Father Figure

by James J. Cudney

Between the fast-paced New York City, a rural Mississippi town and a charming Pennsylvania college campus filled with secrets, two young girls learn the consequences of growing up too quickly.

Abused by her mother, Amalia Graeme longs to escape her desolate hometown and fall in love. Contemplating her loss of innocence and conflicting feelings between her boyfriend and the dangerous attraction for an older man, Amalia faces life-altering tragedies.

Brianna Porter, a sassy, ​​angst-ridden New York City teenager, yearns to find her life's true purpose, conquer her fear of abandonment, and interpret an intimidating desire for her best friend, Shanelle. Desperate to find the father whom her mother refuses to reveal, Brianna accidentally finds out a shocking truth about her missing parent.

Set in alternating chapters two decades apart, the parallels between their lives and the unavoidable collision that is bound to happen is revealed. Father Figure is an emotional story filled with mystery, romance, and suspense.

This is the large print edition of Father Figure, with a larger font / typeface for easier reading.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Suspense, Young Adult, Contemporary Romance

788 pages, Hardcover

First published April 2, 2018

About the author

James is my given name; most call me Jay. I grew up on Long Island and currently live in Connecticut, but I've traveled all across the US and various parts of the world. After college, I accepted roles working in technology, program management, and business operations in the retail, sports, entertainment, and media industries. Although I enjoy my career, I began to focus on other passions in 2016: telling stories and connecting people through words. My debut novel is 'Watching Glass Shatter,' a contemporary fiction family drama with elements of mystery, suspense, humor, and romance. From there, I've written other family dramas and an eight-book mystery series. To see samples or receive news from my current and upcoming books, please subscribe with your email address at my website: https://jamesjcudney.com

I'm an avid genealogist (discovered 2K family members going back about 250 years) and cook (I find it so hard to follow a recipe). I love to read; between Goodreads and my blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, I have ~1800 book reviews which will give you a full flavor for my voice and style. On my blog, I started the 365 Daily Challenge, where I post a word each day that has some meaning to me, then converse with everyone about life. There is humor, tears, love, friendship, advice, and bloopers. Lots of bloopers where I poke fun at myself all the time. Even my dogs have segments where they complain about me. All these things make up who I am; none of them are very fancy or magnanimous, but they are real and show how I live every day.

Reviews

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since this is my own book, I'm not going to write a review. I'm using this space to let you know when there are discounts or marketing promotions, as well as share some thoughts on how the book came to be.

Father Figure is my second novel. I posted five plot ideas in a poll on my blog to let readers, viewers, fans, and followers choose what book I wrote next. Once the winner was chosen, it took nine months to write, edit, share, and publish it in the spring of 2018. I'm most proud of how the story is told via two different women in different time periods. Each pair of chapters relate closely to one another and reveals the past through characters' various surprise connections.

To buy this book, please visit Amazon where it's available for purchase as a Kindle or physical book. If you're not convinced yet, check out the blog tour for this book where you can see each blogger's posts with author Q&A, special features, videos, and future release information. You can visit my author page for more details. Thank you for considering my work.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I read this book in less than 24 hours- that only happens when a book sucks me in and doesn't let go! Father Figure is beautifully told in alternating timelines telling the stories of two young woman living in two different worlds. One who grew up in rural Mississippi in 1984 and the other young woman who lives in New York City in 2004. With most alternating timelines, the reader knows that eventually the timelines are going to merge - but how and why - that is the journey that this book takes the reader on.

As I mentioned there are two young women whose stories are being told in this book. These characters are what shined for me. I love books which evoke feeling. This can be done in many ways - the characters, their plight, the environment, etc. All come into play in this book; however, it all came back to the characters for me. Both characters are like-able, as a reader, I rooted for both, I felt for both, I had empathy for both, I was invested in what happened to them, and at times I wanted to take both aside and give them some advice. There are also characters in this book who are not so like-able. Some of them are quite nasty and vile. Again, there character will make the reader feel - negatively toward them - but still you are feeling something. Great characters and a great plot make for a great book in my opinion.

Amelia Graeme grew up in rural Mississippi with a controlling and abusive Mother. She can't wait to go away to college and escape her lonely and sad life. Due to her oppressive and abusive upbringing, she is naive and innocent about many things in life - but especially concerning the fundamentals of sex and things of a sexual nature. As she begins to explore her sexuality, her Mother's harsh words go through her head. She is a very like-able and sweet character with quiet strength, who I rooted for and constantly hoped would be shown a kinder life. All her life she has desired love, acceptance, safety, and to feel as if she belongs. Will she get that? How does one move forward after suffering abuse and traumatic events in their life?

Brianna Porter is being raised by her single Mother in New York City. Her Mother is loving and caring but possibly a little over protective. But there is one thing that looms between them - the identity of Brianna's Father. Brianna wants to know about her Father. Of course, she does! Who wouldn’t want to know who he was, where he is, why he is not in her life, etc. This is where her Mother shuts down and changes the subject. Not only is Brianna attempting to learn more about her father, she is also trying to learn some things about herself - mainly her sexuality.

When Brianna goes away to attend college with her best friend, she makes a discovery which will change everything.

I was captivated by this story and was glued to my seat power reading this book. I really appreciated how the Author dealt with his female character's feelings, thoughts and emotions. Both are dealing with their feelings of desire and sexual attraction. One has her Mother's harsh words and gross judgement about sex in her head while the other young woman is deciding is she gay, is she straight, is she bi - or is she just afraid to face the truth and take the next step?

In this book both women are trying to find themselves. Both are dealing with major issues in their lives. This book is both a coming of age tale and a mystery dubbed as contemporary fiction. This book also deals with abuse, identity, acceptance, overcoming obstacles, innocence lost, crime, sexuality, family secrets, and knowing who you are.

Well written, captivating and full of emotion, Father Figure does not disappoint. Another plus of this book (at least for me) was that even though it is told in alternating timelines, the story never gets confusing. Ever read a book and it jumps to another time, place or character and you must figure out who and what is being discussed? This really annoys me as a reader. There are no rough transitions here. The alternating timeline/stories flow seamlessly in this book. I loved that I never had to figure out who I was reading about. This book naturally flowed, and the pacing was spot on. There were never any dull parts. Plus, there are some twists and turns along the way! So, if you want to be glued to your seat reading this as I was, pick this book up and give it a read!

The Author let readers know this book was available through Amazon Kindle unlimited for a brief period. It was my choice to read this book and the opinions in this review are all mine.

See more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com

[Elyse Walters · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love James first book -- "Watching Glass Shatter". Its fantastic!!! Highly recommend it!!!!

I didn't love "Father Figures". The writing annoyed me. I'm soooo sorry. I 'love' James as a person!!

Many themes: adolescence changes, challenges and choices, aggressive behaviors, abuse, physical, behavioral, and sexual changes, educational challenges, social and relationship issues, family secrets and dysfunctions, dealings with knowing when and how to get help, and a fixation to discover who 'father' is.
Alternating timelines: Mississippi, in 1984 -- New York, in 2004.
The crafting of storytelling works and flows --
However --I was bothered by the descriptions to tell this story. Every once in awhile I discover an author has a 'pet' word...and uses it too often. (its their blind spot) James is "eyes". He repeated using the word 'eyes' to describe how a character was feeling much too often to the point it took the enjoyment away from my reading.

