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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
"The Coward" by Jarred McGinnis is a novel in which the protagonist is named after the author and is a wheelchair user, like the author, but it's not a work of memoir. We see Jarred in the present and also through flashbacks to his past. Themes include loss of a parent, grief, alcoholism, strained relationships and the enduring power of friendship and first love. It's a story of adjustment and growth, utilising humour throughout, as Jarred comes to terms with an altered way of life.
2.5 stars ⭐️
The Coward follows the story of Jarred, estranged from his father, still grieving the loss of his mother and learning to live following a car accident which leaves him bound to a wheelchair.
Examining themes of masculinity, loss, coming of age, relationships and of course living with a disability, it is not an easy read and there are plenty of moments of shade.
I found Jack and Sarah’s characters very well written overall. I felt I understood their lives and the way they acted, as well as what brought them to this point.
As a protagonist I found Jarred incredibly hard to like and resonate with. I found his quips and rudeness towards others about his new disability very honest and refreshing and it made me check my privilege. However, how he acts in some parts of the book really did make it hard for me to like him.
The structure of the book was also something I struggled with as it jumps from present to past throughout, constantly introducing new characters and settings which was just a little too confusing for a fairly short story where not that much actually happens or changes after the first 100 pages.
I also wish the author had elaborated more on the accident. How it happened, the aftermath, was the other driver hurt or charged and also what happened to Melissa? How did she die and what about her family who were raising a court case?
I think a lot of loose ends needed tying up at the end of this book. But instead the ending just left me feeling like it was unfinished. The ending is really blunt and just let me down. I was about to round this review up to 3 stars, but just couldn’t justify it after the ending unfortunately.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the book to review.
The Coward follows the story of Jarred, estranged from his father, still grieving the loss of his mother and learning to live following a car accident which leaves him bound to a wheelchair.
Examining themes of masculinity, loss, coming of age, relationships and of course living with a disability, it is not an easy read and there are plenty of moments of shade.
I found Jack and Sarah’s characters very well written overall. I felt I understood their lives and the way they acted, as well as what brought them to this point.
As a protagonist I found Jarred incredibly hard to like and resonate with. I found his quips and rudeness towards others about his new disability very honest and refreshing and it made me check my privilege. However, how he acts in some parts of the book really did make it hard for me to like him.
The structure of the book was also something I struggled with as it jumps from present to past throughout, constantly introducing new characters and settings which was just a little too confusing for a fairly short story where not that much actually happens or changes after the first 100 pages.
I also wish the author had elaborated more on the accident. How it happened, the aftermath, was the other driver hurt or charged and also what happened to Melissa? How did she die and what about her family who were raising a court case?
I think a lot of loose ends needed tying up at the end of this book. But instead the ending just left me feeling like it was unfinished. The ending is really blunt and just let me down. I was about to round this review up to 3 stars, but just couldn’t justify it after the ending unfortunately.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the book to review.
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Cannot imagine this story happened in real life – loss, neglect, alcoholism, bipolar, theft, and of course, disability. The book showcases the process of healing, forgiveness and reunion, which allows the readers to learn from it.
3.75 - gritty & real. Yet some parts left me wanting a whole lot more. Will get a proper review up at some point
General Impressions
"The Coward" was kindly sent to me by Canongate as part of their first Read-a-Long and other than having seen it around when it was first published and skimmed the synopsis, I knew nothing about it: I hadn't watched any booktube hauls or checked any Goodreads reviews so I went in with no expectations.
As it often happens, I was initially drawn by the cover and how unassuming and different in its quotidian it was. Add the synopsis to that and I knew this was gonna be one of those books that I would either devour in a night or give up before I hit the 100-page mark.
I wanted to read this book because of its original take on the "becoming disabled" storyline. Usually, when I read a book or watch a movie in which a character lives or is struggling with a new or old disability they are either there to be the super positive secondary character that is there to show the main character that no matter how bad their life is, at least they are not disabled or in case they are not supportive, something to be pitied and put away from the screen as soon as possible.
