lindageorge's review
4.0
I would have given this book 5 stars had it not had a glaring grammatical error! Otherwise it was a very well written story.
jc_90's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
What a fantastic read! Simon is a stay-at-home dad who is devastated by his town's accusations about his son’s involvement in the town's local high school shooting.
I wasn’t sure about the story, and it took time for me to become interested, but when I did, I got so invested in the characters that I was heartbroken by the end. I didn’t always agree with Simon or his wife; their relationship was lacking, which made it more realistic. If you enjoy heart-wrenching stories and don’t mind the subject of school shootings, I would recommend this story.
I wasn’t sure about the story, and it took time for me to become interested, but when I did, I got so invested in the characters that I was heartbroken by the end. I didn’t always agree with Simon or his wife; their relationship was lacking, which made it more realistic. If you enjoy heart-wrenching stories and don’t mind the subject of school shootings, I would recommend this story.
agustinap's review
3.0
It was a nice read. I like how he went back and forth between present time and the past, showing Jake from the time he was born.
kbranfield's review
5.0
Finding Jake by Bryan Reardon is a suspense-laden and emotion-filled novel that is every parents' worst nightmare: a shooting at your child's school. What makes the story so compelling are several unanswered questions: the fate of a missing student, his involvement (if any) in the shooting and how well do parents really know their children. There are several other fascinating elements to the storyline that are also quite thought-provoking but discovering the answers to these three questions is what I found most riveting.
Simon Connolly is a stay at home dad who has always worried about his two kids, Jake and Laney. He agonizes over the smallest details of his parenting but in the aftermath of the school shooting, he cannot help but obsess over whether he made the right decisions for both kids, but Jake in particular. When the parents of the students begin to learn the fate of their children, Simon is the last parent to receive information about Jake, but he is left reeling at the news that Jake is a suspect in the shooting and that he is, in fact, missing. His son's connection to the troubled suspect is tenuous but police immediately focus on Jake as a co-conspirator and Simon is left wondering if he overlooked signs that Jake is capable of committing such a heinous act of violence.
Simon is panicked from the first notification that there is trouble at the school and he remains that way for much of the novel. He flashes back to different moments in Jake's childhood and the picture of a quiet, shy, introverted child quickly emerges. Simon wonders if he imparted the right lessons to his son and if he made the right choices during pivotal moments of Jake's childhood. While Simon's wife and daughter never doubt Jake's innocence, Simon is plagued with misgivings and uncertainties that cloud his judgment in several instances. In a moment of startling clarity, Simon finally puts the pieces of the puzzle together and he is nearly shattered by his subsequent discovery.
School shootings are particularly horrifying crimes and it is easy to make snap judgments and leap to conclusions in an effort to understand the incomprehensible. Friends and neighbors are the first to point fingers and distance themselves from the alleged perpetrators. There is intense pressure on law enforcement to provide answers and reassure the public that they have solved the crime. Parents are easy to blame when their child misbehaves and in a school shooting, it becomes imperative to assign responsibility and parents are often burdened with guilt and their decisions are closely scrutinized. Each of these topics are realistically explored in Finding Jake and the reactions of the various characters ring true.
Finding Jake by Bryan Reardon is an incredibly well-written novel that is poignant, tragic and ultimately, quite moving. An absolutely absorbing read that is incredibly relevant in today's world and one that I highly recommend.
Simon Connolly is a stay at home dad who has always worried about his two kids, Jake and Laney. He agonizes over the smallest details of his parenting but in the aftermath of the school shooting, he cannot help but obsess over whether he made the right decisions for both kids, but Jake in particular. When the parents of the students begin to learn the fate of their children, Simon is the last parent to receive information about Jake, but he is left reeling at the news that Jake is a suspect in the shooting and that he is, in fact, missing. His son's connection to the troubled suspect is tenuous but police immediately focus on Jake as a co-conspirator and Simon is left wondering if he overlooked signs that Jake is capable of committing such a heinous act of violence.
Simon is panicked from the first notification that there is trouble at the school and he remains that way for much of the novel. He flashes back to different moments in Jake's childhood and the picture of a quiet, shy, introverted child quickly emerges. Simon wonders if he imparted the right lessons to his son and if he made the right choices during pivotal moments of Jake's childhood. While Simon's wife and daughter never doubt Jake's innocence, Simon is plagued with misgivings and uncertainties that cloud his judgment in several instances. In a moment of startling clarity, Simon finally puts the pieces of the puzzle together and he is nearly shattered by his subsequent discovery.
School shootings are particularly horrifying crimes and it is easy to make snap judgments and leap to conclusions in an effort to understand the incomprehensible. Friends and neighbors are the first to point fingers and distance themselves from the alleged perpetrators. There is intense pressure on law enforcement to provide answers and reassure the public that they have solved the crime. Parents are easy to blame when their child misbehaves and in a school shooting, it becomes imperative to assign responsibility and parents are often burdened with guilt and their decisions are closely scrutinized. Each of these topics are realistically explored in Finding Jake and the reactions of the various characters ring true.
Finding Jake by Bryan Reardon is an incredibly well-written novel that is poignant, tragic and ultimately, quite moving. An absolutely absorbing read that is incredibly relevant in today's world and one that I highly recommend.
samnash's review
dark
reflective
tense
medium-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
2.5
I really wanted to like this book and the last 30 or so pages were great but I found myself craving more of the present time during the book’s plot when it spent a lot of time of the past. In a book that started off fast paced, the middle felt dull and never ending.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Death, Suicide, Child death, Bullying, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, and Grief
janif49's review against another edition
4.0
I knew that was going to happen but the ending killed me. I have to be honest though. Dad was a pain in n the ass. He really needed to grow a pair and stop worrying about everyone else.
wombat_88's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bookkat's review
3.0
Probably 3 ½ stars. I was all in for the first ⅔ of the book, but at that point became tired of the father's ruminating over his actions and feelings as a stay=at-home parent This story of a high school shooting was compelling and I completed it in two days. It is told from the viewpoint of the stay-at-home father with alternating time line between the present and the past. Probably 3/4 of the book was set in the past, while I was more interested in the present time line and finding out what had happened. I would have loved to have Jake's voice in this book