I honestly cannot remember how I first learned of this book, but I’m pretty sure it was on Instagram. I plowed through this in a matter of days. My sister read it at the same time as me and she also finished it quickly. It’s gripping, but also terrifying. Everyone, especially those of us with children, needs to read this book. Warning: your anxiety about sending your child to college will be off the charts. For those of you unfamiliar with the premise of this true crime investigation, here’s a summary from Amazon:
“Among the Bros is a harrowing and disturbing book. I have read about fraternity life but nothing like this. This book will blow your mind, each page digging deeper into the unimaginable. Except every word is true.”—Buzz Bissinger, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Mosquito Bowl and Friday Night Lights
A brilliant young investigative journalist traces a murder and a multi-million-dollar drug ring, leading to an unprecedented look at elite American fraternity life.
When Max Marshall arrived on the campus of the College of Charleston in 2018, he hoped to investigate a small-time fraternity Xanax trafficking ring. Instead, he found a homicide, several student deaths, and millions of dollars circulating around the Deep South. He also opened up an elite world hidden to outsiders. Behind the pop culture cliches of “Greek life” lies one of the major breeding grounds of American power: 80 percent of Fortune 500 executives, 85 percent of Supreme Court justices, and all but four presidents since 1825 have been fraternity members. With unprecedented immersion, this book takes insiders inside that bubble.
Under the live oaks and Spanish moss of Travel + Leisure’s “Most Beautiful Campus in America,” Marshall traces several “C of C” boys’ journeys from fraternity pledges to interstate drug traffickers. The result is a true-life story of hubris, status, money, drugs, and murder—one that lifts a curtain on an ecstatic and disturbing way of life. With expert pacing and a cool eye, he follows a never-ending party that continues after funerals and mass arrests.
An addictive and haunting portrait of tomorrow’s American establishment, Among the Bros is nonfiction storytelling at its finest.
Among the Bros
Although College of Charleston is the university predominantly featured in the book, many other schools are involved. Don’t assume this is just a C of C problem. It’s rampant.
The writing of this nonfiction work is a little confusing at times with the author slipping into first person from time to time, but it’s still an incredible read. Please take the time to educate yourself on this truly horrific epidemic sweeping our nation’s colleges and universities. Order here: https://amzn.to/3Qs8Zu6
