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What Remains True
In this mesmerizing drama, one life-altering event catapults a family into turmoil, revealing secrets that may leave them fractured forever . . . or bind them together tighter than ever before.
From the outside, the Davenports look like any other family living a completely ordinary life—until that devastating day when five-year-old Jonah is killed, and the family is torn apart. As the fury of guilt engulfs them, the Davenports slowly start to unravel, one by one.
Losing her son forces Rachel to withdraw into a frayed, fuzzy reality. Her husband, Sam, tries to remain stoic, but he’s consumed by regret with the choices he’s made. Eden mourns her brother, while desperately fighting to regain a sense of normalcy. And Aunt Ruth, Rachel’s sister, works too hard to care for the family, even as her own personal issues haunt her.
Told from multiple points of view—including Jonah’s—the family struggles to cope with an unthinkable loss. But as they face their own dark secrets about that terrible day, they have a choice: to be swallowed up in sadness forever, or begin the raw, arduous ascent back to living.
From the outside, the Davenports look like any other family living a completely ordinary life—until that devastating day when five-year-old Jonah is killed, and the family is torn apart. As the fury of guilt engulfs them, the Davenports slowly start to unravel, one by one.
Losing her son forces Rachel to withdraw into a frayed, fuzzy reality. Her husband, Sam, tries to remain stoic, but he’s consumed by regret with the choices he’s made. Eden mourns her brother, while desperately fighting to regain a sense of normalcy. And Aunt Ruth, Rachel’s sister, works too hard to care for the family, even as her own personal issues haunt her.
Told from multiple points of view—including Jonah’s—the family struggles to cope with an unthinkable loss. But as they face their own dark secrets about that terrible day, they have a choice: to be swallowed up in sadness forever, or begin the raw, arduous ascent back to living.
337 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2017
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6915 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 795 reviews
November 13, 2017
Excellent novel.
This book was free with Kindle First pick for November, glad picked this one to read. I'm not a person to read and cry, but I did. How each family member is dealing with the loss of a loved one, even Shadow, the dog written as a first person. These characters will be with me. This book is definitely five carats diamond studded five star. But if you have stormy dark clouds over head, don't read this book now, wait for a sunny day.
This book was free with Kindle First pick for November, glad picked this one to read. I'm not a person to read and cry, but I did. How each family member is dealing with the loss of a loved one, even Shadow, the dog written as a first person. These characters will be with me. This book is definitely five carats diamond studded five star. But if you have stormy dark clouds over head, don't read this book now, wait for a sunny day.
November 6, 2017
I only made it through a few chapters. I enjoy a well-written book with multiple narrators. I can even handle a ghost narrator. But when one of the narrators is the family dog? No thanks.
December 31, 2017
A book about a family devastated by the loss of their five-year-old and what led to his death. You might think it's a heavy read, but Thomas brings a light touch to the subject. Especially charming are the sections narrated by the child himself as he lingers in the family home.
December 9, 2017
Where to begin? This book should have been a short story...a VERY short story. The novel, of the aftermath of the death of a child, is told from various perspectives; husband, wife, aunt, daughter, dead son, psychiatrist and family dog. Yes, I said family dog. The author tries to capture the voice of each narrator, but I found her efforts to be cringe-worthy. The 5th grade daughter thinks phrases such as, "that's so beast". The dead Kindergartener thinks with mispronunciations that I suppose are common to that age, such as "I'm not 'llowed to do that". And the dog? When the dog "thinks" it's about his "Master" and "Mistress", with the aunt known as "Dark Female". The book leads up to the climax of how the child actually died, which I predicted 1/4 of the way through the book. The mother is near catatonic in her grief, but suddenly just voicing the words of how her son died miraculously seems to bring her back to the land of the living. This is the first book I've read by this author, and I was happy to read that her other books have been highly-acclaimed. I'm happy for her. Maybe this one was just a fluke.
January 20, 2019
There was way too much going on in this one. We had 7 POVs and we barely stay with anyone long enough to even get settled in to what is going on. I think the author did this in order to get to the ending that we did that was just confusing and not heart-warming to me. This book was just a mess to me.
"What Remains True" follows the Davenport family a month after the family has lost their young son (Jonah). The family is fractured with the mother in a drug induced haze (Rachel), the father hiding at work (Sam), the daughter feeling lost and alone (Eden) and Rachel's sister feeling as if she is the only one who can fix it (Ruth). We even get to see Jonah's POV along with the family dog.
I wish that Thomas had allowed us to just read the story straight through. We are left in the dark a good portion of the book which made it hard to keep reading this. When things get revealed you end up feeling a bit fed up (at least I did) and just wish things would wrap up fast.
I can't even say that I liked anyone character's POV the most. Including the therapist POV's was a mistake to me. She had enough going on that it distracted from the book. I really disliked Ruth's POV though. I didn't have a lot of sympathy for her.
The writing was just okay, I didn't get a sense of different voices in this one. It just felt endless after a while. The flow was shot too. I think it would have been better to flip the book to show what happened via everyone's POV first, then the aftemath a month later, them at the therapist, then what really happened via Jonah's POV.
The ending was not good though. It just forced a happy ending where the book seemed to be heading somewhere else. Maybe it would have been ugly what happened afterwards, but at least it would have been more realistic.
"What Remains True" follows the Davenport family a month after the family has lost their young son (Jonah). The family is fractured with the mother in a drug induced haze (Rachel), the father hiding at work (Sam), the daughter feeling lost and alone (Eden) and Rachel's sister feeling as if she is the only one who can fix it (Ruth). We even get to see Jonah's POV along with the family dog.
I wish that Thomas had allowed us to just read the story straight through. We are left in the dark a good portion of the book which made it hard to keep reading this. When things get revealed you end up feeling a bit fed up (at least I did) and just wish things would wrap up fast.
I can't even say that I liked anyone character's POV the most. Including the therapist POV's was a mistake to me. She had enough going on that it distracted from the book. I really disliked Ruth's POV though. I didn't have a lot of sympathy for her.
The writing was just okay, I didn't get a sense of different voices in this one. It just felt endless after a while. The flow was shot too. I think it would have been better to flip the book to show what happened via everyone's POV first, then the aftemath a month later, them at the therapist, then what really happened via Jonah's POV.
The ending was not good though. It just forced a happy ending where the book seemed to be heading somewhere else. Maybe it would have been ugly what happened afterwards, but at least it would have been more realistic.
November 6, 2017
Sigh. Another Kindle first choice that I would like back. The characters were not complex enough and then the resolution was too easy.
November 19, 2017
I got this free through Kindle's monthly First Read. While the idea of the book is solid-a family dealing with grief and personal guilt the story itself lacked depth leaving the characters shallow and unlikeable. The voice of the dog was silly and in my opinion took away from the raw emotion of the actual story. Not my favorite and not one I would recommend, however, I do see how it will appeal to some readers.
November 10, 2017
“I could shelve my personal problems, slough off any issue that was plaguing me, allow the stress to seep from my pores as my work enveloped me and carried me away. But this is not a problem I can shelve, nor an issue I can slough off. This is not stress. This is grief. Overwhelming and insidious grief that refuses to be ignored or denied or temporarily tucked away.”
What Remains True was a very heart wrenching, emotional read for me. I already knew going into it that it was about a very heavy topic (a family grieving the unexpected loss of a 5-year-old boy) so of course I assumed it was going to be a tearjerker, but I was still a bit surprised that I only made it a few chapters in before I started crying. To be fair, I tend to cry over fictional characters in books, TV shows, and movies rather easily. I also have a 5-year-old son who’s very similar to Jonah in a lot of ways, which made it hit a little too close to home for me. So it might just be me, but I’m giving you fair warning just in case you’re as… well… sensitive as I am. 😉
Another thing I want to mention about this book is that it is written in first person narrative from each character’s point of view. A lot of times when authors use that writing technique, I find that it makes it harder to follow the storyline and the writing just doesn’t seem to flow quite right. Janis Thomas really pulled it off this time though. The story was easy to follow (even switching between different time frames) and each of the characters had a very distinct, well-developed personality. One thing I didn’t like about it, however, was that Thomas included the dog Shadow’s point of view. Those parts came across as cheesy and pulled me out of the story every time. I also didn’t find them to be very believable so they ruined some of the realism for me.
As for the story itself, this book held my interest throughout its entirety. In the second half I found it hard to put down, as more and more was revealed about the events leading up the the young boy’s death. I wasn’t a big fan of the ending, but I’m not sure how it could have ended differently while giving closure. I’m going to give it a 3.5/5 score. It’s not one of my favorites, but still definitely worth the read.
BLOG: Dorie's Reading Corner
What Remains True was a very heart wrenching, emotional read for me. I already knew going into it that it was about a very heavy topic (a family grieving the unexpected loss of a 5-year-old boy) so of course I assumed it was going to be a tearjerker, but I was still a bit surprised that I only made it a few chapters in before I started crying. To be fair, I tend to cry over fictional characters in books, TV shows, and movies rather easily. I also have a 5-year-old son who’s very similar to Jonah in a lot of ways, which made it hit a little too close to home for me. So it might just be me, but I’m giving you fair warning just in case you’re as… well… sensitive as I am. 😉
Another thing I want to mention about this book is that it is written in first person narrative from each character’s point of view. A lot of times when authors use that writing technique, I find that it makes it harder to follow the storyline and the writing just doesn’t seem to flow quite right. Janis Thomas really pulled it off this time though. The story was easy to follow (even switching between different time frames) and each of the characters had a very distinct, well-developed personality. One thing I didn’t like about it, however, was that Thomas included the dog Shadow’s point of view. Those parts came across as cheesy and pulled me out of the story every time. I also didn’t find them to be very believable so they ruined some of the realism for me.
As for the story itself, this book held my interest throughout its entirety. In the second half I found it hard to put down, as more and more was revealed about the events leading up the the young boy’s death. I wasn’t a big fan of the ending, but I’m not sure how it could have ended differently while giving closure. I’m going to give it a 3.5/5 score. It’s not one of my favorites, but still definitely worth the read.
BLOG: Dorie's Reading Corner
November 5, 2017
3.5 STARS
Five-year-old Jonah is dead and the Davenport family is falling apart. Rachel pops pills and barely leaves her bed. Her husband Sam is a zombie, drinking and sleeping on the couch. Ten-year-old Eden needs her parents. Even Shadow, the dog, feels the loss. Aunt Ruth’s attempts at being helpful fall flat.
WHAT REMAINS TRUE is a bleak, bleak story dripping with sadness and guilt. Janis Thomas’s glimpse inside a once-happy family is a realistic look at the overwhelming nature of grief explores each family member’s point of view, including Jonah’s ghost and the dog, and later their therapist. Thomas does a great job with different voices in each POV, something most writers don’t do.
I didn’t like Jonah and the dog’s points of view, because I didn’t think they added to the story. Jonah’s role in his family’s healing felt like a cop out so that Thomas could craft a certain type of ending. I wasn’t a fan of the unrealistic ending, which detracted from the story. Being more specific would spoil readers.
Readers who like sad books will appreciate 90% of the book. If you don’t like depressing books, stay away.
Five-year-old Jonah is dead and the Davenport family is falling apart. Rachel pops pills and barely leaves her bed. Her husband Sam is a zombie, drinking and sleeping on the couch. Ten-year-old Eden needs her parents. Even Shadow, the dog, feels the loss. Aunt Ruth’s attempts at being helpful fall flat.
WHAT REMAINS TRUE is a bleak, bleak story dripping with sadness and guilt. Janis Thomas’s glimpse inside a once-happy family is a realistic look at the overwhelming nature of grief explores each family member’s point of view, including Jonah’s ghost and the dog, and later their therapist. Thomas does a great job with different voices in each POV, something most writers don’t do.
I didn’t like Jonah and the dog’s points of view, because I didn’t think they added to the story. Jonah’s role in his family’s healing felt like a cop out so that Thomas could craft a certain type of ending. I wasn’t a fan of the unrealistic ending, which detracted from the story. Being more specific would spoil readers.
Readers who like sad books will appreciate 90% of the book. If you don’t like depressing books, stay away.
January 5, 2018
A bit of a disappointment for me ...... whilst the subject matter is heart breaking, and I truly believe that dogs do understand our emotions ( I know my beautiful one does ) I found this book to be a little
Slow and the ending contrived . Unfortunately I didn’t find Jonah’s voice convincing , and I felt THE LOVELY BONES , did this concept much better even though the tone of the books were very different .
Slow and the ending contrived . Unfortunately I didn’t find Jonah’s voice convincing , and I felt THE LOVELY BONES , did this concept much better even though the tone of the books were very different .
December 18, 2017
I was hesitant to read Janis Thomas's latest novel because of the subject matter. It's hard to think of losing a child when I am a mother of three. However, I have read other books that had similar situations and got through them okay, and I knew Janis would handle the topic sensitively, since she is a mother. She definitely proved me right in that regard.
From page one, I was completely absorbed in this story of a family tragedy and its aftermath. Janis gave each character their own unique voice and they blended together well to narrate the details of what happened before, during, and after the tragic event. It helped that she shared what happened somewhat early in the novel, so that we could focus on the family dynamics and their healing process instead of wondering what caused Jonah's untimely death. There were still a lot of details leading up to it, so just knowing what caused it still didn't answer all the questions or spoil anything.
The story goes back and forth in time, starting with a month after the tragedy and how everyone is coping. Then it goes to the day before and later to the day of. This is all explained at the beginning of each section so that there is no confusion.
Initially, I wasn't sure it would work to have a dog narrate some of the chapters, but it added lightness to the story and showed that animals really do have feelings. I enjoyed watching the characters interact with each other and with Maddie, their therapist. I felt connected to the story through Maddie, as it was not actually happening to me, but I could still feel for the characters and care about them. Having said that, I didn't cry while reading it due to seeing it through a therapist's lens. Even so, I could relate to Rachel a lot and felt we were similar in some ways, including both being bloggers.
The only minor things that seemed a bit off for me were that Jonah seemed way too smart for his age and Eden seemed too immature for her age. Jonah was saying words that my six year-old can't even conceptualize yet, but maybe he's gifted and this wasn't really established. Eden kept asking to have a play date with her friends, even though she's in fifth grade. If she's trying to act cool to fit in with her friends, play date sounds like something parents set up for toddlers. I did ask my twelve year-old about what he calls getting together with friends and he seemed to think "play date" was okay, but it still doesn't work so well for me. In any case, it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the novel, just some things that could have been adjusted to fit the younger characters' personalities a bit better.
Overall, I was impressed by Janis's first foray into the dramatic genre and will be interested to see what she comes up with next. I also hope she will write another romantic comedy at some point down the road. This novel has a Lovely Bones feel to it, so it will definitely appeal to fans of that book.
Movie casting ideas:
Rachel: Gillian Jacobs
Ruth: Annabeth Gish
Sam: Brandon Routh
Maddie: Anika Noni Rose
Greta: Alyson Stoner
From page one, I was completely absorbed in this story of a family tragedy and its aftermath. Janis gave each character their own unique voice and they blended together well to narrate the details of what happened before, during, and after the tragic event. It helped that she shared what happened somewhat early in the novel, so that we could focus on the family dynamics and their healing process instead of wondering what caused Jonah's untimely death. There were still a lot of details leading up to it, so just knowing what caused it still didn't answer all the questions or spoil anything.
The story goes back and forth in time, starting with a month after the tragedy and how everyone is coping. Then it goes to the day before and later to the day of. This is all explained at the beginning of each section so that there is no confusion.
Initially, I wasn't sure it would work to have a dog narrate some of the chapters, but it added lightness to the story and showed that animals really do have feelings. I enjoyed watching the characters interact with each other and with Maddie, their therapist. I felt connected to the story through Maddie, as it was not actually happening to me, but I could still feel for the characters and care about them. Having said that, I didn't cry while reading it due to seeing it through a therapist's lens. Even so, I could relate to Rachel a lot and felt we were similar in some ways, including both being bloggers.
The only minor things that seemed a bit off for me were that Jonah seemed way too smart for his age and Eden seemed too immature for her age. Jonah was saying words that my six year-old can't even conceptualize yet, but maybe he's gifted and this wasn't really established. Eden kept asking to have a play date with her friends, even though she's in fifth grade. If she's trying to act cool to fit in with her friends, play date sounds like something parents set up for toddlers. I did ask my twelve year-old about what he calls getting together with friends and he seemed to think "play date" was okay, but it still doesn't work so well for me. In any case, it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the novel, just some things that could have been adjusted to fit the younger characters' personalities a bit better.
