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Fresh Heir
Jamie is a twelve-year-old who has been labeled highly gifted. Good news, right? Except with it comes a cross-county car trip…with his ultra-obsessed dad…his annoying little sister…and a wacky educational consultant his dad has hired. Jamie could suggest better ways to spend his summer, and to live his life, if only someone would listen. But his dad, Doug, can’t hear above the loud voices demanding nothing but the best for his son. Doug will do anything to give Jamie the leg up he needs to compete in a vicious world and get into an Ivy League school. Michael Reilly’s hysterical road-trip in search of achievement is a wide-eyed satire about the pressures of modern parenthood. As they set out on the trip to San Francisco, where Jamie will attend a summer program for gifted youth, Doug’s enthusiasm and hyperkinetic desire to enrich Jamie at every turn leads to hilarious complications and enlightening predicaments. A riotous portrayal of a father desperate to have the promise of his youth fulfilled through the life of his son, Doug’s journey is not unlike that of many parents in modern-day America. With good grades, extracurricular activities, and solid SATs no longer the benchmark for entrance into top colleges, the pressure and stress of giving children the best opportunities for success can often lead to misplaced motivations. Accurately depicting the push-pull of parenthood and childhood and the need for adults to understand the voices of their children, Fresh Heir is a laugh-out-loud journey of self-discovery.
260 pages, Paperback
First published May 13, 2011
About the author
Michael Reilly
1 book1 followerBorn and raised on Long Island, I attended Chaminade High School. From there, I went on to Yale University where I graduated with a degree in history in 1989 and played four years of varsity lacrosse.
After college, I worked in banking for several years and then embarked on a 15-year career in the media business. I received a journalism degree from Columbia University and worked as a journalist for several years before moving on to more of an executive role.
I have always been a writer, a passion I stoked by working in journalism. My first published book, Fresh Heir, is a novel.
Writing is part of an overall zeal for creativity that is such an integral part of my personality. I am manifesting that in other ways now through entrepreneurship. I am currently launching two companies, both related to health and wellness.
I currently live in Charlottesville, Virginia, with my wife and four children.
After college, I worked in banking for several years and then embarked on a 15-year career in the media business. I received a journalism degree from Columbia University and worked as a journalist for several years before moving on to more of an executive role.
I have always been a writer, a passion I stoked by working in journalism. My first published book, Fresh Heir, is a novel.
Writing is part of an overall zeal for creativity that is such an integral part of my personality. I am manifesting that in other ways now through entrepreneurship. I am currently launching two companies, both related to health and wellness.
I currently live in Charlottesville, Virginia, with my wife and four children.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 15, 2011
Fresh Heir is a Literary Fiction.
Jamie Shoop is a twelve-year-old prodigy. He has the remarkable and uncanny gift of remembering everything he has ever read. Jamie's father, Doug, is obsessed with making sure that all the right people know about his highly gifted son.
When Jamie is accepted into a prestigious summer program for the gifted which is located in San Francisco, Doug plans a cross-country trip for himself, his children, Jamie and five-year-old Frizzy and an educational consultant, Ashley, who appears to have very unconventional ways of educating Jamie.
Along the journey, Doug curses at the traffic, he suffers from road rage, and quizzes Jamie out of a specially created binder with all kinds of Americana trivia for Jamie to sharpen his skills upon. Doug plans on taking them to landmarks and famous areas to further strengthen Jamie's education and visit relatives whom they haven't seen in a very long time.
As the group travel across country, they each become to know themselves a little bit more and understand the way life is meant to be. Before the journey is complete, Doug and Jamie must decide if everything they have come to learn is worth the sacrifice.
I thought this was an entertaining read and relished the hilarity found within the pages. The wit is sometimes dry but often leaves the reader chuckling as you follow the group across America.
I loved Doug, with all his hang ups and insecurities and thought his confusion worked with the plot. I loved the dysfunctional family setting and how the situations resolved himself. I could not believe his antics with Grandpa and it left me giggling in spite of the situation, though I saw it coming, I was delighted with the outcome nonetheless.
I liked the interaction with Jamie and the other people in his life. He was a great brother and son and believed his actions were to benefit those around him without thinking of his own benefits. I loved his wisdom of his surroundings and the people in his life and his interaction with his grandfather was perfect.
I truly enjoyed the ending and was glad to see that everything works out the way it should. I think this would make a hilarious, comedic movie and often pictured the scenes in such a manner.
I would give Fresh Heir a four out of five stars. If I had anything bad to say about it, it would be that the cover truly doesn't do the book any justice.