If it wasn't eyes --it was skin or lips --
Here are 'eye' samples.
"Her Almond-shaped eyes opened wide and bright..."
"Peter's deep-set eyes grew wide...."
"His ruthless eyes appeared first"
"Her eye darted from her mother to"...
"Molly pulled her hands to her head cupping her entire face and pressed her fingers to her eyes"
"She had fury in her eyes"
"Carter's sullen eyes shifted..."
"Carter rolled his eyes...
"Brianna scrunched her eyes"...
"Even in death, empty and souless eyes...."
"Molly's hollow eyes..."
"Molly tried to hold back tears, but they fell from her eyes like a waterfall"
"Molly closed her eyes"....
Amalia rolled her eyes"....

I do like that James writes about relationships. His first book was sincerely amazing. I haven't given up on reading him. I'll be happy to read another book he writes. He 'does' have heart...and that's why I gave this book 3 stars --and not less. "Father Figures" 'does' have heart!!!! (less eyes and I'd be a happy camper)

P.S. I'm trusting my 'own' relationship with James --that he would want me to be honest. And --I'll always 'buy' my books he writes. so --I can be honest --I still 'adore' this author!!!!! He is a friend!!!!

[Dash fan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4☆ A Gripping Tale

Father Figure is a poignant and gripping read that draws you in.
With the story told between alternative narratives each story is beautifully written, two very different young women, with years between them their paths eventually entwine.

We meet Amelia (The past 1984), my heart broke for her.
Her arrogant abusive mother beats and verbally abuses Amelia at every given opportunity. Branding her a whore!

Her Father a former preacher now runs his own shop, tries his hardest to soften the blow by allowing Amelia to sneak around behind her back.
I was so annoyed with him.
I wanted him to stand up to her instead of sneaking.
He just pretended not to notice the bruises and marks on his daughter.

Amelia is desperate to get away and escape to college to start a new life and be free.

The other narrative is told by Brianna (The present 2004).
She has a very different up bringing.
Loved by her mother, who at times can suffocate her with being overprotective, but she is a single parent so I can kind of see why.
But Brianna's mother is hiding secrets from her and it's only natural that those secrets have a way of getting out!
Brianna is also looking at colleges with her best friend. She is also curious to discover the identity of her father!

How their paths collide, with such a vaste time difference I will let you have the joy of discovering!

I liked both Amelia and Brianna. They are both strong young women dealing with so much, abusive families, hormones, sex, relationships, college, it was really great to see James develop their characters and watch them grow.

I hated Amelia's mother with a passion! She is one of those characters that crawl under your skin. How she abuses her daughter and mentally abuses her is sickening.

James has taken sensitive subjects and made them realistic and approachable.
This book has triggers that some readers may find upsetting.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Father Figure, it's a vivid rich tale that got under my skin.
It's a totally absorbing read that's beautifully written and perfectly paced.
The characters are strong and unique I was routing for them to suceed.

If you enjoy contemporary fiction, with dark undertones, but is a poignant and absorbing page turner. Then Father Figure is the book for you!

Thank you to Shanannigans Tours for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

My Review is also on my Blog Website:-

https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2018/0...

[Berit☀️✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Complicated Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

A character driven domestic thriller with a splash of mystery... I really enjoy books told in this style from alternating points of view and time periods.... and even better it was done seamlessly in this book...

Two girls, 20 years apart, one living in Mississippi and the other in New York... I found both these girls lives equally compelling... and I enjoyed trying to figure out what tide these two stories together...

Amelia lives in Mississippi with her overly protective mother, just waiting to escape.... Brianna lives in New York always looking for that missing piece of herself.... but sometimes secrets are best left unknown.... and in this book secrets threaten to tear both girls lives apart.... definitely enjoyed the journey this book took me on and I was really happy with the outcome....

Recommend to fans of a character driven book with a dab of mystery....

*** many thanks to the author for my copy of this book ***

[Sophie "Beware Of The Reader" · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author has kindly given a copy of his book but it had no influence whatsoever on my willing and always honest review.

5 “brilliant scheming” stars

For those who follow me you must realize Father Figure is not my usual read. My favorite genre for some years now has been romance in all its variation be it YA or Adult, contemporary, fantasy, PNR….

Father Figure is many things but clearly not a romance. Yet I found it brilliant.
Father Figure is a mix between family drama/saga, suspense and diabolical intrigue.

James Cudney did a brilliant work building a story around two main protagonists that we follow years apart until their path mingle for the reader in the middle of the book.
This constant back and forth between past and present, between sweet innocent Amalia and determined Brianna sets a rhythm where the reader just has to go on to know more.


Father Figure has three fundamental assets that I will develop further in my review:

1) The plot. I’ve rarely read a book written with such finesse about intricate plots. Few authors can write such complex plots without losing the reader at some point. Until now my two plot masterminds were Beth Flynn and JL Myers. Well James joined them in my “evil plotter masterminds” pantheon.

2) The characters. You have sweet and innocent vs spunk. They are brilliantly fleshed out and I walked in these girls‘s shoes from the first sentence.

3) The writing and the setting of the stories. James’s writing holds enough details to have me BE on a college campus in the eighties. Or walk in the streets of that small Mississippi town enjoying the sun on my skin or breathing the summer air. The writing flowed effortlessly detailed but not flowery or heavy. Just the perfect match for that story.

Let’s develop it further now.

The characters
I really liked the contrast between the two main female protagonists. One sweet and innocent the other tough and determined.

Amalia is that sweet girl from Mississipi who has been abused by her mother for nearly eighteen years. James did an incredible job portraying that young and clueless girl from that small town. How she did not know anything about sexual intercourse or avoiding having babies. How she could barely show an ankle without being insulted by her mother. How she loved her gentle but oppressed father. How she had no friends and aspired to escape to college to breath. To be free.
Amalia has been used all her life and yet she had a tranquil inner force guiding her through the pressure others put on her shoulders. She has an inner grace and quiet dignity.
She will go through so much in this story it was nearly unbearable.
That beautiful young woman will grow up the hard way.


Brianna was harder to love at first as she is rebellious and lost. Not knowing who her father was, uncertain of her history she felt stuck. She is undecided about her sexuality and will make mistakes hurting others while trying to find herself. She is determined to discover the identity of her father and won't hesitate to harass her mother behaving like a brat. She was so obsessed with it that she forgot to enjoy what she had instead of focusing on what she did not have.

The cast of side characters was also flawless. Each serving a purpose and adding another dimension to the story.

The plot
James has an intelligent writing. As the story sets it gets more and more intricate. Secrets are unearthed, revelations come to light and you realize that James truly IS a mastermind. A genius scheming writer. He places seemingly innocent facts here and there, fortuitous encounters, little crumbs and we don’t realize all the intricate connections between these threads before a big reveal!
That's the kind of stories I adore. When the plot gets slowly, discreetly more and more intricate until you realize you've been carefully led a certain way and all these innocent facts were part of a vast and complex scheme. I’ve been played all along and never realized it!

James told me he built the plot and the characters first and it shines through its writing.

The writing
The use of back and forth between past and present for the first half of the book is a smart trick as the reader just want to know what will happen next.
I was constantly wondering: what is the connection between these two girls? Is there one? Or will it happen in the future? Will Amalia escape to college or get stranded in her small town at her mother’s mercy? Will Brianna discover who her father is? Is he alive?
James's writing style was also something I got to love. Formal when it has to be as it fits the time and the story but not too much. Detailed but not flowery giving us all the ingredients to be IN the story and eat, love, suffer, breath with the characters.
The pace was also perfect for a suspense. Not rushed but not dragging either. I can’t find any moment when I though he should go faster or slower.

I’m conscious this was a long review but I do tend to be talkative when I discover a new author surpassing my expectations. Father Figure is only James’s second book and he has already reached an impressive mastery of his craft.

If you love suspense, family drama, smart and beautifully written stories with an intricate plot just read this.

Thanks for reading!

Sophie

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[☆Dani☆ ☆Touch My Spine Book Reviews☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a read!!! I knew Jay was a hell of a writer but this one really had me up all night and knew how to hit me with all the right feels to continue reading even though I cried like a baby during some scenes. I have to be honest that there is two things that triggered slightly but they were brief things but felt I needed to bring up there is a quick scene where an animal is hurt and their is some abuse that happened to one of the main characters but even though I had a little bit of anxiety for a moment, I still wanted more and I felt more attached to the characters. I became greatly invested in them and I think that the triggers even made me more attached to them because I felt their pain.

I have been through similar experiences with being abused as a child and have experienced other similar things that the characters also experienced. I became attached, the suspense thrilled me, the drama had my heart and mind going through a whirlwind but best of all it also made me smile at times too. I loved Shanelle and Brianna! They were great characters and Mr. Cudney was brilliant at portraying what young girls go through at a time when they are of legal age but still have so much to learn. Shanelle and Brianna’s friendship and the feelings they I had for each other just made me swoon at times. They were just the cutest and I couldn’t get enough of them together. This has to be one of the best books that I have ever read ever! So relatable, so intense, heartbreaking, but a book that is a must read that you definitely don’t want to miss out on! Another thing I want to comment on with concluding is that the way the dual time lines broke down and you have no idea how things all fall into place is brilliant! I can’t wait to see what James Cudney comes out with next!

Big thanks to Reads & Reels & James Cudney for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review and to be able to receive this opportunity.

[Nila (digitalcreativepages) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author James J Cudney IV has done it again with his second book Father Figure. His debut Watching Glass Shatter was a great family saga, and I wondered if he could re-create the magic with his words. But this time, he has surpassed his own debut.

The story follows the lives of two women Amalia in Mississippi in 1984 and Brianna in New York in 2004. Amalia is abused by her mother on a daily basis, yet she finds her happiness in her father's love and her escape in Pennsylvania College campus. Life in college was charming with a boyfriend, till attraction strikes her down in the form of a suave, older man whom she cannot resist. But tragedy follows her, her father dies, and a soul-shattering event later forces her to leave everything behind and go back to her abusive mother. Till she realizes it's all too late, there are always repercussions.

Brianna, a happy go lucky protected nineteen year, is going through her own angst, her need to discover herself, and her growing attraction for best friend Shanelle, but there is one question which shatters her peace of mind - who is her father?

In a need to find out the truth, Brianna goes on a path of discovery which leads to heart rendering shocks, the spasms of which are felt into the present, but whose roots are sunk way into the past.

The author James Cudney has written the story in the alternating voices of Amalia and Brianna. What struck me most was the way he has described both the women, their thoughts, their characterizations, their attitude, their dialogs. They were both so very different in all ways, living in different time zones too, but James has seen to it that he doesn't falter anywhere down the line. His eye for detail is astonishing. Making the two women different and maintaining that difference throughout the chapters, and at the same time, showing the parallels of their lives was massively impressive. (I did want to catch him making a mistake, but unfortunately he doesn't)

The plot of the story takes its own winding road down the pathways of life for the two women, each one going through her own ups and downs, happiness and shocks, some of them earth shattering.

What blew me away for the second time was the way James has described this horrific event, taking care to write with great sensitivity, without going into the gruesomeness, yet managing to maintain the aura of fear, pain, and helplessness that the scene required. His words caused the goosebumps to rise, but kept me gripped in the throes of emotions of that scene, till tears just flowed. His sheer mastery over the prose shone brilliantly in this piece of writing. I had to take a few deep breaths before I could continue reading.

The third thing which struck me gently down the book, was the dignity and courage that Brianna's mother showed in the story, bringing her up as a single parent, working long hours, trying to fulfil her needs. Her character was softly weaved but yet managed to pave a way for herself.

The paths of the two women collide, and the story reaches an adrenaline infused ending, where the threads of the past all retract, showing the ultimate truth, which is life threatening for one.

This book is a story of courage and fortitude shown by 2 women forging a stronger tomorrow, written with a quiet strength and sensitivity by author James J Cudney. An amazing book from start to finish.

The only niggle I had was the book was pretty long, just like my review!!

[Nilanjana Haldar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alright! Standing ovation for author, James J. Cudney!......

This book has earned my respect on so many fronts!

In not much variation in commentaries from many others who have reviewed this book before, I have to declare that the author, James’s choice of writing a novel that circled around the plights of women (a gender different from the writer’s) in different challenging life circumstances in society, mesmerised me with a whole new level of respect for the writer, as well as his creation.

The novel speaks about a girl’s search for her father whom she knows nothing about, the secret of which is only barely known to her mother, leading her to choose locking up this personal life detail inside a chest that would forever remain unopened.

This is the first time a book could so vibrantly depict to me the direct effect of growing up fatherless. The book nourished me with the experience of suffocation a child feels when she grows up without a father and has nobody in the world who would invest a shadow of care in extending to her even a fragment of this knowledge. I learnt, like never before, the level of powerlessness a child in so trivialised a position feels, unincluded from the contentment of being bubbled within a complete family which every other outsider might seem to relish so well as to take it for granted. Coming to think of it, we (you and I) cherish so much of this bubble of being “family-rewarded in completion” that we barely notice how much of an unrecognised haze of safety it secretly ushers into our lives.


Next, this author’s writing is a masterpiece!
I’m certain that the author of this novel discovered the existence of stepping-around, body-coloured individuals even in the process of creating them! :) :) 
If I have to sum up author James J. Cudney’s work, I will state this: 
There are nights when instead of wrapping our heads around people well-dressed at an outdoor party, we unobtrusively tilt our heads heavenwards only to fathom the stare of stars that we glanced at many times before but cared not to wonder about. In such distinguished nights, we are able to fall away from the crowd of people, while being in the midst of it, and discover existence on a mighty scale, and understand a realm beyond words. When people look at us then, they don’t see the depth of what is happening within us. James’ writing is an extended version of this in-depth experience, so continuous throughout his work, that the wondrous process seems almost simultaneous and not a break from a mundane start. To clarify—->throughout his novel, I halted not once, twice, thrice, but many many times simply to fall back on what I had just read and read it back just so I could let the phrase/s or sentence/s melt through my brain, and sit  there for a while, to finally leave me with a very satisfying smile. That’s how good his writing is! This is the perfect analogy I could come up with. 

The author was able to craft characters completely out of his own imagination (not from real life experiences) some of whom matched people from my life in so many ways. Astonishing!

So I have to say, much like "To Kill a Mockingbird" this book made me deeply grasp the beauty of a father. I recall putting aside music, phone etc in the vehicle one day and begin chatting with father and losing myself in asking him about his day, merely after reading a chapter in the book (in Kindle). I have not changed since. Everyday I put aside all personal stuff and spend time with father and mother whenever time allows, whatever time I discover. What a rewarding development a book had on me!

I was tumbling down the stairs of the initial pages reading about the lives of Amalia and Brianna and their surrounding people, and was quite sullenly supplied by reminiscences of people enormously likened to every side character, being dampened thus. 
Now the part I was trying to get to.... this dampening of my spirits heightened my interest in the author’s craft because I forgot for a straight while that I was anywhere but with the characters created by the writer. Moreover, it is very easy to get attached to a particular character and flounder in the emotions that he or she floats in. That didn’t happen here. I found a different person in my own life ( somewhat distant mostly) very impeccably aligned with the every other person the author introduced to me. 
Moreover, the author was able to incite a very strange development within me, unintentionally Ofcourse. One character called Shanelle is someone I very much resent. But I discovered that this immersion in resentment was something I yearned. Weird! Never happened before! 
Hence a bee-hive of experiences came to touch upon me perhaps at every corner of the novel. 

Additional lessons I learnt from this novel:
1) Even when Brianna was stretched beyond the natural limit of endurance of the relentless, unrestrained maltreatment of the devil of her mother, she admirably checked herself from unleashing all her rage and screams-for-justice at the very moment when she had a physical advantage over her own devilish mom. This was because she had realised this:

But she couldn’t hurt the woman. It would make her no better than her mother. After she’d picked up the table leg while her mother closed her eyes for the last time, Amalia swung hard and beat the table in frustration.

The lesson here is—> Hurting back another for the hurt they gave you, makes you no better. Apt, 100%
Think of the times we stroll around judging others as being judgemental towards us. Does that make us any better than them? Because in judging them as “JUDGEMENTAL” we are judging them too. So, who’s right? Neither! So Amalia here sets an example of self-awareness, of taking the high road regardless of what life throws at us (her life, to state briefly, was one of the saddest I have read so far).

Wow! Wow! Wow! I am amazed that despite the many puddles of devastating events and heartbreaking scenes that were conjured up in the short time of reading this novel, the author reserved these spotlights of lessons in the midst of them, which carry enormous personal-growth messages for each and every one of us.

2. We can’t blame ourselves for things that are beyond our control.
This is stated by Molly, Amalia’s mother. I’m sure a message like this will be deeply beneficial for so many of us! Ego loves to blames others or direct blame inwardly. Ego is full of nonsense! Don’t listen to it! Truth is, in the end we don’t really control anything.

3. This third lesson is especially meant for every single individual experiencing trauma. We love getting sympathy and care (playing the victim, translated as the ‘Ghulami’ in Hindi forgetting our life is entirely our responsibility. The lines from the book that embody this lesson are (although the citation is for a different reason here)—>

“Don’t play the role of a poor little ingénue who can’t even figure out how to cross the street without someone holding her hand. Grow a pair. No one can make your future happen but you.”
This line was stated by a lady at a pub, who Brianna was checking out.

4. “Life is complex, Brianna. It’s not always black and white, good or bad. There’s a lot of gray in between. Sometimes we have to suffer through something difficult to find that solitary ray of hope.”


A myriad of lines stole my heart forever:

1. In a farewell talk with her rapist, Molly makes this statement—> “You’re a perverse fate we all had to suffer”

2. The description of a love-making between Amalia and Jonah was the most dreamily beautiful way of describing so passion-electrified an event. The beauty became uncontrollably relishable because, to say the least, I found an angelic personality in Jonah—a life that is brimming with compassion, cheer, happy and gallantry, all undisguised and so honest and natural that it lacked the need to be donned for specific times only. This was used to describe the energy of searing passion that swirled Amalia’s body right before she made love to Jonah. The line is concluded so beautifully:

By the time she reached his front door, Amalia had forgotten the car ride, the walk up the front path, and her boyfriend, Carter. All she thought about was the consuming energy soaring throughout her body—a shooting star with no end in sight.

The vast beauty of certain personalities can only be wrapt up by a wordless expression. So I choose a surreal music to depict the vastness of the ethereal goodness which I discovered in the personality of Jonah, enough to rob me away from my generic, poorly-explored stints in articulation with the drab, limited quality of mere words. This is the piece:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Afslo...

It is in this uninhibited goodness in a human and a woman unflinching in her parade against a cruel world, that time lost character and disappeared, and the world as it were ceased to be, for in their moment of oneness they had compositely cut off circulation from the throes of an immodest world. Because I sensed every bit of this timelessness throughout the description, I could deliver the experience in no different delight from the original. (To repeat—there is a reason why I say the writing is a masterpiece)

3. No Provocative questions gnawed their way out from the inside.

4. “ Carter pulled at his hair and dropped his hands as angst assumed more control!

5. Remember Jonah I just described with the music piece above. Well, the line that elated my prisms of appreciation, revolved around a distant bleep of memories that drifted in Amalia’s mind long after she was no longer a part of his life (for reasons that didn’t actually rift their bonding but threatened their lives….it is really sad!)

“She never got over the losing of Jonah, only packaged him in a box hidden deep within the recesses of her mind.”

This line reminded me of a small quip Rose states in Titanic, after she is old and has finished telling the entire story of Titanic’s sinking and meeting Jack, to the Blue-stone search-team. She says, “A woman’s heart is a deep ocean of secrets.”

6. Burying all that Riley had done to her, locking it away in a box that had no key , had been the hardest part.


7. A mental movie displays in our lives by the time we reach middle age when we step into parallel worlds like our own which distinguish themselves from the original in that they harbour our desires, unlike the ones we reside in. I was deeply enchanted by this consideration made by the author in the novel through the lines quoted below. To add, it seethed all through my cells in the form of echoes that called after Amalia (the one being referenced here) when she began picking bits and scraps of her life in a new city, all alone and by herself. Here are the lines by the way:
“In a different world, Riley had never been born, and she had Jonah all to herself. In a different world, Carter never came to Brant with Greg but married some girl like Rachel’s sister. In a different world, she and Bryan fell in love that first summer and left Brant to build their future together. The options were endless, but the visibility into such a world hadn’t existed until now.”

I have come by readers who are badly impatient to get to the end of a novel, who condemn books simply because it has exceeded their personal length-plan of a novel-read. I have noticed traits of this in myself too in the past. But reading “Father Figure” has made me deeply aware that certain novels actually cannot follow others’ stereotypic plan for a book, instead the vastness in the characters’ experiences serve to take a person in the journey the book is intended to offer one”- why so much impatience for the end when the pages were meant to seeth one with the life experiences of another, and in this case, usher you with the complete peekhole of despair in a fatherless girl’s life.
A moment of sitting with Brianna’s unhappiness and one is able to acutely discover just how deprived a child is who is stumbling across a world that not only removed her from a chance with a father but iron-locked away every single information that belonged to him, opening doorways of societal nastiness that the presence of a father ( at least until the maiden years of one’s life) is quite easily ‘heroed’ (nonexistent word in Oxford but loved creating it!) to protect anyone against ( we did it didn’t we? As children? Well, Brianna/Amalia never had this chance and she lived in a silent envy and shame amongst others with complete families, for having no father to pass such stories to). The vitality of this novel’s topic is so profound that one cannot miss the enormous pillar of strength and home one’s blood father is for a person’s life. This book made me acutely aware that a father is someone whose whole life’s happiness is wrapt up in his daughter and for this insight which formed an enormous theme through the book, I am forever grateful to author, James.
If you take one moment to immerse yourself in this emptiness the author has tirelessly tried to sketch in every page, ensuring he missed no detail along the way, you will hear a still voice inside you that wishes to overthrow moments when you discounted the presence of a father in your life. You will find yourself shudder at the very thought of being in Brianna’s shoes and you will come to rest in the knowing that you REALLY are very lucky to have a father, to have a go-to-place for every cheer, win, cry and comfort. It is so easy to remain close-minded to the pain of another but the author has made enormous effort to depict to be world just what it feels like to have zero knowledge of one’s source.

