Brothers and Frenemies — Samuel Alexander

A boy bullied -- father lost to tragic events. A son with drunken parents -- grown before his time. A child, the youngest boy of four. Fighting to be heard -- lost in the noise of masculinity. A teen with an overprotective father struggling with sexual identity -- his first love gone wrong. A youth with an ailing mother and useless father, confused -- dealing with his hate for him. Four boys joined by internal issues and struggling to fit in; projecting their issues by bullying. Until one day the strangest thing happens. A usual victim stands up and demands they return an item. A sketchbook. Now the foursome turned five becomes an odd friendship where views collide, motives are questioned and tension threatens to destroy their close-knit unit. None can survive unharmed or remain the same. This coming of age story questions how strong the bonds of friendship can be, if they can outlast anything, and how the smallest of things can have epic results. This story is not just about navigating into becoming men, but about a sketchbook. And how its power changed the course of their lives.