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jaycie_90's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
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 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 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.
shelfdetermined's review
4.0
All too often I find myself disappointed by publishers' false advertisements of their books. While I recognize that their goal is to attract interest and turn profits, it frustrates me how nearly every story is described as "suspenseful," "thrilling," and a "page-turner." Please. Rest assured, however, that Reardon's Finding Jake is most certainly as advertised. It is "brilliantly paced" and "heart-wrenching yet ultimately uplifting." Reardon's superb development of his multi-dimensional characters compelled me to not only feel genuine empathy for their plight but also contemplate just how well I truly know those closest to me. And as an added bonus, Reardon's ending is unpredictable and cruelly beautiful.
brooke_review's review against another edition
4.0
It was the ending that solidified the rating for me on this one. I was so afraid that this was going to be one of those "let's wrap everything up all nice and neat" novels and that I would have wasted my time reading it, because let's be frank - life doesn't come with pretty bows. I much preferred the first half of the novel over the second - it did seem rather drawn out and at times, tedious. Plus, much of the plot just seemed to play into the author's hands too well. Still an entertaining read, albeit a sometimes predictable and grating one.
krystlekouture's review against another edition
3.0
Fast moving and enjoyable in the beginning at least. Rather short and ehh when it came to the ending. I regret buying the hardcover but would suggest grabbing a copy at the library.
debi_g's review against another edition
I try to avoid the topic of school shootings, yet this week I listened to Terry Gross' interview with Dylan Kleebold's mother and then I read this novel. The difference? A parent's perspective. It's no less disturbing than the perspective of a teacher or a student, but it's still a bit more removed from my daily life... for the time being.
What do I like about this book?
1. The realistic representation of parenthood's incessant worrying about a child's well-being, development, friendships, resilience, choices, secrets, and all the rest.
2. The thesis about today's nervous parenting as a bi-product of the Adam Walsh case, and the rest of the incidents raised by one of Simon's parade of worries. (I resent those very changes and remember the exact events he lists.)
3. The underlying messages about feeling like an outsider, the roles of press and the police, the fickle, reactionary nature of communities, and the pliable nature of narrative.
What disappointed me about this book?
1. I was nearly always conscious of the writing instead of swept away by the story.
2. In spite of being inside the narrator's head for the entire book, I didn't know him as well as I wanted to.
3. I know that writers can flout rules if they choose, but editors should coax toward convention. Misfit commas eject me from the narrative ride. Admittedly, I'm a curmudgeon about this.
What do I like about this book?
1. The realistic representation of parenthood's incessant worrying about a child's well-being, development, friendships, resilience, choices, secrets, and all the rest.
2. The thesis about today's nervous parenting as a bi-product of the Adam Walsh case, and the rest of the incidents raised by one of Simon's parade of worries. (I resent those very changes and remember the exact events he lists.)
3. The underlying messages about feeling like an outsider, the roles of press and the police, the fickle, reactionary nature of communities, and the pliable nature of narrative.
What disappointed me about this book?
1. I was nearly always conscious of the writing instead of swept away by the story.
2. In spite of being inside the narrator's head for the entire book, I didn't know him as well as I wanted to.
3. I know that writers can flout rules if they choose, but editors should coax toward convention. Misfit commas eject me from the narrative ride. Admittedly, I'm a curmudgeon about this.
lindageorge's review against another edition
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.
lisabooksit's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars rounded up. Ok. Really didn't like the dad personally.
agustinap's review against another edition
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 against another edition
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.