What do you think?
Rate this book
Primal Calling
While rummaging through the attic, high school senior, Jack Davies, is surprised to find his never-before-seen birth certificate, revealing a startling bit of information that changes his life. The story his mother told about his birth, he discovers, is revealed to be a lie, shattering long-held beliefs and the trust he had for her. Jack becomes obsessed with discovering the truth, leading him down a dangerous path. Faced with unanswered questions and confounding obstacles at every turn, Jack finds himself deeply enmeshed in an intricate world of national security and international intrigue. Relationships are tested as his every move is tracked by a group of mysterious people. Who are they? Whose side are they on? Who can he trust? And, most importantly, who will he ultimately become? Cover design by Angel Resto
326 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 5, 2020
1 person is currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Barry Eisenberg
1 book1 followerBarry Eisenberg is an associate professor of health care management in the School for Graduate Studies at the State University of New York Empire State College, a health care management consultant and a former hospital administrator. He and his wife, Amy, live in New Jersey. They have three grown children and one grandson. Primal Calling is his first novel.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 7, 2020
Many thanks to Net Galley, Vanguard Press, FSB associates and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.
A debut novel by Barry Eisenberg, Primal Calling embodies the emotional upheaval faced by a person in the search of a loved one. The whole traumatic experience in seeking out a parent or a child or a relative for years altogether to receive a spark of hope and then to find it all crashing down is somehow inconceivable for a human being. But in spite of this, there are success stories that inspire hope and a beacon of light for people attempting the same.
Jack Davies was just pottering around in the attic of his house to kill boredom when the discovery of his birth certificate reveals a devastating secret. His father’s name hitherto unknown was suddenly stark clear and the anonymous donor story that his mother had claimed was proven false. Thus, begins his long and arduous journey to search for the one-half of a parent who had birthed him. But Jack’s enquiries unearth deeper mysteries as his father’s job takes on a whole new cloak and dagger drama.
Barry Eisenberg writes an effortless story that connects to a reader in a meaningful way. A host of characters are introduced with enough backstory that each of them feels relatable. It was interesting to see how the story progresses from the discovery of a father to politics about oil companies in Russia, Germany and Saudi Arabia and the terrifying act that leaves another couple with unbearable grief.
Jack’s character was an absolute charm as the author clearly depicts the struggle, he faces in forgiving his mother for her deception but the sensible and sound advice from his newfound friend Cathy helps in opening his eyes to his mother’s choices. Linda’s reasoning honestly failed to convince me as a reader and also the angst and worry and gloomy prospect of failed leads in Jack’s search was not potent enough for me. The utter hopelessness of the situation that takes him a year, I thought could have been more compelling. But these are just minor points in a story that has been crafted brilliantly and is debut worth watching out for.
This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India and twitter.
A debut novel by Barry Eisenberg, Primal Calling embodies the emotional upheaval faced by a person in the search of a loved one. The whole traumatic experience in seeking out a parent or a child or a relative for years altogether to receive a spark of hope and then to find it all crashing down is somehow inconceivable for a human being. But in spite of this, there are success stories that inspire hope and a beacon of light for people attempting the same.
Jack Davies was just pottering around in the attic of his house to kill boredom when the discovery of his birth certificate reveals a devastating secret. His father’s name hitherto unknown was suddenly stark clear and the anonymous donor story that his mother had claimed was proven false. Thus, begins his long and arduous journey to search for the one-half of a parent who had birthed him. But Jack’s enquiries unearth deeper mysteries as his father’s job takes on a whole new cloak and dagger drama.
Barry Eisenberg writes an effortless story that connects to a reader in a meaningful way. A host of characters are introduced with enough backstory that each of them feels relatable. It was interesting to see how the story progresses from the discovery of a father to politics about oil companies in Russia, Germany and Saudi Arabia and the terrifying act that leaves another couple with unbearable grief.