But…but ….the but…I felt my face widening to assume an enormous smile by the end of the book! The end’s not airy-fairy by the way so I loved it all the more! :) You can discover yourself why that happened! There are some very deep lessons for life towards the end, which I choose not reveal! But they will be a guiding light for so many fatherless people in the world. I recommend you pick up this book. Everyone must really!
This is a must-read novel. It teaches so much about life in silent preaches, in the colours of conversations, emotions, the opening-and-closing of room doorways, college rooms, creeks, lakesides, journals, corrupting one’s mind rewardingly with the realm society would so badly want anybody to ignore—the realm of imagination! The entire story was imagined by the author, but you will, in good will, find yourself wondering by the end of the novel, if that is a lie!
It’s not a lie but the way :) but you will find a conflict in fathoming the realness of imagination for a long while, long after you have ended page 418 of the novel!

[Candace Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been seeing both of Cudney's books floating around on Goodreads in my feed for a while now, and I have been wanting to read both of them. I decided to start with his latest one, Father Figure, and I wasn't sure what was going to go down in it. But boy, this book was a twisty, emotional, and awesome adventure!

Let me start by saying I loved the alternating perspectives between 1984 and 2004. First, I love the 80's and second I was 19 in 2004 and loved that year! This story is  very character driven and as I've mentioned before, those are my absolute favorite kinds of books.

Let's start with Amalia! Oh man, this girl... I loved this character. Not every girl in life is born a fighter. A lot of times a way a person is raised can have a huge impact on who they become. Amalia had one of the worst kind of mothers possible. After a tragedy with her father, circumstances lead Amalia on a journey where sometimes she doesn't know what she wants—sometimes she is needy, sometimes she wants to find the one goodness she had in life, her father, in someone else. Through all the events, she really grew as a character. And some of the events were downright awful.

Brianna reminded me of several of my friends in high school. Sometimes you just aren't sure of what you want, be it sexuality, a career, life in general. When you're young and even as an adult things aren't always clear. This leads Brianna to also want to find out about her missing father which sets her on a path that leads to all kinds of twists and turns. I'm going to be honest here, I'm quite good at guessing twists, but I did not see these coming.

Father Figure is well written and an addictive novel filled with a bottle full of emotions. I can't wait to read Cudney's other book!

[Brian Porter · Rating 5 out of 5]

James J Cudney has written a highly emotive book, involving the lives and loves of two women, one of whom Amalia is going through her adolescence in small town America in 1984, suffering daily abuse at the hands of her truly terrible mother, the other, Brianna, is going through similar experiences in New York in 2004, with an added complication. Brianna has never known her father and her mother, Molly has never opened up to her about who or what her father was. Brianna's quest to discover the truth about her father, despite her Mother's refusal to divulge any information about him, is the catalyst for a story that weaves its way back and forth in a literary time machine as we follow the lives of both girls as they struggle to grow to maturity.
The plot is further complicated by Brianna's uncertainty about her own sexuality.Can it be possible that her best friend Shanelle, is destined to be her lesbian lover too? Or is this simply a case of hormonal confusion as Brianna seeks answers to so many questions. Amalia too is confused, as the prospect of leaving home for college prompts her to examine her feelings for her brother's best friend, Carter.
This is a complicated story, with many twists and turns as we are led through the developing years of two young women. Of course, underlying the whole plot is the question, what links these two young women and the men in their young lives? What connects the life of a young girl from a tiny town in Mississippi in the 1980s with the life of another youngster from the Big Apple twenty years later?
Stick with it, as the web of deceit and events often shocking and sometimes poignant, begins to engulf both girls lives and as the conclusion of the book approaches we finally learn just what, and more importantly who, links these two seemingly disparate lives, together. Be prepared for some surprises, some tears and some happiness, and not a little tragedy too as the author finally reveals the shocking truth behind Brianna's parentage. To say more would be to spoil the read for those who follow me, suffice it to say, a five star rating has been well earned by Mr. Cudney.

[Martie Nees Record · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Creativia Publishing House
Pub. Date: April 2, 2018

Picture a story that cuts between two teenage girls living in very different places and times, without explaining their relationship to the reader. This is just the puzzle that the author, James J. Cudney, goes for and solves. One heroine lives in the Deep South, in a shoddy town in Mississippi. She grows up with an abusive mother, that I promise you will hate. The other girl lives in hip NYC, the Big Apple. She grows up with a loving mother who you will like and admire. She is a wonderful mom even though she struggles with single mom issues such as financial strain, social isolation, exhaustion, and guilt. You will wonder why this lovely mom keeps secrets from her daughter. Both girls go off to college in Pennsylvania where their young adult lives begin. However, first, the author teases us with a few pages of the mystery that the reader is about to be swept up in.

The story goes back and forth in time. We meet the sweet and completely naïve Southern girl in 1984. How she remains such a nice person while living with daily abuse is another mystery for this reviewer. As a retired social worker, I wish her personality traits could be bottled to be shared with real life abuse survivors. You will fall in love with her. Then we meet the feisty and rebellious Northern girl in the year 2004. The city teen does not realize how good her life is because her constant focus is on wondering who her father is. Her mom refuses to say a word. Choosing to write this tale from past and present in alternating chapters keeps with the plot’s main mystery: just what is the connection between the young women?

Cudney does a great job of nailing female teenage angst, especially since one of the girls is struggling with her sexual identity. I am thinking of one particular scene where this girl decides to lose her virginity to help her decide whether she is gay or straight. The author has a nice little twist here, which I never saw coming. I will not spoil your pleasure by discussing the other shockers. But, I will share that I did guess the link regarding one of the mothers, although it took me awhile. Here is my own teaser: there might be more than one father figure in this book, but whom? I hope I am leaving you purposely confused.

For me as a woman, this book was particularly interesting because of the insight it gave into the young female psyche who want nothing more than to experience a mutual adoring relationship with their dads. Not many male writers can achieve success in writing in a teen female voice. I enjoy that the city girl does not try to be a “good girl” (though deep down I feel that she really is). Although the characters can feel a bit too one-sided, being all good or all bad, this is a fine family saga page-turner. I didn’t get that feeling of “not another YA book posing as an adult work of fiction.” Expect your emotions to be all over the place. You will read enough abusive horrors, in more ways than one. Be prepared to cry. There are also enough moments of love to put a smile on your face, and enough suspense to keep you turning pages. When all is said and done, the novel has a real Agatha Christie feel to it. I recommend “Father Figure” to all who enjoy contemporary fiction filled with twists.

The author has given a copy of his book to me for an honest review. I have been in friendly contact with him through our book blogs and Goodreads, but in no way does this influence my review.

You can find "Father Figure" on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BW77CWQ?...

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[Jill McGill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to Come!

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

James J. Cudney has nailed emotional turmoil with FATHER FIGURE as he details the lives of two girls born twenty years apart, each forced to face the ugly side of life head on far too soon.

In a stroke of brilliance, adding to the blade-sharp tension, Mr. Cudney alternates timelines and points of view between Amalia Graeme’s life and the contemporary life of Brianna Porter. At first blush, the glue that binds them is their discontent with their lives, their search to belong somewhere and their need for love and acceptance.

As Brianna struggles with her sexual identity, Amalia struggles with being knocked down again and again. What truly cements their stories? Is their quest for love and happiness? Is it the tsunami of pain that secrets can bring?

Prepare to be sucker-punched with the power of the words in this tale. Gut-clenching, nerve wracking and yet, completely magnetic, the worst of humanity collides with the best gifts life has to give.

Publisher: Creativia; 3 edition (April 2, 2018)
Publication Date: April 2, 2018
Genre: Family Saga
Print Length: 430 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Bobby Underwood · Rating 1 out of 5]

I originally, years ago, marked this as abandoned, with a comment, rather than posting an actual review, but now I’ve decided I might as well post it at this point. The author is very “Goodreads” popular — wildly so, judging by the number of reviews for his books — so this book has a plethora of glowing reviews which will ensure that only those searching for a counterpoint reaction from a reader will ever see this anyway.

Father Figure is written well enough, but is most definitely not for me. It contains a weak and ineffectual older male, a father who is so wimpy he allows his wife to run roughshod over him and abuse his daughter.

Then there is a boyfriend who, of course, is the personification of how angry modern feminists paint all males, young or old. One scene has one of the young girls struggling with losing her innocence to a boy. Why is she struggling? Well, she could give in to her startlingly aggressive girlfriend who has the sapphic hots for her. Of course…

It all seems artificial, not real in any way. The male kid comes off as an immature lascivious jerk in the scene, saying all the terrible things and acting exactly the way an angry feminist would have him act and speak. It’s more like a misandrist’s wet dream than reality. The male kid of course gets a kick to the gut and some sharp words from the sexually confused girl.

Brianna also has an absent father (of course, because no young woman ever has a strong, morally centered male figure with any integrity in this type of narrative) with whom she longs to connect.

And so it goes…and appears to keep going in a much too lengthy narrative. I made it to 14% with the tedious switching back and forth between the lives of these girls, ad nauseam. Until…I’d had enough.

This simply wasn’t worth finishing. The opening chapter of Amalia’s story, though uncomfortable, was I concede, very well done. But of course the hideous mother uses words like harlot and she had a Southern Baptist upbringing, just because — you always know that’s coming.

I’m only about the story, and for me, this was too much of a slog with characters I either didn’t like, or who seemed painted as to line up with a false narrative being shoved down the throat of society. Not my cup of tea.

[Nisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like the stories that show us what will happen close to end of the story and I like to guess when it will happen, what was actually happened at that time and whom it was about. I tried to guess for this story too but I wasn't right about it, to be honest, I can't guess right for this kind of stories but I will get close enough to the right answer :))

About the story, we have two main characters, Rebecca and Amalia. If you pay attention to the chapters' names (I didn't at the beginning:)) ) you will know their stories at different times but they will connect at some point like you will guess. I like Shanelle, Brianna's best friend, even more than the main characters. She is heartwarming, cheerful, quick-witted, trustworthy, good at problem-solving and caring friend. She always watched out Brianna even when she is being stubborn. Brianna was obsessed with finding out who is her father. Sometimes she was bothersome being so obsessed about it but having her mother hides everything not just about her father but herself too, it is making sense why she is so obsessed about it. About Amalia, unlike Brianna (she live at Newyork), she was living in a small village which everyone knows each other and makes others business their problem (this can be really bothersome). She was abused by her mother and her father, even though being a caring father, ignored this problem. Both of them was about to go to college and impatient to leave the place they lived. But after beginning to college everything goes beyond what they expected to happen. Read this story and see for yourself what will happen. We have other characters which have important roles in the story but I can't mention them without giving spoilers. :((

I liked how story improves and how James J. Cudney surprises us and I liked to discover the truth with the character at the same time. This is a story about two teenage girls who try to find out more about themselves and about the world.

Thanks, James J. Cudney for giving a copy of his book in exchange for an honest review and to be able to receive this opportunity.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Father Figure' by James J. Cudney is a dark tale with many twists and turns that will keep the reader guessing throughout.

I've only given it three stars (which is still 'I liked it' on my scale; too many people see a three star rating as a bad review) because I felt the writing was occasionally a bit stilted and forced, particularly the dialogue. Maybe it's because I live nowhere near the author but I don't know anybody who speaks so deliberately, if you know what I mean.

This issue aside, this novel is extremely well plotted and the pacing is spot on. You could do a lot worse.

[Julia Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a coming of age story about Brianna who at the beginning of the story is in high school trying to decide where to go to college. Her best friend is in love with her, she has no idea who her father is and her mother will not tell her a single thing about her past much less the identity of her father. Brianna has a very hard time making decisions because for her not knowing who her father is leaves her incomplete. There are lots of twists and turns, it is a quick read and the story flows well.

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Father Figure is one of those novels which stays with you long after you finish reading. With a host of intriguing characters dealing with a multitude of issues, I couldn't put it down. The drama is heavy but the twists kept me invested. The ending was a surprise. Highly recommend!

My Rating: 5 stars

Reviewed by: Mrs. N

[Benedict Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Family, parents and other issues!

An emotional and dramatic life journey of two quite different girls with family issues. A heartfelt story of suspense, adventure and hard lessons. Good style, well developed and realistic characters.

[Robbie Cheadle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Father Figure is an intriguing story of two women's journeys, at two different points in time, towards self acceptance and redemption.

Amalia grew up in the small town of Brant, Mississippi, the abused daughter of a jealous and spiteful mother, who suffers from diabetes, and a weak and insipid father, who turns a blind eye to his wife's physical and verbal abuse of his daughter. Despite her father's faults, Amalia is devoted to her father. Her love for her father does not prevent her from seeking to create a better life for herself away from Brant and she accepts a sports scholarship to Woodlands College. Amalia's sheltered and dysfunctional home life does not equip her for life at a university full of young men and women. She becomes romantically involved with Carter, her brother's rather childish and selfish best friend, and simultaneously meet a middle aged, but attractive, professor who she develops a huge crush on. Amalia's naivety set her up to make poor romantic choices and other decisions that change the course of her life.

Brianna is the lonely and slightly indulged teenage daughter of a single fairly successful career woman living in New York City. She has grown up without a father figure and has an obsession with finding out more about the mystery man who fathered her. Her mother refuses to engage with her on the subject, saying it is part of her painful past. Brianna knows virtually nothing about her mother's family and this increases her frustration at her mother's refusal to tell her about her roots. Brianna is also confused about her sexuality and is locked in an internal struggle to discover whether she is attracted to men or whether her attraction for her best friend, Shanelle, is the real thing. In order to give herself some space, away from her over-protective mother, Brianne decides to apply to Woodlands College, which is out of state and the same college Shanelle has decided to attend.

