I first became a fan of Jacquelyn Mitchard when I read The Deep End of the Ocean many years ago. Her books are emotional and make the reader think in different ways. This latest book wasn’t my favorite of hers, but it still has many compelling elements that will appeal to a wide variety of readers.
The Good Son is a January 18, 2022 release by MIRA Publishers
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links, see disclosures for more detail.
About the Book:
For Thea, understanding how her sweet son Stefan could be responsible for a heinous crime is unfathomable. Stefan was only 17 when he went to prison for the negligent homicide of girlfriend, college freshman Belinda McCormack—a crime he was too strung out on drugs even to remember. Released at 21, he is seen as a symbol of white privilege and differential justice by his local community, and Belinda’s mother, Jill McCormack, who also happens to be Thea’s neighbor, organizes protests against dating violence in her daughter’s memory.
Stefan is sincere in his desire to start over and make amends, and Thea is committed to helping him. But each of their attempts seems to hit a roadblock, both emotionally and psychologically, from the ever-present pressure of local protestors, the media, and even their own family.
But when the attacks on them turn more sinister, Thea suspects that there is more to the backlash than community outrage. She will risk her life to find out what forces are at work to destroy her son and her family…and discover what those who are threatening them are trying to hide.
This is a story in which everything known to be true is turned inside out and love is the only constant that remains.
My Thoughts:
I gave this book 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3
Not what I was expecting. Way too long and drawn out. I’ve read quite a few books by this author and while this book is incredibly well written, it doesn’t quite reach the emotion of those previous books.
I really felt for the main characters, but the “mystery” portion of the plot (What really happened to Belinda) was just so very tedious. I think this would have been a much stronger book had it just been a straightforward book about Stephan committing this crime and then the effects of him coming home after prison. I felt like the ending was overdramatic and cringe-worthy and it is why I graded this book down. Completely unnecessary to go for the “twist” instead of just a really good drama. The endless phone calls and texts from the mystery girl got SO OLD. The plot just stagnated for quite a while until it finally moves forward with that part at the end.
That’s not to say this book isn’t worth reading, because it does have some intriguing portions and I was interested in all of the family and life rebuilding, just not in the mystery.
About the Author:
#1 New York Times bestselling author Jacquelyn Mitchard has written nine previous novels for adults; six young adult novels; four children’s books; a memoir, Mother Less Child; and a collection of essays, The Rest of Us: Dispatches from the Mother Ship. Her first novel, The Deep End of the Ocean, was the inaugural selection of the Oprah Winfrey Book Club, and later adapted for a feature film. Mitchard is a frequent lecturer and a professor of fiction and creative nonfiction at Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpelier. She lives on Cape Cod with her husband and their nine children.
Social Links:
Facebook: Jacquelyn Mitchard
Twitter: @JackieMitchard
Instagram: @jacquelynmitchard