Jack’s character was an absolute charm as the author clearly depicts the struggle, he faces in forgiving his mother for her deception but the sensible and sound advice from his newfound friend Cathy helps in opening his eyes to his mother’s choices. Linda’s reasoning honestly failed to convince me as a reader and also the angst and worry and gloomy prospect of failed leads in Jack’s search was not potent enough for me. The utter hopelessness of the situation that takes him a year, I thought could have been more compelling. But these are just minor points in a story that has been crafted brilliantly and is debut worth watching out for.
This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India and twitter.
November 14, 2020
This is a stellar first book. A richly written multi-layered story filled of intrigue and a nicely done portrayal of the power of persistence. Jack is the center of attention and the main player in this wonderful story.
The story focuses on Jack’s determination for find his father, a man he never knew existed, on his relationship with his mother and the developing relationship with a girl. This tense story brings us to Jack’s father, Stewart a man determined to fulfil his duty for the DIA ( a federal agency) and ordered to keep up with the subterfuge by his handlers for the safety of all. Following them we find ourselves enmeshed in an intricate world of national security and international intrigue.
A lot goes on and without going into too many details we have a story that takes off in several directions. The plot mainly set in the US brings some episodes to Germany and Arabia and as Jack’s gets closer to the truth so does the intrigue.... What a ride...and a heartwarming page-turner.
Persistence pays off but at what price. Jack’s every moves were track by a group of mysterious people...who were they?....haha!... you will need to read ”Primal Calling” I will say no more.....
Jack’s saga moves at a steady pace and keeps the tempo throughout: not too fast just smooth sailing. I like the portrayal of each character: each has a strong personality, we have no bad or good guys even when Steward got mixed up in a terrorist attack...oh yes we have a bit of a bang in a cafeteria and the usual aftermath...
I enjoyed this story quite a bit.
Thank you, Vanguard Press and Netgalley for this ARC.
The story focuses on Jack’s determination for find his father, a man he never knew existed, on his relationship with his mother and the developing relationship with a girl. This tense story brings us to Jack’s father, Stewart a man determined to fulfil his duty for the DIA ( a federal agency) and ordered to keep up with the subterfuge by his handlers for the safety of all. Following them we find ourselves enmeshed in an intricate world of national security and international intrigue.
A lot goes on and without going into too many details we have a story that takes off in several directions. The plot mainly set in the US brings some episodes to Germany and Arabia and as Jack’s gets closer to the truth so does the intrigue.... What a ride...and a heartwarming page-turner.
Persistence pays off but at what price. Jack’s every moves were track by a group of mysterious people...who were they?....haha!... you will need to read ”Primal Calling” I will say no more.....
Jack’s saga moves at a steady pace and keeps the tempo throughout: not too fast just smooth sailing. I like the portrayal of each character: each has a strong personality, we have no bad or good guys even when Steward got mixed up in a terrorist attack...oh yes we have a bit of a bang in a cafeteria and the usual aftermath...
I enjoyed this story quite a bit.
Thank you, Vanguard Press and Netgalley for this ARC.
January 7, 2021
This debut novel combines a young man coming to grips that he does have a father with a little bit of intrigue and government spies.
Jack stumbles across his birth certificate and realizes his father does have a name. This sets him off on the path to find his father without tipping off his mother since she has told him all his life that she didn't know his father. He is an enterprising young man and I was amazed at the amount of research that he did and how he was able to find places to go on the internet to find clues about his father. He meets a young woman, Cathy, at the university where his father attended and she becomes an accomplice in his search for his father since she is able to get him some information about his father, but most of it has been wiped out at the university.
This book has multiple storylines and jumps between the past and the present. It added dimension to the story to learn about how Linda and Stewart met and what they both might have gone through during that time and what led Linda to make the decisions she did for her and Jack. There is a fair amount of technical information regarding what Tom (Stewart's new alias) is doing in Europe in the oil industry and trying to discover new methods to obtain oil from the seas. He runs into an old college friend that assists him in his endeavors in Saudi Arabia but has some own tragedies he deals with in this book. I don't want to give away too much because one of these events plays a large role in how events unfold.