Jamie Shoop is a twelve-year-old prodigy. He has the remarkable and uncanny gift of remembering everything he has ever read. Jamie's father, Doug, is obsessed with making sure that all the right people know about his highly gifted son.
When Jamie is accepted into a prestigious summer program for the gifted which is located in San Francisco, Doug plans a cross-country trip for himself, his children, Jamie and five-year-old Frizzy and an educational consultant, Ashley, who appears to have very unconventional ways of educating Jamie.
Along the journey, Doug curses at the traffic, he suffers from road rage, and quizzes Jamie out of a specially created binder with all kinds of Americana trivia for Jamie to sharpen his skills upon. Doug plans on taking them to landmarks and famous areas to further strengthen Jamie's education and visit relatives whom they haven't seen in a very long time.
As the group travel across country, they each become to know themselves a little bit more and understand the way life is meant to be. Before the journey is complete, Doug and Jamie must decide if everything they have come to learn is worth the sacrifice.
I thought this was an entertaining read and relished the hilarity found within the pages. The wit is sometimes dry but often leaves the reader chuckling as you follow the group across America.
I loved Doug, with all his hang ups and insecurities and thought his confusion worked with the plot. I loved the dysfunctional family setting and how the situations resolved himself. I could not believe his antics with Grandpa and it left me giggling in spite of the situation, though I saw it coming, I was delighted with the outcome nonetheless.
I liked the interaction with Jamie and the other people in his life. He was a great brother and son and believed his actions were to benefit those around him without thinking of his own benefits. I loved his wisdom of his surroundings and the people in his life and his interaction with his grandfather was perfect.
I truly enjoyed the ending and was glad to see that everything works out the way it should. I think this would make a hilarious, comedic movie and often pictured the scenes in such a manner.
I would give Fresh Heir a four out of five stars. If I had anything bad to say about it, it would be that the cover truly doesn't do the book any justice.
March 11, 2012
My review originally posted on Romancing-the-book.com is below
This was a hard book to get interested in. It was a story that went for a lot of pages without moving forward but finally improved yet still never seemed to reach its potential. The characters were all dysfunctional and wouldn't have had anything to do with each other if they weren't family or in the case of Ashley, the educational consultant, if she wasn't going along to "tutor" Jamie. Initially the road trip was torturous and never seemed to get them very far. Some of the descriptions of the places they were traveling through were vivid especially when they were in Colorado and in some of the National Parks. There were a few chuckles at their antics but for the most part they were each swearing, many times at each other, or you were driven nuts by Frizzy, the little sister, and her speech pattern - the Southern lisp. The father's driving left a lot to be desired and kept them all on edge as a result. He also seemed sex obsessed at various parts of the story. The one endearing character was Dale, the grandfather they visited in Florida and then he tagged along on the road trip with them. The last fifty pages were probably the best of the book and there actually was a nice ending to the story. Although this book had promise I don't feel it was ever achieved. I would give another book of the author's a try and hope that it was better than Fresh Heir.
Favorite Quote: And that's exactly what we do. We pull off into a parking area where some signs alert visitors to several hiking trails. Dawkins was right again when he told me you haven't lived until you stood at the foot of the Tetons. My dad steps out and looks up. "This keeps getting better and better," he says in awe. I assume he means that even breasts aren't this captivating.
This was a hard book to get interested in. It was a story that went for a lot of pages without moving forward but finally improved yet still never seemed to reach its potential. The characters were all dysfunctional and wouldn't have had anything to do with each other if they weren't family or in the case of Ashley, the educational consultant, if she wasn't going along to "tutor" Jamie. Initially the road trip was torturous and never seemed to get them very far. Some of the descriptions of the places they were traveling through were vivid especially when they were in Colorado and in some of the National Parks. There were a few chuckles at their antics but for the most part they were each swearing, many times at each other, or you were driven nuts by Frizzy, the little sister, and her speech pattern - the Southern lisp. The father's driving left a lot to be desired and kept them all on edge as a result. He also seemed sex obsessed at various parts of the story. The one endearing character was Dale, the grandfather they visited in Florida and then he tagged along on the road trip with them. The last fifty pages were probably the best of the book and there actually was a nice ending to the story. Although this book had promise I don't feel it was ever achieved. I would give another book of the author's a try and hope that it was better than Fresh Heir.
Favorite Quote: And that's exactly what we do. We pull off into a parking area where some signs alert visitors to several hiking trails. Dawkins was right again when he told me you haven't lived until you stood at the foot of the Tetons. My dad steps out and looks up. "This keeps getting better and better," he says in awe. I assume he means that even breasts aren't this captivating.
March 13, 2012
Reviewed By~JoAnne
Review Copy Provided By~Author
This was a hard book to get interested in. It was a story that went for a lot of pages without moving forward but finally improved yet still never seemed to reach its potential. The characters were all dysfunctional and wouldn't have had anything to do with each other if they weren't family or in the case of Ashley, the educational consultant, if she wasn't going along to "tutor" Jamie. Initially the road trip was torturous and never seemed to get them very far. Some of the descriptions of the places they were traveling through were vivid especially when they were in Colorado and in some of the National Parks. There were a few chuckles at their antics but for the most part they were each swearing, many times at each other, or you were driven nuts by Frizzy, the little sister, and her speech pattern - the Southern lisp. The father's driving left a lot to be desired and kept them all on edge as a result. He also seemed sex obsessed at various parts of the story. The one endearing character was Dale, the grandfather they visited in Florida and then he tagged along on the road trip with them. The last fifty pages were probably the best of the book and there actually was a nice ending to the story. Although this book had promise I don't feel it was ever achieved. I would give another book of the author's a try and hope that it was better than Fresh Heir.
Favorite Quote: And that's exactly what we do. We pull off into a parking area where some signs alert visitors to several hiking trails. Dawkins was right again when he told me you haven't lived until you stood at the foot of the Tetons. My dad steps out and looks up. "This keeps getting better and better," he says in awe. I assume he means that even breasts aren't this captivating.
Review Copy Provided By~Author
This was a hard book to get interested in. It was a story that went for a lot of pages without moving forward but finally improved yet still never seemed to reach its potential. The characters were all dysfunctional and wouldn't have had anything to do with each other if they weren't family or in the case of Ashley, the educational consultant, if she wasn't going along to "tutor" Jamie. Initially the road trip was torturous and never seemed to get them very far. Some of the descriptions of the places they were traveling through were vivid especially when they were in Colorado and in some of the National Parks. There were a few chuckles at their antics but for the most part they were each swearing, many times at each other, or you were driven nuts by Frizzy, the little sister, and her speech pattern - the Southern lisp. The father's driving left a lot to be desired and kept them all on edge as a result. He also seemed sex obsessed at various parts of the story. The one endearing character was Dale, the grandfather they visited in Florida and then he tagged along on the road trip with them. The last fifty pages were probably the best of the book and there actually was a nice ending to the story. Although this book had promise I don't feel it was ever achieved. I would give another book of the author's a try and hope that it was better than Fresh Heir.
Favorite Quote: And that's exactly what we do. We pull off into a parking area where some signs alert visitors to several hiking trails. Dawkins was right again when he told me you haven't lived until you stood at the foot of the Tetons. My dad steps out and looks up. "This keeps getting better and better," he says in awe. I assume he means that even breasts aren't this captivating.
September 13, 2011
I was excited to read this book because I love anything about family or friendships. To be honest, for the first 50-60 pages I kept taking breaks from this book because I just couldn't get into it. It was supposed to be humorous, but I just found it corny. I've always finished any book I start, so I knew I was going to keep reading. And I'm glad I did. All of a sudden there was a shift in the story. It got more interesting. And funny! I even caught myself laughing out loud a few times. I loved the relationship Jamie had with his grandfather. I do wish the ending had been more detailed. Over all it seemed like the beginning was drawn out and could have been shortened so that we got to the good stuff sooner, but the ending was abrupt when that was the part of the book I wanted more of.
Even though I wouldn't give this book 5 stars, I would give it a 3 and would read more from this author.
Even though I wouldn't give this book 5 stars, I would give it a 3 and would read more from this author.
September 15, 2011
Full, non-spoiler review courtesy at Book & Movie Dimension
One of those books that is about introducing real life issues while trying to keep humor and a casual style of writing with readers. Jamie a twelve year-old gives us a feeling of how high expectations from parents can be harrowing. Fresh Heir is not just about this issue but contains a back-story of his own's fathers's life experience. The story makes readers self-involved which is really nice to get into in the story throughout its many quirky situations. Well-recommended realistic fiction read.
One of those books that is about introducing real life issues while trying to keep humor and a casual style of writing with readers. Jamie a twelve year-old gives us a feeling of how high expectations from parents can be harrowing. Fresh Heir is not just about this issue but contains a back-story of his own's fathers's life experience. The story makes readers self-involved which is really nice to get into in the story throughout its many quirky situations. Well-recommended realistic fiction read.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews