fleshed out, and I had to go back and reread parts to get how the mystery was solved.
I'm surprised so many people panned it, though, because I found it relatively gripping.
I'm surprised so many people panned it, though, because I found it relatively gripping.
October 24, 2017
I really wanted to like this book: the title, the cover, the setting, the story! Having read it the title is still good, though I am not sure how Curtis is at the bottom of the sea, the cover is still beautiful, the setting still perfect, but the story? Kranz forgot to write it. He wrote a skeleton of something that might have been nice. He toggled between perspectives. He played with feelings and emotion. What he didn't do was write a story. Too many pieces were incomplete and none of the characters were developed with the strange exception of Jason.
This book had so much potential and it fell completely flat. Truly disappointed, I waited a long time for this book.
Into the donation bag it will go and I hope someone who can love it will find it.
This book had so much potential and it fell completely flat. Truly disappointed, I waited a long time for this book.
Into the donation bag it will go and I hope someone who can love it will find it.
June 11, 2018
With such an intriguing, odd title how could one not be just a little bit curious about this story. But you know what? There was a line in this book that referenced "less talking, more doing" and all I could think was "AMEN!" ... only I was thinking of Kranz's writing. Intriguing as the title might have been, the story just was not there for me.
October 5, 2018
Quick read, enjoyed.
December 9, 2020
The book started pretty slow and I was confused for a bit but then it became super intriguing. Loved figuring out all the twists and join the journey of Rachel and Ethan.
July 23, 2021
Bad character development
Incomplete plot progressing
Boring storystelling
Incomplete plot progressing
Boring storystelling
December 23, 2017
Our Brothers at the Bottom of the Bottom of the Sea was pitched to me as a murder mystery/thriller set in an amusement park which I was so on board for. The story follows Ethan and Rachel who have both had siblings die in "accidents" at a boardwalk amusement park. Together they team up to try and unearth the dark underbelly of the park and uncover the truth about their brothers' deaths. I went into this book with high expectations but honestly this was a pretty forgettable YA thriller. The cast was bland and boring, the plot was awkwardly paced and never really had a climax, the ending was predictable.... and every time I would put my book down I realized I didn't remember anything I'd just read. Nothing stuck with me when I finished the book and to me that says this book was a disappointment. I honestly couldn't recommend it to anyone either because it was so mediocre and boring. Overall a solid 2 star read and a pretty bland, predictable thriller with a boring, forgettable cast.
July 21, 2015
Amusements parks are meant to provide an escape from the doldrums of reality. A chance for thrills and excitement. A place for families to enjoy themselves. But when events at the local boardwalk amusement park of a small Jersey Shore town turn deadly, the teenagers at the center of Jonathan David Kranz’s novel Our Brothers at the Bottom of the Sea discover that even the happiest places can hide dark secrets.
The story begins as a coming-of-age story about two teenagers, Rachel and Ethan, processing the deaths of their brothers. Rachel was watching her brother Curtis, who had Down syndrome, the day he died falling from a roller coaster. Her investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death leads her to Ethan, whose brother Jason drowned near the amusement park six months after Curtis’s death. Ethan’s discovery of Jason’s journal sets them on the path to discover the dark secrets behind the town’s most popular attraction, learning just how greed and guilt can destroy everything.
I thought the friendship between Ethan and Rachel was one of the better parts of the novel. Also, it’s refreshing to see a YA novel where the one female main character and two male main characters don’t end up in a love triangle. The use of multiple narrators helps connect the events surrounding Jason and Curtis’s deaths while simultaneously elaborating on the distinctive responses those left behind have to the devastating impact of loss. It does make the story hard to follow at times, however.
The writing also could do with a little editing. The first couple of sections contained various lines, metaphors and asides that threw me out of the story, because no teen would talk like that. I don't know if I just got used to it, but halfway through it felt like I was reading a different book because most of the weird similes were gone.
Overall I think it's an okay book. It's not great, but there are worse things out there. It's not something I would think to suggest right away to someone or gush over, because the characters and the story just didn't grab me. But if I was looking to build a display on grief or processing grief I would include this in there.
The story begins as a coming-of-age story about two teenagers, Rachel and Ethan, processing the deaths of their brothers. Rachel was watching her brother Curtis, who had Down syndrome, the day he died falling from a roller coaster. Her investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death leads her to Ethan, whose brother Jason drowned near the amusement park six months after Curtis’s death. Ethan’s discovery of Jason’s journal sets them on the path to discover the dark secrets behind the town’s most popular attraction, learning just how greed and guilt can destroy everything.
I thought the friendship between Ethan and Rachel was one of the better parts of the novel. Also, it’s refreshing to see a YA novel where the one female main character and two male main characters don’t end up in a love triangle. The use of multiple narrators helps connect the events surrounding Jason and Curtis’s deaths while simultaneously elaborating on the distinctive responses those left behind have to the devastating impact of loss. It does make the story hard to follow at times, however.
The writing also could do with a little editing. The first couple of sections contained various lines, metaphors and asides that threw me out of the story, because no teen would talk like that. I don't know if I just got used to it, but halfway through it felt like I was reading a different book because most of the weird similes were gone.
Overall I think it's an okay book. It's not great, but there are worse things out there. It's not something I would think to suggest right away to someone or gush over, because the characters and the story just didn't grab me. But if I was looking to build a display on grief or processing grief I would include this in there.
March 14, 2016
I struggled through this one. I wanted to really like it so badly ... but I never got fully drawn in nor did I ever get fully invested in the characters. So I would say that while I am giving this 3 stars because it's technically well written and the story is solid (once you figure out what the heck is going on) ... I would more solidly put this at a 2.5 because it really wound up hovering somewhere between 'It was OK' and 'Liked it' for me.
It was clear from the start that this book was about grief. All the characters are grieving something and they are all living in this overwhelmingly sad little tourist town while working through their mildly connected issues. As the characters start to make moves that allow them to try to solve the "mysteries" of their grief, they loosely come together without ever really joining forces ... to try to help each other out. I think one of the weaknesses of this book is that the friendships that form while trying to solve the "mysteries" of the novel never really deepen. The friendships are so shallow they remain almost nonexistent. I think had the characters bonded because of their grief in a deeper way then to just service the plot progression ... the overall story may have been stronger.
One other issue that I had with the story was the alternating point of view. As the title implies, there are multiple brothers who are lost. The story follows two individuals who are dealing with those losses as journal entries from one of the lost brothers. At times, the alternating POV was distracting to the point it could be disorienting. It was unclear who was writing the journal entries for some time as well - at the beginning I couldn't tell if it was one of the two main characters or a third POV. Interesting enough, it was the journal entries that kept me reading. Without the journal entires, I am not certain that I would have finished the book. The voice in those entires was the most authentic to me as a reader, it was the storyline that I wanted more information about, and it kept me reading because I wanted to find out how it related to the other two POVs that I wasn't particularly all that invested in reading.
All in all ... it was ok. I wanted it to be more than it was, but it wound up being ok.
It was clear from the start that this book was about grief. All the characters are grieving something and they are all living in this overwhelmingly sad little tourist town while working through their mildly connected issues. As the characters start to make moves that allow them to try to solve the "mysteries" of their grief, they loosely come together without ever really joining forces ... to try to help each other out. I think one of the weaknesses of this book is that the friendships that form while trying to solve the "mysteries" of the novel never really deepen. The friendships are so shallow they remain almost nonexistent. I think had the characters bonded because of their grief in a deeper way then to just service the plot progression ... the overall story may have been stronger.
One other issue that I had with the story was the alternating point of view. As the title implies, there are multiple brothers who are lost. The story follows two individuals who are dealing with those losses as journal entries from one of the lost brothers. At times, the alternating POV was distracting to the point it could be disorienting. It was unclear who was writing the journal entries for some time as well - at the beginning I couldn't tell if it was one of the two main characters or a third POV. Interesting enough, it was the journal entries that kept me reading. Without the journal entires, I am not certain that I would have finished the book. The voice in those entires was the most authentic to me as a reader, it was the storyline that I wanted more information about, and it kept me reading because I wanted to find out how it related to the other two POVs that I wasn't particularly all that invested in reading.
All in all ... it was ok. I wanted it to be more than it was, but it wound up being ok.
November 17, 2015
This is one of those books where the title and book jacket don’t quite accurately reflect what happens in the book. Only one of the so-called brothers actually ended up in the sea; the other brother fell from a roller coaster.
A better title would be: Our Brothers Who Fell. This also would tie into one character’s obsession with writing “Don’t Fall” on almost anything he can get his hands on. This seems to be part of the grieving process for Ethan as he comes to terms with his older brother, Jason, falling into the jetty and drowning. Jason’s death is mysterious because he was afraid of the ocean and always avoided it.
The death of Curtis in the roller coaster is a mystery to his older sister, Rachel, because she still cannot believe that her brother stood up from the seat’s restraint, resulting in his own death. Even though Curtis had Down Syndrome, he knew better than to do that.
The surviving siblings feel enough guilt for their brothers’ deaths that when their paths cross they decide to find the truth about what happened. As they search for answers, sinister truths about the amusement park, Happy World, and its mafia-esque owner surface.