Overall, I was impressed by Janis's first foray into the dramatic genre and will be interested to see what she comes up with next. I also hope she will write another romantic comedy at some point down the road. This novel has a Lovely Bones feel to it, so it will definitely appeal to fans of that book.
Movie casting ideas:
Rachel: Gillian Jacobs
Ruth: Annabeth Gish
Sam: Brandon Routh
Maddie: Anika Noni Rose
Greta: Alyson Stoner
December 6, 2017
I just can’t get past the unnecessary inclusion of the dog’s point of view. It was laughable, which made it, in my opinion, inappropriate for a book with such a serious theme. I sort of understand what the author was going for, with everyone, including the dog, feeling a sense of guilt and a profound life change after young Jonah passed, but it just didn’t work for me. I could have done without the Jonah chapters, too, as the author couldn’t seem to decide what his voice was, and he came across as sometimes too babyish, and sometimes way too mature. The most interesting chapters were those from the point of view of the mother, Rachel, and the father, Sam. I found myself groaning at having to endure the other characters to get back to them.
April 23, 2018
Disappointing
I would like to give this book 1 star; however, my respect for the art of writing will not allow me to do so. I was able to get beyond my dislike for multiple narrators telling the same story from their individual perspectives, but I was not able to get beyond a dog being one of those narrators. I was more than halfway through the book before I found it tolerable. This one was not for me.
I would like to give this book 1 star; however, my respect for the art of writing will not allow me to do so. I was able to get beyond my dislike for multiple narrators telling the same story from their individual perspectives, but I was not able to get beyond a dog being one of those narrators. I was more than halfway through the book before I found it tolerable. This one was not for me.
January 21, 2020
Very difficult subject matter written in different points of view even the dogs! Well written and compelling read!
May 3, 2019
WHAT REMAINS TRUE: A NOVEL by Janis Thomas is an incredibly well-told story of inconsolable grief. The aspect that mesmerized me is that it's told in the first person by each of the characters—including the family dog. My hat is off to Thomas who pulls off this amazing feat without a hitch! I highly recommend this book.
January 11, 2018
I really enjoyed reading What Remains True by Janis Thomas. It's the story of a family dealing with the death of their 5-year-old son/brother/nephew/pal. Each chapter is told from the perspective of a family member. Even the family dog, Shadow, and the dead boy, Jonah, share their perspectives. I thought each perspective was unique and the voices sounded different from each other. The author had did a great job with Jonah's voice. He really sounded like a 5-year-old boy. My favorite voice was Shadow's, however. Having a dog of my own, I could imagine him thinking those thoughts and using that vocabulary to describe his family and his surroundings. Here's an example: "Little Female and Little Male are upstairs. When I sniff the air, I can tell that they are both not sleeping. Their smell is awake. But they are quiet. I smell them being tired." I felt the author had a good grasp on grief and how a family can be torn apart by it. The resolution is beautiful and leaves the reader with an understanding of what remains true!
February 22, 2018
The format here confused me. Every character gets to narrate multiple chapters, so the timeline moves perpetually forward but by switching up POVs which seems to have disallowed me to really connect with any of them. I probably should have known that when the dog was one of the narrators the story wouldn't be for me.
In the first minutes Jonah (5 years old), narrating, admits to being dead. The rest of the book details one day several weeks after the funeral, the therapy (these parts narrated by the psychologist, Maddie) which the remaining family members go through together & individually (includes the father, Sam, the mother, Rachel, their daughter Eden, and Rachel's sister Ruth), the events the day before and the morning of Jonah's death. It's a pretty frustrating amalgamation of internal dialogues (and the dog's desire to "get" a neighbor's cat) which severely hindered what could have been a totally surreal & heart-wrenching ghost story.