"The Coward" breaks that mould by not only having a person who lives with a disability as the hero but by refusing to make them into either a stereotype of what disabled people can achieve (if they put superhuman effort into not demanding anything of a world built for abled bodies) or a character that learns a valuable lesson in humility and then gets healed. Because Jarred is not an angel and becoming wheelchair-bound doesn't magically makes him a better person. For that, the story jumps back and forward, addressing not only what was done to him by others and what he did that brought him to moving back into his father's house from whom he had been estranged for ten years.
In a book filled with such an original plot and beautiful writing, my absolute favourite part was still the relationship between Jarred and his father. These are two people that could be and are the villains in a lot of people's lives, including each other's and their own, but as you get to know them you cannot help in see the good and all the trauma they carry with them. You understand why they made the choices they did, good and bad.
The constant jumps between Jarred's younger years and his present reconnecting with his father, made me FLY through this book. I know that Canongate meant for this to be a read-along but they should have picked a crappier book for that. I loved this one and couldn't stop myself from finishing it in three days (I was only slowed down by the guilt, I could have done it much sooner).
If you are too worried that this might be a bit heavy, it is but there is plenty of humour throughout, mostly when it comes to Jarred's and his father's interactions with each other and other people. The scenes in which they made fun or insulted people that discriminated against Jarred in particular must have felt incredibly cathartic to write and for a lot of other people to read, I'm sure.
This book reminded me a bit of The Paris Library in how wonderfully real it was: there were no heroes or villains, simply flawed, human people, growing up and trying to make the best of what they were given.
Conclusions
I recommend "The Coward" to absolutely everyone. This is not a book about a man that finds himself bound to a wheelchair but about not only forgiveness and dealing with all kinds of trauma, the most recent of which being that accident.
Thank you to Canongate for letting me be part of their first Read-a-Long
Rating: 4.5/5
"The Coward" was kindly sent to me by Canongate as part of their first Read-a-Long and other than having seen it around when it was first published and skimmed the synopsis, I knew nothing about it: I hadn't watched any booktube hauls or checked any Goodreads reviews so I went in with no expectations.
As it often happens, I was initially drawn by the cover and how unassuming and different in its quotidian it was. Add the synopsis to that and I knew this was gonna be one of those books that I would either devour in a night or give up before I hit the 100-page mark.
I wanted to read this book because of its original take on the "becoming disabled" storyline. Usually, when I read a book or watch a movie in which a character lives or is struggling with a new or old disability they are either there to be the super positive secondary character that is there to show the main character that no matter how bad their life is, at least they are not disabled or in case they are not supportive, something to be pitied and put away from the screen as soon as possible.
"The Coward" breaks that mould by not only having a person who lives with a disability as the hero but by refusing to make them into either a stereotype of what disabled people can achieve (if they put superhuman effort into not demanding anything of a world built for abled bodies) or a character that learns a valuable lesson in humility and then gets healed. Because Jarred is not an angel and becoming wheelchair-bound doesn't magically makes him a better person. For that, the story jumps back and forward, addressing not only what was done to him by others and what he did that brought him to moving back into his father's house from whom he had been estranged for ten years.
In a book filled with such an original plot and beautiful writing, my absolute favourite part was still the relationship between Jarred and his father. These are two people that could be and are the villains in a lot of people's lives, including each other's and their own, but as you get to know them you cannot help in see the good and all the trauma they carry with them. You understand why they made the choices they did, good and bad.
The constant jumps between Jarred's younger years and his present reconnecting with his father, made me FLY through this book. I know that Canongate meant for this to be a read-along but they should have picked a crappier book for that. I loved this one and couldn't stop myself from finishing it in three days (I was only slowed down by the guilt, I could have done it much sooner).