Despite sounding interesting, this book is unable to maintain the tension. This clichéd story has every character looking for something: a future, love, a legacy. Yes, there’s mystery, grief and guilt, and culpability, but the tale is too quietly told and I’m not sure my teen readers will stick with it until the end.
I was stubbornly curious enough to find out what really happened but the slow unfolding and flashbacks of what really happened a year ago falls short for me. Teens will likely enjoy this mystery, but there’s better, more-fast paced options out there that involve mysterious deaths and sibling dramas.
A better title would be: Our Brothers Who Fell. This also would tie into one character’s obsession with writing “Don’t Fall” on almost anything he can get his hands on. This seems to be part of the grieving process for Ethan as he comes to terms with his older brother, Jason, falling into the jetty and drowning. Jason’s death is mysterious because he was afraid of the ocean and always avoided it.
The death of Curtis in the roller coaster is a mystery to his older sister, Rachel, because she still cannot believe that her brother stood up from the seat’s restraint, resulting in his own death. Even though Curtis had Down Syndrome, he knew better than to do that.
The surviving siblings feel enough guilt for their brothers’ deaths that when their paths cross they decide to find the truth about what happened. As they search for answers, sinister truths about the amusement park, Happy World, and its mafia-esque owner surface.
Despite sounding interesting, this book is unable to maintain the tension. This clichéd story has every character looking for something: a future, love, a legacy. Yes, there’s mystery, grief and guilt, and culpability, but the tale is too quietly told and I’m not sure my teen readers will stick with it until the end.
I was stubbornly curious enough to find out what really happened but the slow unfolding and flashbacks of what really happened a year ago falls short for me. Teens will likely enjoy this mystery, but there’s better, more-fast paced options out there that involve mysterious deaths and sibling dramas.
December 12, 2015
Our Brothers at the Bottom of the Bottom of the Sea, is a compelling mystery following the journey of two teens searching for answers about their brothers, who died suddenly in questionable accidents. Rachel's brother Curtis, falls out of his roller coaster cart while under her watch. She is left wondering if it was his Down Syndrome that lead to the accident, or if it was a faulty ride to blame. Ethan's big brother Jason was said to have fallen into the ocean, but Jason hated water. Ethan is starving to know what really happened the night of his brother's death.
Kranz has a poetic style of writing that makes it an intriguing read. The choice of words and use of phrases makes it seem like some of the paragraphs could be straight from a poem. This story deals with drama and loss, and is best suited for someone 13+. I recommend it for anyone who likes light mysteries, or a story that will make you think. The point of view jumps back and forth between Rachel and Ethan, which I found to be a little bit confusing. There are also diary entries in the book, but the reader doesn't find out until the end who the entries were written by.
As a whole, I found this story to to be a great read, but not a page turner from the beginning. A few of the chapters were a bit bland, and I think they could have been more exciting given the busy plot. I found the end of the story to be satisfying, as all of the questions are answered and a lot of things are tied together. This book is definitely worth a second read, because the first time around was a struggle with the different points of views, and I think I would get more out of it the second time around.
I received my copy from Goodreads First Reads.
Kranz has a poetic style of writing that makes it an intriguing read. The choice of words and use of phrases makes it seem like some of the paragraphs could be straight from a poem. This story deals with drama and loss, and is best suited for someone 13+. I recommend it for anyone who likes light mysteries, or a story that will make you think. The point of view jumps back and forth between Rachel and Ethan, which I found to be a little bit confusing. There are also diary entries in the book, but the reader doesn't find out until the end who the entries were written by.
As a whole, I found this story to to be a great read, but not a page turner from the beginning. A few of the chapters were a bit bland, and I think they could have been more exciting given the busy plot. I found the end of the story to be satisfying, as all of the questions are answered and a lot of things are tied together. This book is definitely worth a second read, because the first time around was a struggle with the different points of views, and I think I would get more out of it the second time around.
I received my copy from Goodreads First Reads.
July 7, 2015
Rachel and Ethan both live in a small resort town not far from Atlantic City. Both have suffered recent losses that might be connected in some way. Rachel's brother Curtis, who had Down syndrome, fell during the roller coaster ride at the amusement park. His death is blamed on his trying to stand up during the ride. Ethan's brother Jason worked at the Sea World amusement park, and he, too, died there, having fallen through the boardwalk. Both siblings are sure that there is something more to the deaths, and in their own ways, they begin an investigation that leads to Jason's journal detailing mechanical issues with some of the rides and his slow fall into love with the boss's daughter. Although both teenagers are aware of the wide-ranging influence of Stone, the man whose family owns the amusement park, they will uncover secrets that change the way they view the world. While the book doesn't provide answers to all the questions it raises, it explores the corruption that sometimes comes with power and the expectations one generation can lay on another. I enjoyed watching Rachel and Ethan try to figure out what really happened to their brothers and how Rachel was drawn to Leonard, someone to whom she might ordinarily never have been attracted. The surprise ending, hinted at in the book's opening pages, may make readers think about their assumptions and those losses that can never be forgotten. This is a fine debut novel that vividly evokes a sense of place.
