I chose The Kids Are Gonna Ask by Gretchen Anthony
for my next selection because it supposedly combines mystery with humor - an
interesting combination and something different for this blog.
After tragically losing their mother, twins, Thomas and
Savannah are being raised by their grandmother. They are seventeen and secretly
want to know who their father is.
At the start of the story, the twins have their own
podcast that are recorded dinner conversations with dinner guests. It is during
one of these sessions when Thomas first expresses a desire to meet his father –
something he nor Savannah have ever done before now. Since the guest for that
dinner was rather unusual who told an odd story about her father eating his
twin in utero, that particular episode goes viral. As a result of this
popularity, they do another podcast about looking for their father called The
Kids are Gonna Ask.
Doing the search in public in this type of format, they
hope to learn more about themselves and their origin story as well as their
mother, Bess, and the parts of her life she kept hidden. Themes of belonging
and connection begin to emerge as the story progresses.
Inevitably, the twins met with vocal opposition. Saying
it is an invasion of Bess and their father’s privacy - a legitimate point, I
thought. However, having outspoken critics only increases the podcast’s
listenership. This is where it gets crazy.
Soon, Savannah and Thomas find themselves at the center
of a national controversy with ramifications for themselves and others that
they would have never imagined. Some of which weren’t entirely plausible or
maybe I'm just naïve.
Did I like this book? There's no easy answer to that
question. I basically did and wanted to keep reading to see what happened next.
So, there's that. I had a few issues with character likeability and the logic
of the plot.
This is not my first Gretchen Anthony novel. Before I
started Maria's Book Banter, I read her debut novel, Evergreen Tidings from
the Baumgartners, and really enjoy it. This author has a unique way
of telling a story, which incorporates subtle, but offbeat humor – something I very
much appreciate.
My next book will probably be Here One Moment by
my favorite novelist, Liane Moriarty. It’s a long one. So, the blog post for it
will most likely be published in November. Looking forward to it!
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