If you are too worried that this might be a bit heavy, it is but there is plenty of humour throughout, mostly when it comes to Jarred's and his father's interactions with each other and other people. The scenes in which they made fun or insulted people that discriminated against Jarred in particular must have felt incredibly cathartic to write and for a lot of other people to read, I'm sure.
This book reminded me a bit of The Paris Library in how wonderfully real it was: there were no heroes or villains, simply flawed, human people, growing up and trying to make the best of what they were given.
Conclusions
I recommend "The Coward" to absolutely everyone. This is not a book about a man that finds himself bound to a wheelchair but about not only forgiveness and dealing with all kinds of trauma, the most recent of which being that accident.
Thank you to Canongate for letting me be part of their first Read-a-Long
Rating: 4.5/5
When I requested this book I somehow thought it's going to be a thriller? Don't ask me why, since I obviously read the blurb, lol.
Anyways, as I said while reviewing [b:The Ghost Marriage: A Memoir|54810309|The Ghost Marriage A Memoir|Kirsten Mickelwait|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1597020681l/54810309._SY75_.jpg|85509684] it's always weird to rate a memoir, because you sort of rate someone's personal choices. This books is part memoir, part fiction, so I'll rate it like that.
I'm not rating Jarred's life choices, no matter if I agree with them or not.
I'm rating the writing, the pace, the general feeling.
Even though the writing is not amazing, it's very decent and I'm excited to see what the author will present in the future.
The pace was sort of disjointed at the beginning, but after I got used to it, the reading went smoothly. It's a fast read, and I read this book in like one day, staying up until 2am to finish it (which I think tells everything).
I receiverd this book from the Publisher in an exchange for an honest review
Anyways, as I said while reviewing [b:The Ghost Marriage: A Memoir|54810309|The Ghost Marriage A Memoir|Kirsten Mickelwait|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1597020681l/54810309._SY75_.jpg|85509684] it's always weird to rate a memoir, because you sort of rate someone's personal choices. This books is part memoir, part fiction, so I'll rate it like that.
I'm not rating Jarred's life choices, no matter if I agree with them or not.
I'm rating the writing, the pace, the general feeling.
Even though the writing is not amazing, it's very decent and I'm excited to see what the author will present in the future.
The pace was sort of disjointed at the beginning, but after I got used to it, the reading went smoothly. It's a fast read, and I read this book in like one day, staying up until 2am to finish it (which I think tells everything).
I receiverd this book from the Publisher in an exchange for an honest review
This is a stunning book that highlights the impact of suddenly being unable to walk and how to accept everything that comes with this.
Everything about this book is gritty, completely stripped bare and so authentic. Jarred is a troubled character, long before his horrific accident, so when he faces life in a wheelchair his life spirals even more. It was all done so well and really gets you into the head of Jarred and just what life is like for him.
Throughout the book we learn more about Jarred and his life before the accident. Exploring what he had experienced was at times sad to read about but really helped to show just how misunderstood and lost he was. He was a character with such depth who will make you laugh at times with some of his comments but I couldn’t help but care for him, even if he did make some careless decisions at times.
Whilst this book does highlight the struggles of coming to terms with a disability it also shows the relationship between a father and son, and how they slowly both face their demons to regain the relationship that was lost.
I will say it ends very abruptly but I’m really glad it did as I think it fit perfectly for the style of the book and leaves it open to interpretation.
Overall this was such an impressive story about life with a disability, the acceptance that comes with it and the unconditional love of family. Absolutely beautifully written with characters you will care about.
Everything about this book is gritty, completely stripped bare and so authentic. Jarred is a troubled character, long before his horrific accident, so when he faces life in a wheelchair his life spirals even more. It was all done so well and really gets you into the head of Jarred and just what life is like for him.
Throughout the book we learn more about Jarred and his life before the accident. Exploring what he had experienced was at times sad to read about but really helped to show just how misunderstood and lost he was. He was a character with such depth who will make you laugh at times with some of his comments but I couldn’t help but care for him, even if he did make some careless decisions at times.