September 5, 2015
'Our Brothers at the Bottom of the Bottom of the Sea' by Jonathan David Kranz tells a story of love an loss in a beach town. I liked the premise a lot but I felt a bit let down by the execution.
Ethan and Rachel have something in common. Both have lost brothers and both deaths are tied in with the local amusement park. Both are trying to process what happened and find justice. Ethan's brother kept a diary that holds secrets that may implicate the owner of the park. He's powerful and uncaring, but his daughter might have soemthing to say about things.
I'm not sure what I expected, but I didn't get it. I had a hard time caring about the characters. I think I cared more about the dead brothers than those they left behind. The themes have certainly been done before elsewhere and probably better. I found the diary entries confusing for the first half of the book. The ending was probably more like real life would be, but I just found I didn't care for this tepid drama.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
Ethan and Rachel have something in common. Both have lost brothers and both deaths are tied in with the local amusement park. Both are trying to process what happened and find justice. Ethan's brother kept a diary that holds secrets that may implicate the owner of the park. He's powerful and uncaring, but his daughter might have soemthing to say about things.
I'm not sure what I expected, but I didn't get it. I had a hard time caring about the characters. I think I cared more about the dead brothers than those they left behind. The themes have certainly been done before elsewhere and probably better. I found the diary entries confusing for the first half of the book. The ending was probably more like real life would be, but I just found I didn't care for this tepid drama.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
February 4, 2015
Immediate reaction: This is a solid contemporary debut about two different beach community townies each dealing with the deaths of their brothers a year earlier. Rachel's brother Curtis, who had Down syndrome, died falling off of a roller coaster at the town's amusement park, and Ethan's older brother died of an apparent suicide or drowning, no one knows for sure. I was expecting a romance, because the storyline seemed familiar (grieving teens who fall for each other), so I was pleasantly surprised when it became clear that Rachel and Ethan become allies and friends, but he's a couple of years too young to be an actual love interest. There IS romance, but it's not a central theme of the book -- and that's fine; this is about getting answers and finding a way to move forward.
While the writing was good, the book takes a thematic turn that didn't completely work for me, which is I am giving it three stars: I definitely enjoyed the coming-of-age aspects more than the mystery.
While the writing was good, the book takes a thematic turn that didn't completely work for me, which is I am giving it three stars: I definitely enjoyed the coming-of-age aspects more than the mystery.
May 25, 2015
Picture a small town on an island just off Atlantic City – a small town with mainly one business – an old amusement park that employs most of the town’s working force.
Now picture several deaths – the death of a Down Syndrome child who apparently stood up on the roller coaster and leaned too far over the safety bar – and the haunting guilt of his sister who was watching him but felt too sick at the time to go with him on his last ride.
And picture the death of another brother of another voice of this multi-point of view novel – who dies when a ride goes bad – a ride he had taken with his girlfriend as they were probably breaking up – his girl, the daughter of the owner.
And so many of those who work there – especially the younger folks – just want to leave their small town , find life somewhere else – and you have the makings of a strange novel that many will find familiar – echoes of our own journeys from our own home towns.
Now picture several deaths – the death of a Down Syndrome child who apparently stood up on the roller coaster and leaned too far over the safety bar – and the haunting guilt of his sister who was watching him but felt too sick at the time to go with him on his last ride.
And picture the death of another brother of another voice of this multi-point of view novel – who dies when a ride goes bad – a ride he had taken with his girlfriend as they were probably breaking up – his girl, the daughter of the owner.
And so many of those who work there – especially the younger folks – just want to leave their small town , find life somewhere else – and you have the makings of a strange novel that many will find familiar – echoes of our own journeys from our own home towns.
November 4, 2015
Rachel’s grief is mixed with guilt since she was supposed to be watching her Down syndrome brother, Curtis, when he fell to his death while riding the Rock-It Roll-It Coaster. Ethan’s grief is manifesting itself in anger as he sprays red graffiti all over the Jersey shore in an attempt to make sense of his brother Jason’s death. Together, Rachel and Ethan set out on a quest to learn the truth about the amusement park at the center of both tragedies; about the family that owns the park and the greed that drives them; and about the nature of grief and forgiveness.