In the first minutes Jonah (5 years old), narrating, admits to being dead. The rest of the book details one day several weeks after the funeral, the therapy (these parts narrated by the psychologist, Maddie) which the remaining family members go through together & individually (includes the father, Sam, the mother, Rachel, their daughter Eden, and Rachel's sister Ruth), the events the day before and the morning of Jonah's death. It's a pretty frustrating amalgamation of internal dialogues (and the dog's desire to "get" a neighbor's cat) which severely hindered what could have been a totally surreal & heart-wrenching ghost story.
September 24, 2018
Such a beautiful book! You know it is going to be sad and tragic, but each chapter following each member of the family and how they are processing Jonah's death felt real, genuine, and touching. I loved that the author even gave the perspective from the dog. The whole book left me wondering - what the hell happened on the Bad Day with how much guilt was following each character. It reminds me that when bad things happen, we most naturally have guilt over something that has nothing to do with us. The peace that Jonah gave each of the family in the end that allows them to pick up the pieces of their broken hearts and their broken family is just inspired. I left this book feeling hope for each of them.
December 30, 2017
This book is one of those that I really liked for the plot and story, not much for the writing though. Let's start with the positives, of course—Jonah is a 5-year old child who dies. No, I didn't mean that's positive, but can you feel empathetic? I bet you can because look how fragile the concept is, it's hard not to feel sad. The story goes about with all the characters who were related to Jonah, present their views and share their grief for the little boy who died.
I loved how the story progresses with all of them, individually, pointing out their own fault that might've lead to Jonah's death; they keep blaming themselves even when they actually had nothing to do with it. But the entire ordeal makes sense since that's what humans tend to do at such sensitive occurrences—and what can be more sensitive than a kid dying? Another thing that I really really liked was how the story played up to the peak and ends on a good note when Jonah makes it clear to the family members that they weren't at fault, he died because a car hit him and nobody could've done anything to avoid it. He does this by appearing in their dreams, and the way his narrative is written, is probably the best part in terms of writing. He's a five-year-old who doesn't complicate things and cuts to chase. All this definitely worked in the story's favor.
What didn't work in the story's favor, is the multiple POVs written in first-person. Oh my God, I absolutely despise multiple POVs especially if there are so many. At some point I could've even dealt with the Eden, the mom, the dad, and the aunt's but the dog's POV? Nah, nope, not happening. I don't care how well it might've been written because I don't think it uplifted the story line in any way and was merely a failed attempt at bringing more 'eyes to the situation'.
I loved how the story progresses with all of them, individually, pointing out their own fault that might've lead to Jonah's death; they keep blaming themselves even when they actually had nothing to do with it. But the entire ordeal makes sense since that's what humans tend to do at such sensitive occurrences—and what can be more sensitive than a kid dying? Another thing that I really really liked was how the story played up to the peak and ends on a good note when Jonah makes it clear to the family members that they weren't at fault, he died because a car hit him and nobody could've done anything to avoid it. He does this by appearing in their dreams, and the way his narrative is written, is probably the best part in terms of writing. He's a five-year-old who doesn't complicate things and cuts to chase. All this definitely worked in the story's favor.
What didn't work in the story's favor, is the multiple POVs written in first-person. Oh my God, I absolutely despise multiple POVs especially if there are so many. At some point I could've even dealt with the Eden, the mom, the dad, and the aunt's but the dog's POV? Nah, nope, not happening. I don't care how well it might've been written because I don't think it uplifted the story line in any way and was merely a failed attempt at bringing more 'eyes to the situation'.
Anyway, having said that, this book is definitely a good read so I would recommend it to those looking for an emotional heart-wrenching story but are happy to read it through multiple characters' minds, including a four-legged one.
Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of this book via Netgalley but that in no way influences my rating and/or opinions about it. Thank you Lake Union Publishing and Janis Thomas!
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April 4, 2018
Actually pretty entertaining read, although it is a little out there. I haven't e joyed very many multiple viewpoint stories, but this one doesn't over do it, unless you count hearing the dogs point of view, that was odd.
The part that bugged me was how they said she took lots of Prozac, I thought she had taken a Xanax or klonopin, usually that is what a Dr would prescribe to chill people out, Prozac takes 2 weeks to effect you and popping them would give her one heck of a headache, also the nerve pills the sister took don't take instant effect.
Otherwise a good flow and decent story. Just a bit odd.
The part that bugged me was how they said she took lots of Prozac, I thought she had taken a Xanax or klonopin, usually that is what a Dr would prescribe to chill people out, Prozac takes 2 weeks to effect you and popping them would give her one heck of a headache, also the nerve pills the sister took don't take instant effect.
Otherwise a good flow and decent story. Just a bit odd.
February 19, 2018
Loved this. A beautiful story about grief and its aftermath.
January 10, 2022
too many points of view and not enough time for them to feel like they mattered for anything.
February 26, 2019
Book abt love is FULL OF HATE & BIGOTRY!
First, this book needs a better editor. Secondly, fluoxetine is Prozac. NO doctor would tell a patient to take as needed during grieving as it does not work that way. Xanax or clonazepam or lorazepam could have been prescribed and abused to full the edges by taking too many. Fluoxetine for an overdose would come most likely in the form of serotonin syndrome and that CAN kill, but the mom never would have been taking fluoxetine in multiple dosages and feeling the effects that quickly. DO YOUR RESEARCH! Plus, why does the sister even mention the mom had an abortion at age 15? Is it to make her some sort of villain to then make it easier for the reader to forgive her cheating, gross husband later? It was pointless to the storyline. Then the aunt blaming Jews for Easter not being able to be called Easter in PUBLIC SCHOOLS? Give me an effing break! LOTS of people don’t celebrate Easter and it’s called Separation of Church and State lady! The stupid fact I had to read the dog’s perspective was ridiculous as well! The writing was repetitive in phrasing, redundant and rudimentary at best. It was really offensive at so many points like seeming annoyed to no longer say “Indian Style” was absurd and that moms who breastfeed get sagging breasts that are less deserving to be revered bc they are deflated and saggy. There were just SO MANY offensive, underhanded comments throughout this book that you couldn’t be touched by a plot that was supposed to be all about love when the author seems so full of hatred! This book and this author pissed me off.
First, this book needs a better editor. Secondly, fluoxetine is Prozac. NO doctor would tell a patient to take as needed during grieving as it does not work that way. Xanax or clonazepam or lorazepam could have been prescribed and abused to full the edges by taking too many. Fluoxetine for an overdose would come most likely in the form of serotonin syndrome and that CAN kill, but the mom never would have been taking fluoxetine in multiple dosages and feeling the effects that quickly. DO YOUR RESEARCH! Plus, why does the sister even mention the mom had an abortion at age 15? Is it to make her some sort of villain to then make it easier for the reader to forgive her cheating, gross husband later? It was pointless to the storyline. Then the aunt blaming Jews for Easter not being able to be called Easter in PUBLIC SCHOOLS? Give me an effing break! LOTS of people don’t celebrate Easter and it’s called Separation of Church and State lady! The stupid fact I had to read the dog’s perspective was ridiculous as well! The writing was repetitive in phrasing, redundant and rudimentary at best. It was really offensive at so many points like seeming annoyed to no longer say “Indian Style” was absurd and that moms who breastfeed get sagging breasts that are less deserving to be revered bc they are deflated and saggy. There were just SO MANY offensive, underhanded comments throughout this book that you couldn’t be touched by a plot that was supposed to be all about love when the author seems so full of hatred! This book and this author pissed me off.
November 13, 2017
The book is the story about a family where a 5-year-old boy dies in an accident. It was a Kindle First book and it looked most interesting of the 6 choices. I struggled through the first half of the book. Everyone was sad. No clues given as to how the 5-year-old died, just that he died and all were sad and blamed themselves. I persisted and halfway thru, the family members finally started talking to the therapist and each other. Then it got interesting to me. It became a page turner as I was learning about each character and how they related with the boy. Fascinating how each person had his/her own story about what they said and did, and what it meant. Humans are such interesting characters. I guess I learned how easy it is to get STUCK in your own story and close yourself off from others. Healing starts when we give up making ourselves and others wrong, and simply share what we think and feel with each other. We start to see the world thru the eyes of others. This make s life more interesting, allowing love to flow and heal our hurts, imagined and real. I almost gave up, but am glad I finished the book.
November 12, 2017
This started out slow, but picked up and became a wonderful story of the grief process. The dynamics of a grieving family are perfectly laid out along with its path to healing. Beautifully written.
September 22, 2018
This was a Kindle first-read selection. I laughed at some of the reviewers who were put off by some of the story being told from the perspective of the family dog, but I honestly think I might have noticed the absence had the author not included the perspective - albeit limited - of this "good boy." If anything, I was initially more dubious of the dead little boy's voice appearing, but I got past it. I think what Thomas does most successfully is to expose some of the complexity of human existence. We all have these inner voices to which others aren't privy, yet those voices affect how we interact with others and how the lives of those with whom we come in contact progress. This is magnified a hundred fold when it is our immediate family.
The end might have felt a little too tidy, but by that time I was ready for the conceit of multiple voices to end, ready for the resolution I knew was coming. That's the reason for the three-star rating. This was an enjoyable book to read but also one that felt a bit like watching a Lifetime Channel movie. But there's nothing wrong with watching a bittersweet, lightweight movie now and then.
The end might have felt a little too tidy, but by that time I was ready for the conceit of multiple voices to end, ready for the resolution I knew was coming. That's the reason for the three-star rating. This was an enjoyable book to read but also one that felt a bit like watching a Lifetime Channel movie. But there's nothing wrong with watching a bittersweet, lightweight movie now and then.
December 9, 2017
4.5 overall
I received What Remains True as an ARC on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Five year old Jonah is dead. And each member of his family is hurting. Each member also blames themselves for the death of Jonah in some way-- thinking their one action led Jonah straight to his grave.
Told from alternating perspectives-- his dad, mom, sister, aunt, dog, and Jonah himself-- we are slowly brought to the worst moment of this family's life. While we get there, we are submerged into the grief a family feels when losing a child.
My only complaint was the dog's perspective. I understand the part it was supposed to play in the whole plot, I just did not find it necessary. The book would not have been worse without it. Otherwise, I enjoyed this book dearly and will recommend this one to many friends.
I received What Remains True as an ARC on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Five year old Jonah is dead. And each member of his family is hurting. Each member also blames themselves for the death of Jonah in some way-- thinking their one action led Jonah straight to his grave.
Told from alternating perspectives-- his dad, mom, sister, aunt, dog, and Jonah himself-- we are slowly brought to the worst moment of this family's life. While we get there, we are submerged into the grief a family feels when losing a child.
My only complaint was the dog's perspective. I understand the part it was supposed to play in the whole plot, I just did not find it necessary. The book would not have been worse without it. Otherwise, I enjoyed this book dearly and will recommend this one to many friends.
December 16, 2017
What Remains True is a novel that drops you into the middle of a family in crisis. It is told from multiple points of view, even including the family dog, and the poor little boy who lost his life far too soon. Normally I would say too many cooks spoil the pot but in this case I think it was a brilliant way to express what every family member went through after Jonah's death. The only thing I really didn't care for was the therapist's point of view. It felt like a break in the real story, which I didn't want to be distracted from. It was hard to care about her personal life since I was so wrapped up in what was happening with the grieving family that I didn't want to be interrupted.
I received a complimentary copy for review.
I received a complimentary copy for review.
December 2, 2018
Not a fan and really don’t understand all the 5 star reviews. The writing was simple and easy, which is fine if you want to breeze through a book- but there were so many points where I rolled my eyes. Details were unbeliable, dialogue that was lame and not realistic whatsoever. No 10 year old says “that’s beast,” just stop. I found the family cheesy in an unrealistic way, not a sweet way, and annoying.
February 13, 2019
Well-written, easy-to-follow novel
Recommend for the fans of Jodi Picoult ; mild, interesting novel about loss, grief and blame four people and a dog feel after a five-year old boy dies.
Novel is written from each characters point of view. As you read, you learn more about each family member. With each chapter a bit more of what happened reveals. Until you see the whole picture. And then you'd learn what Actually happened.
Overall, I liked the novel.
Recommend for the fans of Jodi Picoult ; mild, interesting novel about loss, grief and blame four people and a dog feel after a five-year old boy dies.
Novel is written from each characters point of view. As you read, you learn more about each family member. With each chapter a bit more of what happened reveals. Until you see the whole picture. And then you'd learn what Actually happened.
Overall, I liked the novel.
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