jlim's review against another edition
2.0
the first two-thirds is pretty stale but then everything starts happening all at once out of absolutely nowhere and now i have whiplash
opanda's review against another edition
2.0
The concept was interesting and there was a twist at the end but the whole thing was way too long and drawn out. The book is broken into three parts which might as well be three separate books. The main story was lost and I ended up forgetting what was actually happening. I felt like I was Thea and the author was her mystery texter sending vague messages promising to explain everything but then never doing it. I hate not finishing books so I skimmed through the majority of this one just to say I finished it.
drownedinfictionx's review against another edition
4.0
https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/50fc42f7-a6a6-4244-b337-500c90870a30
exmish's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
kkporcupine's review against another edition
5.0
I picked this one up because I liked the cover... and I have no regrets. This was the first book I read by this author, but I will definitely be coming back for more. I loved the writing style, plot, and the way the author immersed the reader into this family's drama.
"Stefan was just seventeen when he went to prison for the drug-fueled murder of his girlfriend, Belinda. Three years later, he’s released to a world that refuses to let him move on. Belinda’s mother, once Thea’s good friend, galvanizes the community to rally against him to protest in her daughter’s memory. The media paints Stefan as a symbol of white privilege and indifferent justice. Neighbors, employers, even some members of Thea's own family turn away."
The saying "nothing is more powerful than a mother's love" is portrayed in this novel. Thea's steadfastness in helping Stefan rebuild his life and move on is admirable. I wasn't a fan of the subplot with the mysterious naggy caller, but it did help solidify the characters' attitudes and emotions.
Visceral, Moving, and Redemptive, this is a memorable family saga.
"Stefan was just seventeen when he went to prison for the drug-fueled murder of his girlfriend, Belinda. Three years later, he’s released to a world that refuses to let him move on. Belinda’s mother, once Thea’s good friend, galvanizes the community to rally against him to protest in her daughter’s memory. The media paints Stefan as a symbol of white privilege and indifferent justice. Neighbors, employers, even some members of Thea's own family turn away."
The saying "nothing is more powerful than a mother's love" is portrayed in this novel. Thea's steadfastness in helping Stefan rebuild his life and move on is admirable. I wasn't a fan of the subplot with the mysterious naggy caller, but it did help solidify the characters' attitudes and emotions.
Visceral, Moving, and Redemptive, this is a memorable family saga.
rsjohnson's review against another edition
4.0
This is the first book by Jacquelyn Mitchard that I have read, and I enjoyed it. I didn’t know what to expect since lately, I have been reading a lot of contemporary romance and psychological thrillers. So it was a nice change of pace for me.
There are two stories told here. One is about Stefan and starts upon his release from prison for murdering his girlfriend three years before while he was high on drugs. We learn how challenging it is for him to integrate back into a society based on people’s (family, friends, and strangers) feelings and assumptions about him.
The other story is about his mother, Thea, who struggles to understand how her son committed his crime and tries to protect him from the threats he is currently facing.
As a mother of one, a son, just like Thea, I identified with her story the most. Although my son is legally an adult, I often wonder if I have prepared him enough for life or if I have made the road for him too easy. I am also aware that my son does engage in behaviors, some of which I may not necessarily approve. Is that how I raised him? I know that I will love my son no matter what, but if he were ever to commit a horrible, violent crime, would my feelings still be the same? These are some of the thoughts that Thea has, and I completely understand every single one of them.
This book was well thought out and clearly written. It spans well over a year, so we get to know the characters very well. If you are interested in what life can be like for someone getting out of prison or what their parents may be going through, set in a fictional format, I would recommend this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest, unbiased opinion.
There are two stories told here. One is about Stefan and starts upon his release from prison for murdering his girlfriend three years before while he was high on drugs. We learn how challenging it is for him to integrate back into a society based on people’s (family, friends, and strangers) feelings and assumptions about him.
The other story is about his mother, Thea, who struggles to understand how her son committed his crime and tries to protect him from the threats he is currently facing.