Brianna's decision to attend Woodland's sets in motion a sequence of events that unravel the mysteries of the past and cause the separate timelines of Amalia and her to cross with unforeseen consequences.

I thoroughly enjoyed this family drama.

[Sandra J Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1984, naïve 17-year-old, Amalia Graeme, can’t wait for college to start to get away from her hometown Brant, Mississippi and her abusive mother. The only person she’ll miss is her father. It’s just too bad that over the years he did little to protect Amalia from her mother’s physical and emotional abuse.

20 years later, in 2004, another girl, Brianna Porter, is exploring a college campus with her best friend, Shanelle. Always feeling smothered by her over-protective mother, the only parent Brianna has ever known, she can’t wait to head off to school in the fall. Her mother wants her to choose a college close to home in New York City, but Brianna has other plans. It’s not that she doesn’t love her mother, but Brianna needs to get away so she can understand herself and figure out what she wants.

I loved this story with all of its surprises. Just when I thought I had it figured out, a new twist turned everything around. It has been a while since a story had me uttering my shock out loud.

Father figure is a well-woven tale of two young women decades apart. Their stories intertwine until you realize they have more in common then wanting to leave home and needing to find who they are. It is well-written with few errors either grammatically or technically. If you enjoy a well-thought out mystery, then you will enjoy this story.

[Candace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amalia and Brianna

Amalia Graeme is an abused teenager who can't wait to leave her home town of Brant, Mississippi, in 1984. Her mother, Janet, both verbally and physically abuses her. Her father, Peter, tries to let Amalia do things behind her mother's back. Amalia is proud to be a daddy's girl. Her father is her hero. Still, Amalia feels she must escape Brant before she is trapped there forever.

Bianna Porter is searching for her identity. In 2004, she lives in New York City with her mother, Molly. Brianna is also testing her sexuality to see whether she is straight, lesbian or bisexual. She uses her on-and-off again boyfriend, Doug, as a smoke screen to cover her lusting after her best friend, Shanelle. Mostly, Brianna wants -- needs -- to know who her father is so she will know herself deep down inside.

Both teenagers feel alone and lonely in their inner isolation. Both search for a father figure. Amalia in her attraction for an older man. Brianna in every older man she glances at or meets. They both find answers at Woodland College, but will the answers be what they truly want to know? Is it better to let some secrets remain secret?

Jay does a great job in writing a book with alternating chapters between Amalia and Brianna. I did not become confused and was able to follow each storyline. He kindly wrote the month and year with the character's name above each chapter. This novel is about identity, sexuality, family secrets and acceptance. Amalia and Brianna are fully developed characters with all the fears, naivety, anxiety and angst of teen, young adults; full of questions and doubts. The plot and subplots take the reader on an emotional rollercoaster ride. Just like his debut novel, Watching Glass Shatter, Jay has written another masterpiece. Kudos, Jay, on your second novel. Can't wait for your next work.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Combine the following ingredients - Two Girls, A College Campus, A Difficult Mother, An Unknown Father, Desires, Insecurities.

Shake it up and the result is a Literary Cocktail with strong flavors of Anticipation, Shock, Pleasure, Disappointment, Love and More. A must read to savor it all !

Author James J. Cudney has another winner. A compelling story that will engage all your emotions !

[Brigid Gallagher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Father Figure opens with a crime scene that leaves you guessing till the final chapter.
The reader follows the journey of Amalia who is about to leave her hometown in rural Mississippi, for college in 1984, but is subjected to cruel abuse from her mother Janet. Her father, whom she dearly loves, turns a blind eye. Although Amalia has a boyfriend, she eventually falls in love with an older man.
It is 2004, and Brianna aged 19, lives in New York with her mother Molly, and is unsure about her sexuality. She longs to learn about her father but her mother holds onto her own dark secrets and will not open up to her daughter...
The story alternates between Amalia and Brianna's stories until the final chapters when the truth is unveiled.
James J. Cudney writes with great sensitivity, on a number of thought provoking issues.

[Jacquie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A coming of age story!

Set in a dual timeframe, the author creates a story of innocence lost, parental abuse, uncovered secrets, and the journey two young women take on the road to self-discovery.

Cudney uses the juxtaposition of completely different personalities- Amelia is shy and innocent while Brianna is confident and independent- to highlight underlying similarities. Both long for acceptance and love in a world that often seems unforgiving and harsh.

The plotline is nothing short of brilliant, with a surprise ending you won’t guess is coming!

I give Father Figure 5 lovely kisses- A family saga with thorns!

[D.G. Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes us into the life of Amalia Graeme in the mid 80s, a sweet teenage girl living in small-town Mississippi. desperate to leave home and go to college to experience making friends, finding love, and most of all, getting away from her most deplorable excuse for a mother.

Amalia is pretty green when it comes to learning anything about love and life because she is taught nothing by her mother. We are taken through Amalia’s sad life at home, save for her father who dearly loves her, but somehow seems afraid of his own wife. Amalia meets her first boyfriend Carter, a friend of her brother’s who ends up going to the same college as Amalia.

We’ll discover how Carter is a bad boyfriend, and Amalia begins to find solace and then love with one of her professors – undoubtedly a father figure to console her as she desperately misses her father’s love. Then again, everything changes after Amalia is attacked.

As the book goes between Amalia’s life in the mid 80s and switches to present day New York, we’re taken into the confusing life of Brianna, where she attends the same college that Amalia attended some 20 years earlier. Brianna is plagued with needing to know who her biological father is while she also struggles to figure out her own identity as she questions her attraction to her best friend Shanelle, and her preference in gender when it comes to relationships.

Brianna spends a lot of time trying to corner her mother into telling her who her real father is, but her mother dodges at every opportunity, and the storyline continues creating curiosity for us readers wanting to learn too, who is Brianna’s father? Once Brianna finds her mother’s long lost and forgotten diary, Brianna is exposed to the people in her mother’s life, her relationships and why the paternal identity of Brianna’s fathering presents such a complicated mystery. But Brianna is determined to solve the mystery and hatches a plan with Shanelle to help her investigate what really did happen to her mother. Secrets are all revealed as the book comes to an end.

The past always finds a way into the present.

[Nico Genes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poignant and gripping novel.

This was a truly engaging read. Structured in alternative chapters, it presented the story of two young women living twenty years apart, one desperately trying to run away and forget her past, the other one eager to find answers about her past and her true sexuality.

Twenty years ago, Amalia suffered from the actions and words of an abusive mother. Her father tried to soften the pain, showing more understanding, but unfortunately not brave enough to stand up to his wife. He was the only person that comforted her in her young age. Still, she had to leave Brant and start a new life. Life plays with us often and it played big with Amelia too while she was in college. Instead of starting a new beautiful life, being happily in-love, she experienced a series of events that made her run away. What was supposed to be her way out proved to be another painful period. What did she do? She ran away and decided to keep the past buried. Was this the best decision? Did she manage to finally be happy and live a careless life? Was love again in the cards for her? The future will show.

Now, twenty years later, Brianna was about to start college and turning 18 made her wish to find out who her father is stronger. She was at a point in life where she wanted to find answers about herself too, including her true sexuality. She felt the need to find out more about her family. Do we really need to know where we come from to know who we are?

Humorous at times, this beautifully written and perfectly paced story deals with many themes (aggressive behaviors, physical and emotional abuse, family issues, sexuality, etc) that are far from being happy, but are definitely a part of the real life.

