DNF - Not sure what aspect of this story didn't work for me but I struggled to motivate myself to come back & read it. I would be interested in viewing/reading this story in another format.

Daniel and his brother Max grew up in a verbally and at times physically abusive household. Their father was a typical 1950s-era male who worked all day and berated his wife and children all night. Their mother was a cold, emotionally battered woman who lived off of anxiety medication to survive. Daniel and Max struggle to address their childhood trauma that leads them down a path of alcoholism and depression. Told from Daniel’s perspective, this story recounts his life and road to recovery.

This is one of the best books I read all year. It is beautiful and heartbreaking and so very real. Daniel’s life is full of grief and suffering, yet through it all he works on himself and his relationships, though there are a lot of growing pains and mistakes on his part. It is told in alternating time periods from Daniel’s childhood to the present. This is an emotionally hard read; there are moments that are uplifting, but there is a lot of death and tragedy. I wish that there was a happier ending for Daniel, but it was a realistic ending that offered some hope. Thanks to NetGalley, Girl Friday Books, and Michael Eon for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Unfortunately this just wasn’t for me and while I’ve tried to make it work, it’s not connecting. Apologies.

these things happen by michael eon
★★★★☆
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“i knew what it meant to hate a monster. i lived with a real one. but i was powerfully drawn to monsters in films. unlike my father, they couldn’t help what they were. and i appreciated that they tried to resist their monstrousness.”
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these things happen by michael eon is an exploration of one man's journey through the complexities of life, family, relationships, and addiction. the story revolves around daniel, who is forced to confront his past and reevaluate his choices following his brother's failed suicide attempt. through a series of flashbacks, and present moments, we are given a firsthand account of daniel's life, including his troubled childhood in 1970s brooklyn, a family tragedy, and the lasting impact of his father's abusive behavior, leading us into the events that shaped daniel's life and led him down the destructive path of alcoholism. the echoes of michael cunningham's a home at the end of the world can be felt throughout these things happen, as both novels explore similar themes. this book is a powerful and thought provoking read.
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“it shouldn’t be this hard to just live.”

Raised by an alcoholic father and a mother who medicates to make it through the day in Brooklyn in the 1970's, Daniel's life is pretty messed up. Add to that a family tragedy and his own alcoholism. Now in AA as an adult, Daniel is trying to maintain a relationship with a woman when someone from his past enters his life. There is lots of dysfunction in this book but there is also healing and hope. Despite the subject matter it was an easy read.

What a very interesting book. I liked it because I had a lot of different characters and themes. And everybody seemed to be related together.. It was about three boys named daniel max and henry. The father was very abusive to all of them and the mother. Devil have the worst, and then max henry was pretty much grown up and left the house. They all had addiction problems. The father drank and so the kids turned to drink as well. The mother was pretty much hooked on Oh Pill. Daniel was gonna be a really great trumpet player. And he liked this girl named BRI e.. She had Ask her so they moved away when she was young. To be near the doctor's in Manhattan.. Daniel got a very complicated life and max did choose least to fight a lot. There's a lot of tragedies in this book, They were all tied together. Everybody had a story to tell good or bad. It was also like a love story between bury and daniel. Daniel finally went to alcohol nominees because he couldn't handle his liquor. Dale sponsor somehow was related to Daniel through many different aspects of his life.. Henry, his brother died in a tragic accident on US18. Due to alcohol. Daniel had a lot of pain and guilt and anger to everybody. Used to watch horror movies because it made him feel better. Max his brother had a lot of emotional problems as well. Max also tried to do suicide and daniel Saved him. As I read this book, it's like a theme. And you'll find out who's related to what and what happened in this book?

This is a breathtaking novel that take place in Brooklyn from the 70’s to the 90’s. Daniel’s journey is often painful, but ultimately the message is one of hope. Having grown up in NY during the same era, I appreciate how deftly the weaves historical events from the time into the narrative.

** Warning that this novel deals with themes of suicide and alcoholism