As a mother of one, a son, just like Thea, I identified with her story the most. Although my son is legally an adult, I often wonder if I have prepared him enough for life or if I have made the road for him too easy. I am also aware that my son does engage in behaviors, some of which I may not necessarily approve. Is that how I raised him? I know that I will love my son no matter what, but if he were ever to commit a horrible, violent crime, would my feelings still be the same? These are some of the thoughts that Thea has, and I completely understand every single one of them.
This book was well thought out and clearly written. It spans well over a year, so we get to know the characters very well. If you are interested in what life can be like for someone getting out of prison or what their parents may be going through, set in a fictional format, I would recommend this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest, unbiased opinion.
catra121's review against another edition
3.0
I honestly just found this book incredibly boring. It's...fine...not a BAD book by any stretch. It just started to feel tedious and then it felt like it would never end or get to the point. It also probably suffers for me in comparison to a different book I read recently with a similar basic concept (son returns home after being convicted of a crime) that was just so much better than this one for me. That book was emotional and really sucked me in...this one just didn't.
leahreads__'s review against another edition
2.0
‘Stefan was just seventeen when he went to prison for the murder of his girlfriend, Belinda, a crime he has no memory of committing. Three years later he’s release to a world that refuses to let him move on.’
“I was picking my son up at the prison gates when I spotted the mother of the girl he had murdered.”
With a first line like that how can you not be hooked? But that’s probably where I should have stopped. This book felt long and drawn out to me. It had such promise and I was so excited to read it. However I found the writing style confusing and hard to keep up. It would be talking in the present tense, jump into a story or memory from the past, then jump back to the present, yet you have no idea when you actually jumped back. The ‘cold caller’ thing also got old real quick. Sorry to say this is not one I enjoyed at all.
“I was picking my son up at the prison gates when I spotted the mother of the girl he had murdered.”
With a first line like that how can you not be hooked? But that’s probably where I should have stopped. This book felt long and drawn out to me. It had such promise and I was so excited to read it. However I found the writing style confusing and hard to keep up. It would be talking in the present tense, jump into a story or memory from the past, then jump back to the present, yet you have no idea when you actually jumped back. The ‘cold caller’ thing also got old real quick. Sorry to say this is not one I enjoyed at all.
tasmanian_bibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
‘I saw what happened that night’, she said.
What does a parent do when a child is found guilty of manslaughter? How can we help that child find a way back into the world after serving time in prison? These are some of the issues confronting Thea Demetriou when her son Stefan Christiansen is released on parole after serving three years of his sentence. While he has no memory of it, because he was under the influence of drugs, Stefan was found guilty of beating to death his girlfriend Belinda McCormack.
Returning to life outside prison is made more difficult by community outrage and vigilante activity, partly fuelled by Belinda’s mother, Jill. And then, Thea receives sporadic text messages from someone who claims they knew what happened on the night Belinda was killed. But despite his family’s best efforts, the world is not prepared to let Stefan move on, and his own feelings of guilt threaten to overwhelm him.
There’s a twist that, while it did not completely take me by surprise, left me thinking. This novel held my attention from beginning to end. I found myself wondering how I would feel if I was Thea or Jill. And, at the very end, I wondered about Stefan. Highly recommended if you are interested in a violent crime from a different perspective.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
What does a parent do when a child is found guilty of manslaughter? How can we help that child find a way back into the world after serving time in prison? These are some of the issues confronting Thea Demetriou when her son Stefan Christiansen is released on parole after serving three years of his sentence. While he has no memory of it, because he was under the influence of drugs, Stefan was found guilty of beating to death his girlfriend Belinda McCormack.
Returning to life outside prison is made more difficult by community outrage and vigilante activity, partly fuelled by Belinda’s mother, Jill. And then, Thea receives sporadic text messages from someone who claims they knew what happened on the night Belinda was killed. But despite his family’s best efforts, the world is not prepared to let Stefan move on, and his own feelings of guilt threaten to overwhelm him.
There’s a twist that, while it did not completely take me by surprise, left me thinking. This novel held my attention from beginning to end. I found myself wondering how I would feel if I was Thea or Jill. And, at the very end, I wondered about Stefan. Highly recommended if you are interested in a violent crime from a different perspective.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
shelleyrae's review against another edition
3.0
“I was picking my son up at the prison gates when I spotted the mother of the girl he had murdered.”