Whilst this book does highlight the struggles of coming to terms with a disability it also shows the relationship between a father and son, and how they slowly both face their demons to regain the relationship that was lost.
I will say it ends very abruptly but I’m really glad it did as I think it fit perfectly for the style of the book and leaves it open to interpretation.
Overall this was such an impressive story about life with a disability, the acceptance that comes with it and the unconditional love of family. Absolutely beautifully written with characters you will care about.
The Coward is an incredibly honest memoir/fiction novel about the life of Jarred McGinnis from a troubled, angsty teen to a troubled angsty grown up. After a tragic car accident, Jarred finds himself in a wheel chair and forced to move back in with the father he'd run away from ten years previously. Jarred has to deal with a myriad of problems, emotional, physical, financial and medical, as a result of the accident, whilst also trying to deal with the issues from his teen years that caused him to run away in the first place.
I already miss the characters. I loved the dry humour of both Jarred and Jack and how they deal with the stares and misunderstood comments of strangers. I giggled at their responses to the people around them. Their father/son relationship is fraught with how they care for each other and yet still bare the raw and painful scars of the past.
The novel delves into how we deal with grief, loss and addiction. It's enlightening, and avoids being patronising or overly sentimental. A really touching book that I highly recommend. I genuinely cared about the characters and found it impossible to put this book down.
This is a fantastic novel which I really enjoyed. Thanks to Netgalley and canongate for an ARC of this novel.
I already miss the characters. I loved the dry humour of both Jarred and Jack and how they deal with the stares and misunderstood comments of strangers. I giggled at their responses to the people around them. Their father/son relationship is fraught with how they care for each other and yet still bare the raw and painful scars of the past.
The novel delves into how we deal with grief, loss and addiction. It's enlightening, and avoids being patronising or overly sentimental. A really touching book that I highly recommend. I genuinely cared about the characters and found it impossible to put this book down.
This is a fantastic novel which I really enjoyed. Thanks to Netgalley and canongate for an ARC of this novel.
"You can't avoid every mistake. The trick is to just avoid the ones you can. That's where you need some help".
The fictional book follows Jarred, a man who is angry at the world and coming to term with his new life post car crash. Without the use of his legs, he returns home to a father he hasn't seen in 10 years, tasked with overcoming the past at the same time as learning to adapt to life in a wheelchair.
Trigger warning: alcoholism, mental health, grief.
What a story. It's rare to read a book that delivers multiple character's with complex and complete story lines. Whilst the grief in each persons life manifested differently and they each deal with it differently, ultimately, everyone is looking for something. Whether it's forgiveness, answers or closure, each character is in pursuit of something outside of their reach.
The outline flits between present day Jarred and his father and flashbacks to his childhood, the loss of his mother and his choice to run away. It's linear, clear and leaves no stone unturned. McGinnis peppers the story with dark humour but doesn't shy away from the bleak challenges that come with overcoming grief.
I don't need to say too much, because the author said it all. It was a marvellous piece of writing, a sobering read and a real piece to make you think.
The fictional book follows Jarred, a man who is angry at the world and coming to term with his new life post car crash. Without the use of his legs, he returns home to a father he hasn't seen in 10 years, tasked with overcoming the past at the same time as learning to adapt to life in a wheelchair.
Trigger warning: alcoholism, mental health, grief.
What a story. It's rare to read a book that delivers multiple character's with complex and complete story lines. Whilst the grief in each persons life manifested differently and they each deal with it differently, ultimately, everyone is looking for something. Whether it's forgiveness, answers or closure, each character is in pursuit of something outside of their reach.
The outline flits between present day Jarred and his father and flashbacks to his childhood, the loss of his mother and his choice to run away. It's linear, clear and leaves no stone unturned. McGinnis peppers the story with dark humour but doesn't shy away from the bleak challenges that come with overcoming grief.
I don't need to say too much, because the author said it all. It was a marvellous piece of writing, a sobering read and a real piece to make you think.