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katscribefever's review against another edition
4.0
Longtime preacher Asher shares a sermon encouraging his congregation to rethink their exclusionary treatment of two gay men. In quick succession, he is forcibly removed from his church, his wife files for divorce, and he is restricted from seeing his son. Now, downhearted and aimless, he sets out for Key West in the hopes of reconnecting with a long-estranged family member whom he may have misjudged in the past.
quequel's review against another edition
4.0
Um livro pequeno, com uma narrativa tranquila e uma história sem viravoltas mirabolantes.
Um livro denso, com uma narrativa precisa e uma história real.
É como se fosse um amigo, conhecido ou até mesmo desconhecido, te contando a sua história, mas a cada passagem que ele conta, você se vê pensando no que faria no lugar dele, julgando suas decisões. Eu não cheguei a lugar nenhum, mas aprendi mais um pouquinho, com a dor desses personagens e refleti muito sobre as minhas visões e opiniões sobre todas as questões tratadas aqui, e não foram poucas.
Um livro denso, com uma narrativa precisa e uma história real.
É como se fosse um amigo, conhecido ou até mesmo desconhecido, te contando a sua história, mas a cada passagem que ele conta, você se vê pensando no que faria no lugar dele, julgando suas decisões. Eu não cheguei a lugar nenhum, mas aprendi mais um pouquinho, com a dor desses personagens e refleti muito sobre as minhas visões e opiniões sobre todas as questões tratadas aqui, e não foram poucas.
whitreadslit's review against another edition
4.0
This was such a bittersweet story. The love between father and son was special, but burdensome. The LGBTQ themes were such a good conversation starter.
4 Stars
4 Stars
jacobsite's review against another edition
2.0
1.5/5 Stars
This book may be one of the biggest disappointments I've had in any form of media in a long time. The premise and positive reception of the book really had me excited, but the final product ends up very lacking story-wise. The story, while I agree with the base message in every way, is steeped in melodrama and almost hits the point of parody at times, especially when it comes to the decision making of the characters. It also doesn't help that the protagonist Asher is not someone that I found myself wanting to support or root for in anyway. However, the biggest sin Southernmost commits is abhorrent pacing. Everything moves at a breakneck pace with little room to develop, which result in leaps in logic that are simply not realistic. If I can give Southernmost any credit, I will say that I got sucked into the book very easily and finished it quickly, and that the book was very engaging.
Overall, the premise is something that I would love to see fleshed out and executed well, but Southernmost is not that. Instead, it is a badly paced and melodramatic piece that meant well but fell very short of the mark.
This book may be one of the biggest disappointments I've had in any form of media in a long time. The premise and positive reception of the book really had me excited, but the final product ends up very lacking story-wise. The story, while I agree with the base message in every way, is steeped in melodrama and almost hits the point of parody at times, especially when it comes to the decision making of the characters. It also doesn't help that the protagonist Asher is not someone that I found myself wanting to support or root for in anyway. However, the biggest sin Southernmost commits is abhorrent pacing. Everything moves at a breakneck pace with little room to develop, which result in leaps in logic that are simply not realistic. If I can give Southernmost any credit, I will say that I got sucked into the book very easily and finished it quickly, and that the book was very engaging.
Overall, the premise is something that I would love to see fleshed out and executed well, but Southernmost is not that. Instead, it is a badly paced and melodramatic piece that meant well but fell very short of the mark.
kamckim's review against another edition
4.0
It's not a secret that I'm a fan of Silas House. First off, thanks to him and his editors for NOT using the word "gloaming" in this novel. House likes to describe sunsets, and he does in this novel as well, but he found more words. Hooray! This story is a bit of a departure from his usual setting. Set in the TN Cumberland Valley, the action picks up when a "holy roller" preacher, Asher Sharp, shows kindness to a gay couple after a flood devastates the neighborhood. When his congregation asks him to leave because of it, his wife does as well. Wanting to correct past wrongs, he sets out in search of his brother who he had rejected when he came out. Last whereabouts, Key West, Florida. If only Asher hadn't kidnapped his son on the way out of town. This novel is pertinent, and I'm glad a Kentucky writer has written with compassion and honesty about the conservative South.
jdintr's review against another edition
3.0
The plot is irresistible (especially for a reader like me, living a Sunday's drive from Cumberland Valley, Tennessee, the fictitious locale where Asher Sharp pastors his Pentecostal church.
I remember well the flood described in the book, houses picked up and moved by the river, families devastated. The opening chapters are written vividly, and they brought very clear memories to mind of the 2010 flood.
This calamity is a catalyst for change in Asher Sharp. As neighbors work together to rescue families and pets, Asher meets a gay couple, inviting them in after he learns that their home has been lost, but inciting the ire of his prejudiced 'preacher's wife.' The following Sunday the couple visits Asher's church. Right then and there he changes his sermon (something that would be expected in a Pentecostal congregation, led by "The Spirit), only he backs away from preaching judgment to preaching acceptance--the gospel of John the Baptist becoming the gospel of Jesus.
I think this is the point where the book got away from Silas House. There is still a great work to be written on changes of faith and tolerance in a rural Tennessee community. But the book bogs down in Asher's divorce and custody dispute over his son, Justin. The gay couple whom we meet in the opening scene is never heard from again! (There are more gay characters, and the theme of reconciliation between fundamentalist Christians and gay loved ones carries on throughout the book, but it gets overshadowed by the custody battle.)
This was a 2.5 stars for me. I'm glad it was written--and that I read it--but Southernmost falls short of what it could have been.
I remember well the flood described in the book, houses picked up and moved by the river, families devastated. The opening chapters are written vividly, and they brought very clear memories to mind of the 2010 flood.
This calamity is a catalyst for change in Asher Sharp. As neighbors work together to rescue families and pets, Asher meets a gay couple, inviting them in after he learns that their home has been lost, but inciting the ire of his prejudiced 'preacher's wife.' The following Sunday the couple visits Asher's church. Right then and there he changes his sermon (something that would be expected in a Pentecostal congregation, led by "The Spirit), only he backs away from preaching judgment to preaching acceptance--the gospel of John the Baptist becoming the gospel of Jesus.
I think this is the point where the book got away from Silas House. There is still a great work to be written on changes of faith and tolerance in a rural Tennessee community. But the book bogs down in Asher's divorce and custody dispute over his son, Justin. The gay couple whom we meet in the opening scene is never heard from again! (There are more gay characters, and the theme of reconciliation between fundamentalist Christians and gay loved ones carries on throughout the book, but it gets overshadowed by the custody battle.)
This was a 2.5 stars for me. I'm glad it was written--and that I read it--but Southernmost falls short of what it could have been.
kim_chelf's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent book from one of my favorite authors. A heart-breaking story with an nice ending, that still feels believable. Silas House never disappoints.
hislibraianshiprecommends's review against another edition
Silas House’s “Southernmost” is a compelling story of redemption and moving past a bigoted upbringing. Nice portrayals of rural Tennessee and Key West.
kentucky_kate's review against another edition
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bethanymplanton's review against another edition
5.0
Tender. Beautiful. Poignant. Southernmost is a satisfying story about the universal truth of love.