Nearly three years after being convicted for beating his girlfriend, Belinda McCormack, to death while high on a cocktail of drugs, 20 year old Stefan Christiansen is released from prison. Despite everything, his mother, university professor Thea, is determined to support Stefan and encourage him to rebuild his life. She knows it won’t be easy, though Stefan remembers nothing of the crime he confessed to he is tormented by remorse and self-loathing, and the family is subject to sustained harassment, not only from supporters of a campaign spearheaded by Belinda’s devastated mother, Jill, but also a hooded figure and an anonymous caller.
Unfolding from Thea’s perspective, Jacqueline Mitchard presents a provocative narrative that explores the themes of guilt, redemption and unconditional love in The Good Son.
Thea is an sympathetic character, contemplating myself and my ‘good son’ in such a situation is unnerving. I thought Thea’s inner conflict was well articulated as she struggled to reconcile her love for her son with the crime he committed. While I didn’t always agree with her actions, I felt her character behaved consistently. I liked that Mitchard explored the stigma Thea faced as the mother of a murderer, though I wondered if she went quite far enough.
In the main I felt Mitchard’s portrayal of Stefan’s character was believable, his mercurial attitude in the weeks after his release seemed genuine and appropriate to his age. His struggles to rejoin society were thoughtfully represented, raising issues I’d given little thought to. I found myself torn between sympathy for, and a kind of impatience with, Stefan, a dynamic which I think was skilfully exploited by the author to illustrate the maxim that each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done.
While I think the premise of the story is powerful, the execution was quite uneven. The pacing was an issue for me, the middle third dragged, and it definitely affected the suspense related to the identity and motivations of the family’s stalker. I’m conflicted with regards to the ending too. I think the novel would have been stronger had Mitchard chosen another, less melodramatic and arguably more authentic, path.
Though not without its flaws, I did find The Good Son to be a thought-provoking read, and I do believe it would be a rewarding choice for a book club, as it explores issues sure to stimulate a lively discussion.
Nearly three years after being convicted for beating his girlfriend, Belinda McCormack, to death while high on a cocktail of drugs, 20 year old Stefan Christiansen is released from prison. Despite everything, his mother, university professor Thea, is determined to support Stefan and encourage him to rebuild his life. She knows it won’t be easy, though Stefan remembers nothing of the crime he confessed to he is tormented by remorse and self-loathing, and the family is subject to sustained harassment, not only from supporters of a campaign spearheaded by Belinda’s devastated mother, Jill, but also a hooded figure and an anonymous caller.
Unfolding from Thea’s perspective, Jacqueline Mitchard presents a provocative narrative that explores the themes of guilt, redemption and unconditional love in The Good Son.
Thea is an sympathetic character, contemplating myself and my ‘good son’ in such a situation is unnerving. I thought Thea’s inner conflict was well articulated as she struggled to reconcile her love for her son with the crime he committed. While I didn’t always agree with her actions, I felt her character behaved consistently. I liked that Mitchard explored the stigma Thea faced as the mother of a murderer, though I wondered if she went quite far enough.
In the main I felt Mitchard’s portrayal of Stefan’s character was believable, his mercurial attitude in the weeks after his release seemed genuine and appropriate to his age. His struggles to rejoin society were thoughtfully represented, raising issues I’d given little thought to. I found myself torn between sympathy for, and a kind of impatience with, Stefan, a dynamic which I think was skilfully exploited by the author to illustrate the maxim that each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done.
While I think the premise of the story is powerful, the execution was quite uneven. The pacing was an issue for me, the middle third dragged, and it definitely affected the suspense related to the identity and motivations of the family’s stalker. I’m conflicted with regards to the ending too. I think the novel would have been stronger had Mitchard chosen another, less melodramatic and arguably more authentic, path.
Though not without its flaws, I did find The Good Son to be a thought-provoking read, and I do believe it would be a rewarding choice for a book club, as it explores issues sure to stimulate a lively discussion.