The characters are strong, well-described, and unique. The twists and turns, with a dash of mystery, are often unexpected. A real page-turner and another proof that the author is one of my favorites.

Quotes:

“She can never know the truth. I'm not even sure I know the whole truth. I promise you with all my heart that I'll keep the past buried in the past for her sake and for yours. If she ever needs to know who her father is, I'll tell her you disappeared—that I never had a chance to find you, but you were a good man. A good man I will love until the day I die.”

“Life just happens sometimes. You can't predict it. You don't know where it will drop you off unexpectedly. You only get to pick up the pieces when it's all said and done.”

More book reviews on: https://www.nicojgenes.com/book-reviews

[Yesha- Books Teacup and Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can read all my review on Blog - Books Teacup and Reviews

Father Figure was dramatic, suspenseful contemporary fiction telling the story of Amalia and Brianna with lots of twist and turns. It was about coming of age, complex relationships and secrets, and uncovering the mystery of past.

characters

Amalia’s life was difficult at Graeme family home with her abusive mother who unleashed hell whenever she saw Amalia around and tongue tied father who loved and adored his daughter but never dared to go against his wife. Escaping town for college was only solution of her tyrant mother.

I felt sad for Amalia. No one deserves such mother. Because of her mother’s constricting ruthless nature and father’s ignorance, Amalia faced the world she was never prepared for. When she went to Woodland college things started to turn opposite of what she thought. Amalia’s shyness, lack of confidence and her unfortunate fate of finding less friendly people kept her alone and aloof back at home and even at the college. Even though life threw the worst in her path she chose to do right and I loved that in her. She developed into amazing, caring and loving woman even after all that happened to her.

Brianna was 18-year-old brilliant, fierce girl but had many flaws. She was afraid to take major life decisions. She was gay but was afraid to admit it. She thought reason behind her unassertive uncertain nature was not knowing anything about her father and family apart from her mother.

I didn’t like her approach with her mother and was handling her problems immaturely. I didn’t like the way she ignored her mother’s emotions when they started discussing the father issue. I also didn’t appreciate the way she kept giving importance to a person who wasn’t present in her life and ignoring and hurting those who were there and loved her all her life. But as she dig more into mother’s past, she ended up regretting her behavior and understood her mother’s situation and emotions. Her development was slow but was satisfactory in the end. I felt frustrated at some points but I was glad by the end.

Shanelle was Brianna’s best friend and also lover. Though she was pushy and controlling, she brought out best in Brianna and helped her in all the way like true lover.

what i liked

I liked the cover based on the stories in the book in which both protagonist chose the path that is leading them away from home and family because of too controlling constricting environment of home. Writing was brilliant. It was even more captivating than author’s debut novel. I felt anger, sadness and heartbreak of the character to the core. Author poured all kind of emotions through the story of Amalia and Brianna.

Book was told in two timeline, 1984 and 2004 in third person narrative from Amalia and Brianna’s perspective alternatively; two life story that seamlessly merge into one. This was quiet dramatic and poignant story.

As soon as I started reading Amalia’s story, I knew I had to be prepared for something shocking and heart breaking. It hooked me from the very beginning. I wanted to know what will happen with Amalia, whether she would able to spend her life out of the cruel clutches of her mother and find happiness in the arm of love she was craving for or will it turn out worst nightmare possible. It was jaw dropping life mystery to uncover.

As I read more in Brianna’s story, I was eager to find out whether she would give in to her feelings for Shanelle or would do something stupid in ignorance, who her father was, and what happened in Molly’s past that she kept her hidden all her life.

The stark similarity of Amalia and Brianna’s life was shocking. They both fell for more than one person and went all the way to determine what they exactly want in life. Loneliness, no one to share their deepest secret and desires, fear, indecisiveness, absence of father and in yearning to have a father figure in life, led both Amalia and Brianna to tragic consequences. But thankfully Brianna was saved from the tragedy that Amalia faced because of her mother.

Loved the way author portrayed tensed mother-daughter relationship and Brianna’s uncertain relationship with Shannel. Loved the message from the book on- being yourself, blood never defines who you are, leaving the past in past by grabbing the chance of future and move on in life. Being loved by someone and having a friend in life to share ups and downs is a great feeling and one should cherish it rather than running after a person who is not present in life.

Twist and turns in the book were surprising. Climax was engaging and very uncertain with some more shocking revelations. End was great and I liked the way things worked out between characters.

Overall, it was engaging, emotional, suspenseful and insightful contemporary family drama that I recommend to all fiction lover. If you haven’t read it yet just grab it without second thought.

*** Note: I won e-copy of the book in giveaways. ***

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are two seperate stories, spanning twenty years, that take place in FATHER FIGURE. We are first transported back to 1984, in a small Mississipi town, where we meet Amalia Graeme. Amalia is a sweet and innocent young girl that does not have the best home life. Her mother mentally and physically abuses her, her father doesn’t stand up for her, and she has no friends in which to confide in. Amalia is very lonely. She loves her father dearly, but she also knows that her mother rules the home. Amalia’s only escape is knowing that once the summer is over, she will finally be leaving home to go to college. Amalia craves the freedom of being an adult, finally making friends, and maybe having a boyfriend, but college opens up a world filled with even more complications and hardships.

We also delve into the life of Brianna Porter twenty years later in 2004. Brianna comes from a one parent home and she often wonders who her father is and why her mother, Molly, will never talk about him or her past. Brianna feels as if she is missing a big part of herself by being kept away from her dad and the truth. This leads her on a quest to seek answers about her parentage. Besides searching for the truth, Brianna is also trying to come to terms with her sexuality. She is attracted to women, but is fearful of progressing a relationship further with her best friend, Shannele, whom is openly gay.

FATHER FIGURE is such a great name for this book and the name kind of hits home of what the meaning of having a father means to both girls in the story. In a lot of ways, I could relate to both Amalia and Brianna as my father, although a good man, was taken away too soon. So I can understand the closeness Amalia felt to her father and yet I could also feel the pain that Brianna is going through knowing she may never have a father who will walk her down the aisle. Because of this, I felt that I bonded with both Amalia and Brianna as characters going through a similar situation such as mine.

The characterization throughout the story was phenomenal. I really felt that we really got into the hearts and minds of both girls and we can feel all the hope, all the pain, and all the suffering they each go through as they make their way through life. Life for Amalia and Brianna is complicated. There are ups and downs both characters face and as a reader, I journeyed along with them, invested in each of their stories.

The plot moves at a steady pace alternating chapters between Amalia and Brianna until they merge together into one story. James Cudney throw us these little clues, while may not mean anything right away, but when the significance of them hits you in the face, you realize how strategically they were placed and how brilliantly they were written. What brings these two characters together and will they ever find the peace within themselves to ever be happy?

Sometimes when you read a book, you just know from the first couple of chapters that the story being told is going to be one of those stories that surpasses all of your expectations. I am ecstatic to say that FATHER FIGURE is one of them. I tend to enjoy many books that I read and although many of them are five star reads for me, there is always that one book that grabs you in such a way and you know right from the beginning that the story being told is going to be extraordinary. A five star rating wouldn’t even be enough to express how much I loved this book. I know this will not be my only read from James Cudney and I will be adding his first book, Watching Glass Shatter, to my list. James Cudney is a Master at his craft and an author to watch out for.