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rascalsmom1031's review against another edition
5.0
interesting story about a parents search for some answers on how a child changes.
stephwd's review against another edition
5.0
Dr Paul Allen lives an almost idyllic life with his second wife and twins. However, all this changes when he returns home one day to witness the news: a democratic presidential candidate has been shot at a political rally. Most devastating of all, the lead suspect, who has been caught on camera, is his son, Daniel. Thus begins Paul’s journey to discover the truth.
This is a brilliant novel for so many reasons. On the one hand, it is a kind of thriller. As a rheumatologist, who is used to dissecting the evidence of a patient’s symptoms, Paul is determined to prove his son’s innocence, to piece together the evidence that will vindicate his son. However, it is increasingly ambiguous as to whether his son is responsible or not and even if he is, whether or not he was somehow forced into the assassination against his will. Naturally, this ‘did he didn’t he’ aspect of the novel propels the plot forward creating taught suspense that makes the reader just as desperate as Daniel’s poor father to discern the truth and, for Paul’s sake, to prove Daniel’s innocence.
The other element of suspense that propels the novel so brilliantly is the manner in which Hawley retrospectively follows Daniel’s story as his father pieces together the puzzle of Daniel’s life from the moment he drops out of college to the time of the shooting. Having just travelled to California and undertaken a 3,000 mile journey across the state, I had a new understanding of the distances Daniel travelled and the sense of isolation this must have involved (which I feel is something that we never really experience in England where in travelling 3,000 miles even from the furthest tip of Britain, you would have ended up somewhere in the North Sea.) Much of these sections are told from Daniel’s perspective and whilst his sense of detachment and utter egotism meant he was hard to engage with, this was a fitting portrayal given the nature of the character.
Yet, this novel is not that simple. Embedded within the novel, are a series of further stories as Hawley interweaves historical events such as the attempted assassination of Reagan, the events at Wako and so many more where humans have turned to murder and even mass murder. This not only makes the story itself more credible – it seems to be embedded within a historical reality – but also makes the novel yet more fascinating. This is incredibly well researched and, perhaps as a non-American, many of the details of these previous assassinations, particularly those perpetuated by adolescents, were new to me. Whilst it may seem rather macabre to find such events interesting, Hawley does not sensationalise them and at times the book becomes almost a work of non-fiction in his documenting of historical cases and presentation of the perpetrators in a psychological light.
What is more, the novel is also simultaneously a family drama. In many regards, Paul’s greatest fear is not so much that Daniel may have committed this atrocity, but rather that, if he did, his psychological disturbance is his fault. The child of a divorce, shuttled between states as a teenager and often abandoned by his parents (most notably his father in favour of his new family), Paul suddenly realises the extent to which he has let his son down. As such, the novel also explores the damaging effects a parents’ relationship can have on their children and the ensuing guilt for this damage. Again, this is not romanticised and the father is not exonerated, rather it is explored in a realistic and sensitive way that is also terrifying in the way in which it implies that Paul and Daniel could be the archetype for so many father and son relationships in the developed world.
There have been a lot of comparisons between this novel and ‘We Need to Talk about Kevin’, which is another brilliant novel. However, whilst there are obvious connections – both deal with a potentially horrific act undertaken by a young boy and the parent’s ensuing guilt, beyond this, such connections are rather superficial. ‘The Good Father’ is a superb novel in its own right. The manner in which it is told, the investigative way in which it is narrated and the central protagonist’s characterisation is very different. The danger of such comparisons is that you look for a book that is identical to ‘Kevin’ which was, in my view, a real one off and thus seeing this as coming up short simply because it doesn’t follow the ‘Kevin’ formula. The brilliance about ‘Kevin’ lay in its very unexpected events that were so shocking and to mirror this would not result in the same impact. What ‘The Good Father’ does is something very different and very special.
This is a unique thriller with a great deal to recommend it if you approach it with a fresh mind and appreciate it for what it is: a deeply psychological and intriguing investigation into the human mind and heart.
This is a brilliant novel for so many reasons. On the one hand, it is a kind of thriller. As a rheumatologist, who is used to dissecting the evidence of a patient’s symptoms, Paul is determined to prove his son’s innocence, to piece together the evidence that will vindicate his son. However, it is increasingly ambiguous as to whether his son is responsible or not and even if he is, whether or not he was somehow forced into the assassination against his will. Naturally, this ‘did he didn’t he’ aspect of the novel propels the plot forward creating taught suspense that makes the reader just as desperate as Daniel’s poor father to discern the truth and, for Paul’s sake, to prove Daniel’s innocence.
The other element of suspense that propels the novel so brilliantly is the manner in which Hawley retrospectively follows Daniel’s story as his father pieces together the puzzle of Daniel’s life from the moment he drops out of college to the time of the shooting. Having just travelled to California and undertaken a 3,000 mile journey across the state, I had a new understanding of the distances Daniel travelled and the sense of isolation this must have involved (which I feel is something that we never really experience in England where in travelling 3,000 miles even from the furthest tip of Britain, you would have ended up somewhere in the North Sea.) Much of these sections are told from Daniel’s perspective and whilst his sense of detachment and utter egotism meant he was hard to engage with, this was a fitting portrayal given the nature of the character.
Yet, this novel is not that simple. Embedded within the novel, are a series of further stories as Hawley interweaves historical events such as the attempted assassination of Reagan, the events at Wako and so many more where humans have turned to murder and even mass murder. This not only makes the story itself more credible – it seems to be embedded within a historical reality – but also makes the novel yet more fascinating. This is incredibly well researched and, perhaps as a non-American, many of the details of these previous assassinations, particularly those perpetuated by adolescents, were new to me. Whilst it may seem rather macabre to find such events interesting, Hawley does not sensationalise them and at times the book becomes almost a work of non-fiction in his documenting of historical cases and presentation of the perpetrators in a psychological light.
What is more, the novel is also simultaneously a family drama. In many regards, Paul’s greatest fear is not so much that Daniel may have committed this atrocity, but rather that, if he did, his psychological disturbance is his fault. The child of a divorce, shuttled between states as a teenager and often abandoned by his parents (most notably his father in favour of his new family), Paul suddenly realises the extent to which he has let his son down. As such, the novel also explores the damaging effects a parents’ relationship can have on their children and the ensuing guilt for this damage. Again, this is not romanticised and the father is not exonerated, rather it is explored in a realistic and sensitive way that is also terrifying in the way in which it implies that Paul and Daniel could be the archetype for so many father and son relationships in the developed world.
There have been a lot of comparisons between this novel and ‘We Need to Talk about Kevin’, which is another brilliant novel. However, whilst there are obvious connections – both deal with a potentially horrific act undertaken by a young boy and the parent’s ensuing guilt, beyond this, such connections are rather superficial. ‘The Good Father’ is a superb novel in its own right. The manner in which it is told, the investigative way in which it is narrated and the central protagonist’s characterisation is very different. The danger of such comparisons is that you look for a book that is identical to ‘Kevin’ which was, in my view, a real one off and thus seeing this as coming up short simply because it doesn’t follow the ‘Kevin’ formula. The brilliance about ‘Kevin’ lay in its very unexpected events that were so shocking and to mirror this would not result in the same impact. What ‘The Good Father’ does is something very different and very special.
Spoiler
SPOILER ALERT: Does it provide an answer for the son’s behaviour. No! For which I have read some criticism. However, this surely is the point and as with ‘Kevin’ it is what makes the novel and the central character so chilling. Like Iago’s ‘motiveless malignity’ what makes Daniel so disturbing, so aberrant and so fearful is the very lack of motive.Spoiler
/This is a unique thriller with a great deal to recommend it if you approach it with a fresh mind and appreciate it for what it is: a deeply psychological and intriguing investigation into the human mind and heart.
ma_bster's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A real exercise in "the protagonist is not the good guy" because Jesus Christ does this guy STINK. (Not as bad as his son who, for all his reading, really should have learned what a Madonna-whore complex is.)
This was a "blind date" purchase at a Barnes & Noble and I'm not kidding when I say it took me SIX LITERAL YEARS to get through it.
This was a "blind date" purchase at a Barnes & Noble and I'm not kidding when I say it took me SIX LITERAL YEARS to get through it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Murder
Moderate: Cursing, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Abandonment
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Vomit
aislingmoconnell's review against another edition
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
kaz9's review against another edition
3.0
Good book for those who read for character, family relationships, mystery, true crime. If you liked Defending Jacob, try this one.
katykelly's review against another edition
4.0
I listened to the audio edition and couldn't stop listening!
Did he do it? If he did, why? And if he did, who was to blame?
That's the crux of the book - a Presidential candidate is assassinated, by a young man.
The youth's father refuses to believe in his guilt and obsesses over proving the opposite.
It's a story about guilt, responsibility and what it means to be a parent, with the father's search for the truth and the son's story leading up to the shooting filling the narrative.
Chilling, sad, and thoughtful, it upset me thinking about how every killer is someone's child, was once their baby.
Did he do it? If he did, why? And if he did, who was to blame?
That's the crux of the book - a Presidential candidate is assassinated, by a young man.
The youth's father refuses to believe in his guilt and obsesses over proving the opposite.
It's a story about guilt, responsibility and what it means to be a parent, with the father's search for the truth and the son's story leading up to the shooting filling the narrative.
Chilling, sad, and thoughtful, it upset me thinking about how every killer is someone's child, was once their baby.
opldxblqo's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
*fart sounds* 😮💨
mochazur's review against another edition
3.25
Main character was annoying but realistic. The topic was just not super interesting to me so it took a while to finish, but I liked the theme/message in the end. That sometimes people do messed up things and you can try and find a meaning to it, but there might not be any.
kendall_reads8's review against another edition
5.0
There is not enough space on this blog or words to tell just how awesome this book is! It is a book that touches you from the first page and with each turn of the remaining pages you are drawn into the Allen family and become a part of it. There is no way you can read this book and not come away changed.
That's called a teaser. The full review will post on my BLOG Feb. 1.
That's called a teaser. The full review will post on my BLOG Feb. 1.
sandygx260's review against another edition
3.0
I hated the main character. Despised him. Perhaps this was the point.