Book Review: The Bro Code by Elizabeth. A. Seibert

The Bro Code

by

Elizabeth A. Seibert 

Publisher: Wattpad Books

Publication date: 22nd September 2020

Genre: Young Adult

Pages: 320

Format read: eBook

Source: Courtesy of Smith Publicity

About the book

As a certified stand-up bro, Nick Maguire knows that some things in life are sacred: Do not skip ab workouts. Never back down from spicy foods. And always accept the outcome of Rock, Paper, Scissors. For these are the revered doctrines of The Bro Code, rules of conduct that have been passed down through the ages from bro to bro.

Heading into his senior year, Cassidy High’s star soccer player has his priorities straight and intends to spend his time playing sports, hanging out, and living by the code. But when his best bro Carter’s sister Eliza returns from studying overseas, the awkward, academic girl Nick remembers is different.

Carter might be Nick’s bro, but Eliza becomes his whole world—and he has to make a choice between them. Is being with the girl of your dreams worth breaking the most important rule: never date your best friend’s sister? Somehow, Nick never expected that following The Bro Code may have even bigger consequences than breaking it

My Review

Elizabeth Seibert has delivered a humorous and satirical look at a group of boys, the jocks of their high school, as they navigate the path from boys to men.

The boys were all about ‘the code’ and, as most teens are, all about themselves and the rules that they decided they should live by. These were a group of privileged white boys and I think they realised that. However, with no responsibilities they also seemed to lack respect.

One rule; ‘you don’t hit on a bro’s sister’ starts to cause division in the group as one of the boys starts to fall for his best-friend's sister.
As the story evolves and the boys mature they start to come to the realisation that their attitude towards girls has not been respectful.

There is plenty of humour as the boys hang out doing silly boy stuff, playing video games and eating pizza. However the book also explores many situations relevant to teens including the important topics of consent, respect and toxic masculinity although I feel these topics could have been explored further and I didn’t like that there were never any consequences for their actions.
The boys look back on events in the past and see with a more mature mind that things they did were not okay.

Sixteen year old Eliza, the sister of one of the boys, provides a good perspective of the female point of view and the harm that can be done by these disrespectful boys. I liked that Eliza was outspoken and called the boys out over their behaviour.

There is a really sweet romance running through the story and I love how Eliza chooses the course and pace of the romance.

The Bro Code is a light read that gets the message across in a subtle way. This is a story I hope will make young males see toxic masculinity as outdated and young girls to be strong and outspoken. 

3.5 / 5   ⭐⭐⭐.5

Ages: 14 – 17 years.

About the author

Photo: Goodreads

Elizabeth A. Seibert has been an author, sunscreen-obsessed lifeguard, barbecue-loving waitress, finance reporter, nine-to-five marketer, and aspiring superhero. Her stories on Wattpad have amassed over thirty million reads, and she’s been featured in Imagines: Celebrity Encounters Starring You (Simon & Schuster).

Elizabeth attended the University of Massachusetts Amerst and currently lives in Massachusetts, USA, where she attends Harvard University. Elizabeth loves to cook and play board games and ultimate frisbee. The Bro Code is her debut novel.