Bruiser by Neal Shusterman, first published in 2010, is a young adult novel. It explores the life of Brewster “Bruiser” Rawlins, a high school student who has the ability to take pain away from those he cares about. Through his supernatural ability, the novel explores themes of Finding Emotional Balance, The Complications of Empathy, and The Dangers of Excessive Dependence on Others. 

Shusterman is the author of dozens of young adult novels, short stories, and works of nonfiction. His work typically contains supernatural and science fiction elements while exploring the lives of teenage protagonists. One of his most popular novels, Challenger Deep (2015), won the 2015 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, and another, Scythe (2017) won the Michael L. Printz Honor. Several more have received various awards and nominations, while film and television adaptations of Scythe and Unwind (2017) are currently in production.

This guide uses the HarperTeen first paperback edition published in 2011.

Content Warning: This guide discusses drug and alcohol addiction, bullying, physical and emotional abuse, and emotional trauma as depicted in the novel.

Plot Summary

Told from the perspectives of four characters—Tennyson and his twin sister, Brontë, and Brewster and his little brother, Cody—Bruiser tells the story of Brewster "Bruiser" Rawlins. He is a loner at school, with few friends, and no one knows much about him until, partially out of curiosity, Brontë takes him on a date.

As Brontë and Brewster get to know each other, Tennyson initially tries to keep them apart. One day, he sees Brewster without a shirt on and finds that his back is littered with old and new bruises. Curious, he follows Brewster home and intervenes just as Brewster's Uncle Hoyt is threatening to beat Cody.

Inside, Tennyson talks with Brewster and learns that he has lived with his uncle since he was 10, when his mother passed away. Tennyson decides to make peace with Brewster as Brewster promises to keep Brontë away from his Uncle Hoyt.

As Brontë and Tennyson get close to Brewster, they realize that strange things are happening to them. Brontë twists her ankle, but then immediately recovers, as she notices that Brewster starts to limp. Tennyson notices that bruises on his knuckles disappear, then finds the same ones on Brewster. They figure out that Brewster is able to take away their physical pain—not by choice, but as a consequence of getting close to someone.

Meanwhile, at home, Brontë and Tennyson's parents' marriage is failing. Their father cheated on their mother in the past, and now their mother is now secretly going out with another man while lying and saying she is at work. Their parents no longer cook food, and their dad moves into the guest room.

At Brewster's house, Uncle Hoyt realizes that Brewster has a girlfriend. He tries to stop Brewster from going out, but Brewster defies him.

Uncle Hoyt quits his job after being disciplined for a work accident, and he takes his anger out on Brewster and Cody. Because Brewster is out with Brontë, Cody is the first target of their uncle's abuse. Brewster comes home to find Hoyt beating Cody, and he then intervenes and takes the bulk of the abuse in Cody’s place. The two then go to Brewster's bedroom, where Cody tends to his wounds.

The following day, Brewster comes home from school and hears his uncle smashing dishes in the house. He sends Cody to get ice cream and goes inside to find that his uncle has been destroying things with a bat. Brewster stands up to Hoyt—determined not let him continue his cycle of abuse—but then Hoyt has a stroke. Brewster can feel the effects of the stroke being transferred to himself, but he fights it off, allowing Hoyt to die.

After briefly staying with neighbors, Cody and Brewster face the threat of a group home or foster care, which could potentially endanger Brewster's secret and separate the two brothers. Instead, Tennyson and Brontë convince their parents to adopt Cody and Brewster, allowing them to move into their home.

Over the next few weeks, Brontë and Tennyson slowly realize that things are changing in their home. Their parents reconcile, as they begin to cook again, stop fighting, and eventually move back into the same bedroom. Tennyson always has a strong desire to be at home, where he feels safe without understanding why, and he feels nothing when his girlfriend breaks up with him.

One day, Cody, Brewster, Tennyson, and his father go to the park to play basketball. Cody decides to play with his kite, which ends up getting caught in an electric tower. He climbs up after it and struggles to get his kite down, before realizing just how high up he is and the danger the electrical wires pose. However, Brewster climbs up after him, catching Cody just as he falls, and holds onto him until the firetruck arrives.

The incident makes the news and impresses Brewster's classmates. Slowly, he makes friends and begins to socialize, which pleases Brontë.

Tennyson finally realizes that their family is feeling little negative emotion, and it is because Brewster is taking it all away from them. He initially reacts angrily, but he is unable to grapple with his emotions because as soon as he begins to feel them, they are taken away.

Shortly thereafter, Brontë makes the same realization. She confronts Brewster, and he shows her that his body has become covered with bruises from Brontë’s family and his new friends. She flees from her house to try to hold onto her anger and figure out how she feels. After swimming and realizing that she is largely to blame for what is happening to Brewster, she slips and hits her head, falling into the pool.

Brewster finds Brontë on the verge of drowning. He jumps in and struggles to save her, then realizes that he can take her drowning away and transfer it to himself. He does so willingly, happy to sacrifice himself for her.

Tennyson, having followed Brewster to the pool, arrives and works with Brontë to pull Brewster from the pool. As CPR and shock paddles fail to revive Brewster, Tennyson realizes that they have to take back all of the pain that they had given Brewster in order to save him. Tennyson is only able to take back one bruise, which is enough to restart Brewster's pulse and get him breathing again.

Because of the incident with Brewster, Child Protective Services (CPS) takes Cody out of Tennyson's home. Tennyson and Brontë visit him at his children’s home regularly, then they go to visit Brewster. Brewster has remained in a coma since nearly drowning, but the nurses are hopeful as he shows signs of life. They promise to call Tennyson and Brontë as soon as he wakes up.

Back at home, Tennyson and Brontë’s parents inform them that they are getting a divorce. Since Brewster left, things slowly went back to normal as the family had to face the negative feelings that Brewster had been taking from them. As Tennyson and Brontë grieve, Tennyson realizes that this is what they needed to do to save Brewster—something he was unable to do by the pool: take back all the negative emotions they had forced onto Brewster.

Just as Tennyson has these thoughts, their phones begin to ring. He is hopeful that Brewster is finally calling, and he promises to hold onto his own pain while sharing his joy with him.