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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
Thank you NetGalley for my copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
I would like to start out my review of this book with a simple oh my god. This book is seriously fantastic. Now, let's break it down:
First things first, the characters. The Other Son is very much a character-driven novel. That isn't to say that it is lacking a plot, because that is very much not the case. But the characters are the real focus here. The story centres around Alice, her husband Ken, and her two sons Tim and Matt. The story starts out from Alice's perspective, in the third person, and then it shifts so that we get to see what others think of Alice. We are given insight into Alice's thought process as she does or says something, and then later get to see what other characters make of Alice's behaviour. Perhaps this sounds a bit complex, but the way that the author does this is seamless. It comes across as natural; it is really well done. As I was reading this book I started to ask myself if I have seen this done before, and I don't think I have. Or if I have, it wasn't memorable.
The characters in this novel feel so real. I feel that I could sit in a room with each and every one of them (although I certainly wouldn't like all of them) and have a conversation. They each have their own unique voice; I never had to re-read a line to try to figure out who was talking (a pet peeve). This is all so essential in a character-focused work, because it is what keeps the reader interested.
That being said, the storyline is intense and emotional. It isn't fast-paced, but I was riveted all the same. Expect to laugh, then cry, then laugh, then perhaps cry some more. You may even cheer at points (I know I did). However, please don't read this review and then expect an action-packed thriller. The reason that the plot is so intense is because of the characters. The well-developed, phenomenally realistic characters. I apologise if I'm repeating myself, but I am honestly so excited by how much I loved this book.
I would like to start out my review of this book with a simple oh my god. This book is seriously fantastic. Now, let's break it down:
First things first, the characters. The Other Son is very much a character-driven novel. That isn't to say that it is lacking a plot, because that is very much not the case. But the characters are the real focus here. The story centres around Alice, her husband Ken, and her two sons Tim and Matt. The story starts out from Alice's perspective, in the third person, and then it shifts so that we get to see what others think of Alice. We are given insight into Alice's thought process as she does or says something, and then later get to see what other characters make of Alice's behaviour. Perhaps this sounds a bit complex, but the way that the author does this is seamless. It comes across as natural; it is really well done. As I was reading this book I started to ask myself if I have seen this done before, and I don't think I have. Or if I have, it wasn't memorable.
The characters in this novel feel so real. I feel that I could sit in a room with each and every one of them (although I certainly wouldn't like all of them) and have a conversation. They each have their own unique voice; I never had to re-read a line to try to figure out who was talking (a pet peeve). This is all so essential in a character-focused work, because it is what keeps the reader interested.
That being said, the storyline is intense and emotional. It isn't fast-paced, but I was riveted all the same. Expect to laugh, then cry, then laugh, then perhaps cry some more. You may even cheer at points (I know I did). However, please don't read this review and then expect an action-packed thriller. The reason that the plot is so intense is because of the characters. The well-developed, phenomenally realistic characters. I apologise if I'm repeating myself, but I am honestly so excited by how much I loved this book.