I have mixed feelings about Jack and his attitude. Part of me believes he is still immature for his age (18-20) but at the same time, he discovers a passion he didn't know he had until Cathy points it out to him. His discussions/fights with his mother once she confirms she does know his father seem stilted. I can understand his anger at not being told the truth, but at the same time, he isn't honest with her when he learned the truth that one day in the attic. Linda did what she thought was right at the time and maybe knowing facts now she might have made other choices, but as they say, hindsight is 20/20. It takes Cathy and Stewart to point out the facts before Jack can see them clearly. He is very absorbed in how he feels without taking others into consideration. This feels pretty normal for a person that age.
The one thing I would have liked to have seen done in the formatting of this book was to put some sort of break when jumping storylines or timelines. I would read along in the chapter and then all of a sudden we were somewhere else or in the past. This was a little disconcerting because I had no warning and had to shift gears in my brain.
Overall this was a good book for a debut novel with multiple layers, varied plot lines, and complex characters. We give it 3 paws up.
Jack stumbles across his birth certificate and realizes his father does have a name. This sets him off on the path to find his father without tipping off his mother since she has told him all his life that she didn't know his father. He is an enterprising young man and I was amazed at the amount of research that he did and how he was able to find places to go on the internet to find clues about his father. He meets a young woman, Cathy, at the university where his father attended and she becomes an accomplice in his search for his father since she is able to get him some information about his father, but most of it has been wiped out at the university.
This book has multiple storylines and jumps between the past and the present. It added dimension to the story to learn about how Linda and Stewart met and what they both might have gone through during that time and what led Linda to make the decisions she did for her and Jack. There is a fair amount of technical information regarding what Tom (Stewart's new alias) is doing in Europe in the oil industry and trying to discover new methods to obtain oil from the seas. He runs into an old college friend that assists him in his endeavors in Saudi Arabia but has some own tragedies he deals with in this book. I don't want to give away too much because one of these events plays a large role in how events unfold.
I have mixed feelings about Jack and his attitude. Part of me believes he is still immature for his age (18-20) but at the same time, he discovers a passion he didn't know he had until Cathy points it out to him. His discussions/fights with his mother once she confirms she does know his father seem stilted. I can understand his anger at not being told the truth, but at the same time, he isn't honest with her when he learned the truth that one day in the attic. Linda did what she thought was right at the time and maybe knowing facts now she might have made other choices, but as they say, hindsight is 20/20. It takes Cathy and Stewart to point out the facts before Jack can see them clearly. He is very absorbed in how he feels without taking others into consideration. This feels pretty normal for a person that age.
The one thing I would have liked to have seen done in the formatting of this book was to put some sort of break when jumping storylines or timelines. I would read along in the chapter and then all of a sudden we were somewhere else or in the past. This was a little disconcerting because I had no warning and had to shift gears in my brain.
Overall this was a good book for a debut novel with multiple layers, varied plot lines, and complex characters. We give it 3 paws up.
November 29, 2020
This story tells the determination of the main character Jake and his mission to find his birth father which almost caused a massive scandal and put multiple lives at risk. Growing up Jack's mother Lisa always told him he was the product of a sperm donor, but after finding his birth certificate - Jack learns the truth and sets off to search for his father and track him down. Despite hitting dead ends, he continues dutifully and passionately on his search until his father's people are alerted someone is searching for him using his real name as you see Jack's father is a bit of a spy for the government in the oil/engineering industry and now that Jack has started this search and things have been flagged, not only is his Dad's new identity in danger but now anyone attached to the name Stewart Jacobsen could be too. This leads to Jake being kidnapped and meeting his father for the first time. Learning of the need for secrecy, this situation has him not talking to his mum about it which in turn causes him and Lisa to fight for the first time as part of him is growing resentful of Lisa keeping him away from his father for the past 18 years of his life. What was Lisa's reasoning and will Lisa and Stewart ever be reunited to talk about the next steps with Jack or will danger and tragedy strike Stewart aka Tom Gaines when a suicide bomber / radical happens to blow up the cafe he is in while on a mission in Saudi Arabia? Find out in this fast-paced family dynamics and finding yourself debut novel by Barry Eisenberg. After reading this book, it got me thinking even more than I have to get on in doing a DNA test as my Dad never knew his biological father and an only child and also questions around my birth since my mother has passed away and it would be just very fascinating and insightful to find out if we have any DNA Matches, etc.