Naturally, there was a pervasive sense of sadness and grief throughout this novel, but I felt like it created a bit of a barrier that wouldn’t let me connect with any of the characters. Multiple narrators (including Jason’s journal entries) were slightly confusing, and I didn’t immediately realize that the journal entries were Jason’s. For me, this is an optional purchase for gr. 9-12.
Naturally, there was a pervasive sense of sadness and grief throughout this novel, but I felt like it created a bit of a barrier that wouldn’t let me connect with any of the characters. Multiple narrators (including Jason’s journal entries) were slightly confusing, and I didn’t immediately realize that the journal entries were Jason’s. For me, this is an optional purchase for gr. 9-12.
June 4, 2015
Our Brothers at the Bottom of the Bottom of the Sea, Jonathan David Kranz's debut novel, is a compelling, unconventionally told mystery about two teens whose brothers died on amusement park rides in a seaside town. Their attempt to plunge into the past and track down who's really behind the tragedies kept me turning pages. I loved the multiple points of view and the interspersed journal entries, and the way the lives of the grieving, complex characters gradually merged and the mystery came together. The Jersey Shore setting is beautifully rendered, and I became fascinated by this corrupt seaside town whose business depends so much on an amusement park. Anyone who's ever been morbidly fascinated by amusement parks will want to come along for this ride. And watch out -- Kranz's finely-tuned literary style has a strong undertow, which will sneak up on you and sweep you away.
April 2, 2016
This was a potentially good book, but it lacked emotional connection. I usually prefer character-driven stories, and I felt that there wasn't really much character development here. I was told, rather than shown their connection to each other. The sibling love between Rachel and Curtis was almost non-existent; she took care of him, but I didn't get any indication that she cared more for him except as a responsibility. I didn't feel any emotional connection between Rachel and Leonard or Jason and Diana either. It just felt like they conveniently coupled up together because they were supposed to. I didn't feel anything for Diana at all, and any emotional anguish that should've come from her decision to do what she did. Nor for Rachel, in fact, when she finally figured out what must have happened.
It could've been a really great story, but it was too emotionally detached.
It could've been a really great story, but it was too emotionally detached.
October 6, 2015
Racism. Greed. Guilt. Corruption. Love. Death.
If you want a book that delves into these topics in minimal space and with fantastic writing to boot, you have found it. The romance is not hyper dramatic. The greed is sinister and oozing with those darker aspects of human ambition. The guilt is tangible and heavy. This book demands the reader to be present and alert - nothing is handed over easily. The writer trusts you to piece things together as the multiple narrators try to piece together a complex web that is far beyond their comprehension.
It is one of those YA novels that people say don't exist. Those novels exist.
If you want a book that delves into these topics in minimal space and with fantastic writing to boot, you have found it. The romance is not hyper dramatic. The greed is sinister and oozing with those darker aspects of human ambition. The guilt is tangible and heavy. This book demands the reader to be present and alert - nothing is handed over easily. The writer trusts you to piece things together as the multiple narrators try to piece together a complex web that is far beyond their comprehension.
It is one of those YA novels that people say don't exist. Those novels exist.
November 20, 2015
Our Brothers at the Bottom of the Bottom of the Sea is a riveting mystery. The story follows two teens that both have lost brothers in questionable accidents. Both deaths are connected to the local amusement park. Seeking answers and justice, they investigate the family that owns the park. The novel is told from multiple points of view and through journal entries, which adds to the richly layered characters and plot. Beautifully written, the gripping story kept me riveted until the very last page.
August 29, 2019
There's great atmosphere, and the relationships between the three main characters are nice to see, especially an uncomplicated friendship between a boy and a girl. Everything else seems muted: the grief that should be the focus, the mystery of what happened to Curtis and Jason, Jason's supposedly all-consuming love story, the dysfunctional family relationships. I just wish those things had been better developed, because this could have been a really good book.
November 1, 2015
*silence*
*crickets chirping*
What.
This plotline made no sense whatsoever. And at the times it did, the story didn't seem worth reading. C'mon, put these amazing writing abilities into a better book.
*crickets chirping*
What.
This plotline made no sense whatsoever. And at the times it did, the story didn't seem worth reading. C'mon, put these amazing writing abilities into a better book.
June 14, 2022
i really liked this whole story up until the she gave something that wasn't hers to people that really shouldn't have had it,that part was not okay.
September 15, 2015
It was alright. Not spell bounding.
Read
May 11, 2018Read because the author lives in my town and the book was characterized as YA, which may be a bit of a stretch. I liked the personalities of all the characters; they were quite believable.
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