December 13, 2020
3.5 / 5 🌟
In this solid debut novel from Barry Eisenberg, we follow Jack Davies who was told he never had a father. His mother, Linda, fed him a lie that she had been artificially inseminated. But at seventeen, Jack comes across his birth certificate only to find a name listed under father: Stewart Jacobson.
Taking this name, Jack begins a furious search to find his dad. He searches websites, databases, and even calls the college where he may have met his mother. Jack decides to do all his research without telling his mother; he’s angry and confused as to why she would lie to him all these years. His family is not what he’s pictured it to be.
As Jack continues to hunt for his father, he is unaware that he has tipped off covert agencies that someone is searching for Stewart Jacobson - a man that technically doesn’t exist any longer.
I’m not sure how to categorize this novel for you. Jack, the protagonist, is a young adult, and it has espionage and intrigue aspects, but there are no big twists, dark secrets, or angsty romances. The dialogue is clear and easy to read, but I would have enjoyed more emotion from the characters. The ending is where I found the most poignancy and satisfaction. Eisenberg is an author to watch for more from in the future.
Thank you to @fsbassociates and @barryeisenbergauthor for this #gifted copy to review.
In this solid debut novel from Barry Eisenberg, we follow Jack Davies who was told he never had a father. His mother, Linda, fed him a lie that she had been artificially inseminated. But at seventeen, Jack comes across his birth certificate only to find a name listed under father: Stewart Jacobson.
Taking this name, Jack begins a furious search to find his dad. He searches websites, databases, and even calls the college where he may have met his mother. Jack decides to do all his research without telling his mother; he’s angry and confused as to why she would lie to him all these years. His family is not what he’s pictured it to be.
As Jack continues to hunt for his father, he is unaware that he has tipped off covert agencies that someone is searching for Stewart Jacobson - a man that technically doesn’t exist any longer.
I’m not sure how to categorize this novel for you. Jack, the protagonist, is a young adult, and it has espionage and intrigue aspects, but there are no big twists, dark secrets, or angsty romances. The dialogue is clear and easy to read, but I would have enjoyed more emotion from the characters. The ending is where I found the most poignancy and satisfaction. Eisenberg is an author to watch for more from in the future.
Thank you to @fsbassociates and @barryeisenbergauthor for this #gifted copy to review.
November 7, 2020
Primal Calling by Barry Eisenberg
This is a tough book to categorize. A teen discovers he may have a father that he has never met. The focus of the book is his dogged search for his father, his relationship with his mother and his developing relationship with a girl.
The author did a nice portrayal of the power of persistence. Jack was determined. Stewart was also determined to fulfil what he felt was his patriotic duty. The author didn’t portray any bad guys. The situations were determined by serendipity and chance.
The strength of friendship based on a willingness to sacrifice one’s own safety was satisfying to read.
I enjoyed the book and recommend it.
This is a tough book to categorize. A teen discovers he may have a father that he has never met. The focus of the book is his dogged search for his father, his relationship with his mother and his developing relationship with a girl.
The author did a nice portrayal of the power of persistence. Jack was determined. Stewart was also determined to fulfil what he felt was his patriotic duty. The author didn’t portray any bad guys. The situations were determined by serendipity and chance.
The strength of friendship based on a willingness to sacrifice one’s own safety was satisfying to read.
I enjoyed the book and recommend it.
October 16, 2020
Excellent story about a young man raised by his single mom. When he comes across his birth certificate, the search begins for his father. The search, the subterfuge, the relationships, and the repercussions are all examined in a tense story that also includes a bit of international intrigue. I received an advanced digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
January 5, 2021
Jack is a confident high school senior who has a great relationship with his mum until he discovers his birth certificate. Jack’s world went into an almighty spin as he secretly decided to trace his biological father down. It isn’t your run of the mill story of tracking down a parent, this story is the one in a million, frustrating and dangerous step into the unknown. It isn’t just dangerous for him and the father he never knew he had but for countless others too.
This story strips relationships and emotions back to raw nerve endings that manipulate and distort feelings to something more primal. He had once asked a question about who his father was and been answered and accepted it. But now he was angry that his life had been a lie. He had to find out who his dad was and he had some leads to go on.
Jack is more mature than his years, I liked his character and felt that the author captured his reaction to events in a realistic way. Lisa, Jack’s mum, had always known that these events were a ticking time bomb but, the story gets across how one lie leads to another, even with good intentions, until time runs out.
I liked how this story didn’t follow the expected route and took on a more thrilling conclusion. All in all, this is a story that will keep your interest from the first to the last page.
This story strips relationships and emotions back to raw nerve endings that manipulate and distort feelings to something more primal. He had once asked a question about who his father was and been answered and accepted it. But now he was angry that his life had been a lie. He had to find out who his dad was and he had some leads to go on.
Jack is more mature than his years, I liked his character and felt that the author captured his reaction to events in a realistic way. Lisa, Jack’s mum, had always known that these events were a ticking time bomb but, the story gets across how one lie leads to another, even with good intentions, until time runs out.
I liked how this story didn’t follow the expected route and took on a more thrilling conclusion. All in all, this is a story that will keep your interest from the first to the last page.
November 21, 2020
Primal Calling by Barry Eisenberg ⭐️⭐️
Jack has always believed his mother was artificially inseminated. That is until he finds his birth certificate with his father’s name. As he begins to track down his father, he sets forth into a world of espionage and national security.
Unfortunately this book was not for me. I was hoping for a coming of age novel, with some intrigue and excitement. The main character, a senior in high school, seemed to already be pretty well developed and matured. His search to find his father was interesting. I liked the investigation and process that he went through. Once the international espionage began I got completely lost. It was a bit too dry and I have no interest in oil or the politics involved. There was some family drama, but for conversations between son and mother they were mature and deep... none of the typical teenage fighting or banter. If you have an interest in international espionage, you may enjoy this one but it’s not as exciting as it sounds.
Primal Calling comes out 1/7/21.
Jack has always believed his mother was artificially inseminated. That is until he finds his birth certificate with his father’s name. As he begins to track down his father, he sets forth into a world of espionage and national security.
Unfortunately this book was not for me. I was hoping for a coming of age novel, with some intrigue and excitement. The main character, a senior in high school, seemed to already be pretty well developed and matured. His search to find his father was interesting. I liked the investigation and process that he went through. Once the international espionage began I got completely lost. It was a bit too dry and I have no interest in oil or the politics involved. There was some family drama, but for conversations between son and mother they were mature and deep... none of the typical teenage fighting or banter. If you have an interest in international espionage, you may enjoy this one but it’s not as exciting as it sounds.
Primal Calling comes out 1/7/21.
January 4, 2021
Of all the outcomes Jack imagined when he started looking for his father, this was probably quite unexpected.
The beginning of this book was interesting and encouraged the reader to keep going - what would happen next? The story was unique. Everyone fancies themselves a fairly competent detective, with the help of all the information on social media and the internet. When Jack starts searching for his father, he ends up enlisting the help of a young woman who works at the university his father was supposed to have attended. After both of them hit mysterious dead-ends, they begin to suspect this is more than just a missing person—did he ever even exist?
A few secret government people show up to explain the precarious situation with his father. They ask that his search end immediately. But what if Jack isn’t the only one searching? The search could be dangerous to anyone involved. As the book progressed, a few more characters were introduced, and sometimes their level of knowledge and involvement seemed a little unclear.
Overall, I’d rate this book 3 out of 5 stars. It’s hard to say a lot more about the plot without spoiling it, but I was much happier with the setup and buildup than with the conclusion. The story of Jack and his search, and the mystery/thriller aspect were the most enjoyable parts of the book.
https://booksithinkyoushouldread.blog...
The beginning of this book was interesting and encouraged the reader to keep going - what would happen next? The story was unique. Everyone fancies themselves a fairly competent detective, with the help of all the information on social media and the internet. When Jack starts searching for his father, he ends up enlisting the help of a young woman who works at the university his father was supposed to have attended. After both of them hit mysterious dead-ends, they begin to suspect this is more than just a missing person—did he ever even exist?
A few secret government people show up to explain the precarious situation with his father. They ask that his search end immediately. But what if Jack isn’t the only one searching? The search could be dangerous to anyone involved. As the book progressed, a few more characters were introduced, and sometimes their level of knowledge and involvement seemed a little unclear.
Overall, I’d rate this book 3 out of 5 stars. It’s hard to say a lot more about the plot without spoiling it, but I was much happier with the setup and buildup than with the conclusion. The story of Jack and his search, and the mystery/thriller aspect were the most enjoyable parts of the book.
https://booksithinkyoushouldread.blog...
July 29, 2022
When a young man discovers his mother's stories of a father he never knew are stories made up to keep him safe, he must decide what the truth is and face the challenges his mother predicted. It's a different, uniquestory line. There are many books out there where the main character is looking for a parent they never knew they had, but this one really does put the young man in danger as his searches lead him into a past you could not imagine. Barry Eisenberg weaves a story that draws you in as you try to stay one step ahead of the danger. When the twists come along, well......let's say, I had to turn back pages several times and still was surpised in several instances. This was a very good read.
January 4, 2021
Primal Calling is the tale of Jake and his search for his birth father, but that’s not all.
Jake hadn’t known who his father was until he accidentally finds his birth certificate. So, he decides to find him.
But, as he begins his search his attempts are flagged and things get dark and dangerous. Who was his father and who else is searching for a man who seemingly doesn’t exist?
Primal Calling is part family drama and part spy thriller. It’s well paced, full of tension and is an engrossing and compelling read.
Thank you to Michelle at FSB associates for an eARC of Primal Calling.
Jake hadn’t known who his father was until he accidentally finds his birth certificate. So, he decides to find him.
But, as he begins his search his attempts are flagged and things get dark and dangerous. Who was his father and who else is searching for a man who seemingly doesn’t exist?
Primal Calling is part family drama and part spy thriller. It’s well paced, full of tension and is an engrossing and compelling read.
Thank you to Michelle at FSB associates for an eARC of Primal Calling.
January 5, 2021
A solid debut novel! A few bumps along the way but overall the book was interesting and had a little bit of a few genres making it hard to categorize in just one area. While the characters fell a little flat emotionally for me, the nonstop action and development of Jack's search were interesting and kept me turning the page. I easily finished this one in one day of solid reading.
Thank you to FSB Associates for a copy for review.
Thank you to FSB Associates for a copy for review.
January 10, 2021
Jack Davis always thought he didn’t have a dad. His mom had always told him she used a donor to get pregnant. Then one day Jack finds his birth certificate and begins a search in secret for his father. He comes across multiple dead ends until a random piece of information leads him to be kidnapped.
The riveting story kept me fully engaged. Jack’s father and identity are wrapped up in national security issues. The secrets and lack of information kept the story fascinating. We see two sides to many issues and many emotions that come from those secrets.
Parts of this had me at the edge of my seat, reading quickly to see what was going to happen. I recommend this to anyone who is looking for something different and intriguing. This book is out January 7, 2021. 4.5/5 stars
Thank you to @fsbassociates for the review copy.
The riveting story kept me fully engaged. Jack’s father and identity are wrapped up in national security issues. The secrets and lack of information kept the story fascinating. We see two sides to many issues and many emotions that come from those secrets.
Parts of this had me at the edge of my seat, reading quickly to see what was going to happen. I recommend this to anyone who is looking for something different and intriguing. This book is out January 7, 2021. 4.5/5 stars
Thank you to @fsbassociates for the review copy.
January 22, 2021
This a fascinating, fast-paced genre bending read! It's an intriguing story about an 18 year old boy named Jack, who begins searching for his father after he finds his birth certificate and learns that his mother had lied to him about being artificially inseminated. I really enjoyed this unique read!
August 12, 2022
Much more than a journey of self discovery, this opens up a story of international intrigue. The author captures the feelings of all the characters really well as the past is revisited and they come to terms with new relationships and the consequences of their choices.
January 4, 2021
Pretty interesting book about one guy's search for his father.
My Review
My Review
April 6, 2021
Jack has never met his father, he has held the belief that a donor provided his mother with the joy of a child. But, one day after stumbling across his birth certificate all he knows is thrown into a tailspin. Can he trust his mother? Why has his father never tried to find him? Will he want to get to know him?
Thank you to Michelle at FSB Associates for reaching out and sending me a review copy of this, I deeply regret leaving it on my TBR for so long!
What I immediately loved about this book was the characterisation of Jack, the main character. His attitude and mannerisms read naturally and his interactions with the other characters flowed smoothly. Having a main character be so well-rounded early on sets a determined tone with the reader, it defines the writing style of the author so we know we will get a solid novel. Similarly, I appreciated Eisenberg's ability to set a scene, even in passing it's clear to the reader what the atmosphere of a room is and where the tensions lie between the lines.
A lost parent story immediately creates an emotional line of narrative, so it was expected that I'd connect with the characters on a deeper level, however, I did not except to be so invested in this! Eisenberg's ability to create a convincing storyline and realistic characters made it difficult to not get invested. I felt disheartened with Jack when his search for Stewart Jacobson started to lose traction, I was relieved he found him and heartbroken toward the end.
However, my focus did dip when the story began to focus more on the oil trade Stewart was involved in. Whilst it was pivotal to the story itself, I found myself skimming the deeper descriptions and only dropping back in with character interactions. I was glad that the narrative focus came back toward the mystery of Stewart's role and the deception around it, it gave more grit to the story that I loved getting my teeth into.
I definitely recommend that if any reader is looking for a mix of an emotional family story and mystery they pick this up!
Thank you to Michelle at FSB Associates for reaching out and sending me a review copy of this, I deeply regret leaving it on my TBR for so long!
What I immediately loved about this book was the characterisation of Jack, the main character. His attitude and mannerisms read naturally and his interactions with the other characters flowed smoothly. Having a main character be so well-rounded early on sets a determined tone with the reader, it defines the writing style of the author so we know we will get a solid novel. Similarly, I appreciated Eisenberg's ability to set a scene, even in passing it's clear to the reader what the atmosphere of a room is and where the tensions lie between the lines.
A lost parent story immediately creates an emotional line of narrative, so it was expected that I'd connect with the characters on a deeper level, however, I did not except to be so invested in this! Eisenberg's ability to create a convincing storyline and realistic characters made it difficult to not get invested. I felt disheartened with Jack when his search for Stewart Jacobson started to lose traction, I was relieved he found him and heartbroken toward the end.
However, my focus did dip when the story began to focus more on the oil trade Stewart was involved in. Whilst it was pivotal to the story itself, I found myself skimming the deeper descriptions and only dropping back in with character interactions. I was glad that the narrative focus came back toward the mystery of Stewart's role and the deception around it, it gave more grit to the story that I loved getting my teeth into.
I definitely recommend that if any reader is looking for a mix of an emotional family story and mystery they pick this up!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews