Finding Jake: A Novel

The book is very well written. I simply couldn't put it down. the ending surprised me, it wasn't at all what I had expected. I loved the story told from the father's perspective and that he was the stay at home parent in the marriage. It is very interesting how we as a society react when there is a tragedy such as this.

I started this book yesterday and could not put it down. It is about a dad who stays and watches the kids while mom who is an attorney works. Jake is shy so doesn't have a lot of friends, but when kids tease another boy, dad tells him to be nice to him. But the dad doesn't like the other kid for some reason.

Well written. Every parents nightmare. I really connected with all his introspection and worries of being a good parent and teachable moments. Thought his wife a little shallow and unsupportive but maybe that's how I would've seen Simon had the roles been reversed. Hard to put down; wanted to know how it ended

This book started better than it ended. I'm continuing in my "blue" phase so school shootings, troubled families seemed like a winner. The idea of a husband staying at home w kids while wife works was okay too until the husband started whining. Not that I didn't identify with a lot of his whining & 2nd guessing. It just wasn't very interesting. I appreciate any author that has the courage to write a book & then be open to criticism but I just wasn't as invested as I like to be in a story. Some of it seemed spot on in dealing with the emotional parts but there was just something missing for me. To top it off ( I don't think this is a spoiler) as part of healing process the husband goes out & buys a dog. Who does that in this enlightened age? Wouldn't a rescue dog be more fitting? I'm only partially kidding :) hey. I finished it & I wouldn't if it was a total bust. On to "things we set on fire" loving it so far!

A beautiful study of humanity; love, pain, sacrifice, endurance. Each major individual fully drawn, alive. You will rejoice and suffer with them as they travel through seventeen years of Jake's life.
This is a story which reveals a side of tragedy most of us probably never thought about. A must read for anyone who has a child.

A must read book, beautiful story of a family, their joyful times and their difficult times. Jake is the oldest of 2 who is a remarkable child and especially loved by his father. His story is sad, but beautiful.

Finding Jake takes you through all your emotions. It is a novel that you think about long after you are through reading it. Bryan Readon is a excellent story teller. I sure hopes he continue writing because he has become one of my favorite writers. The book grabs you from the beginning & as you read along you find yourself so engrossed in the book that life around you ceases to exist!

This is a book of our time. Alternating parenting, media coverage, rush to judgement are just a few of the issues in this book. Your friends, your nieghbors judge. What is the difference between a child that is shy and a child that is a loner? I highly recommend this book

Knowing several stay-at-home dads, I was interested in reading the author's thoughts on the subject. I was immediately pulled into the mind of a man who was living a parental horror, following as he searched for clues which might help him understand what was happening with his son, and what could happen to any family. The book is intense, probably because it is so realistic. It is very difficult to put down!

A well written book. Our community has just recently averted a similar tragedy. It was /is an ongoing process with many of the same mixed emotions. Thank you for putting the words to a very difficult situation. Also thanks for writing about a stay at home dad. This is a very real and often undervalued and misunderstood place in our society.

For the times we live in today, this book brought me to the other side of all the darkness and negativity; one I, like most people, wonder about. The other family. A well written story that intertwines Jake’s childhood w/ the Jake of today. Absolutely gripped me. Suspense, tears, and unconditional love. Undoubtedly the best read of my summer. One worth rereading-that, I shall do sometime down the road.

Child raising is always a guessing game that you do your best to get right. Often times you never know the impact of the lessons until something life changing occurs. This book explores this topic in a thought provoking way & leaves you doubting the action of child until the end.

POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT -An intriguing storyline on a very sensitive subject. I think Mr. Reardon did a good job telling the story from an alternative viewpoint. Jodi Picoult's "19 Minutes" is an excellent book on a school shooting but from a different viewpoint.

The main characters in the story were interesting. The plot was relevant and well developed. The author did well to balance the sad circumstances of the story with hope and a glimpse into the future well-being of the survivors of the story's tragic event. Well done.

Good plot with great character development on the part of both the dad and how he creates the portrait of his son through this recollections. As a spOuse of a introvert, it also made me wonder what others thought of my quiet, aloof husband, especially at the age of 19 when Columbine happened.

I loved the characters in this book. They could have been any of us and we saw deeply into their minds. We were carried through a horrible experience on an unfamiliar side and experienced all of the emotional feelings that went with it. We were taught lessons on how to treat people.

Great read...
I could not put the book down. Bryan did a great job weaving three themes together...and then bringing the book to conclusion. I immediately went to the store to purchase a second book by Bryan. That tells you how much I liked the book. Now we wait for the next book by Bryan.

What every parent goes through in today's world and how easy it can be to question your child's character. As a stay at home father, I would imagine there'd be a sence of awkwardness when dealing with women in the same role. As much as we know we've done the right things in guiding our children's character, there's always that sliver of "did I do the right thing".

All parents should read this book. Once I got into the book it was very good. Parents think they know their children but children don't always think like adults. open you ears and your hearts to what children say and help them develop into caring adults.

Although I sorted the twist early in the book, it did not lessen my enjoyment nor emotional connection to the story. Having lived very close to Columbine, my first concern was this would be a horrid reminder of that day. Instead, we find ourselves in another version of the story.

Thank you.

An excellent read! The parents' struggles with the situation were very realistic, as they tried to wrap their minds around what they knew about their son and what the evidence showed. Fast paced with a "can't put down" ending. Really enjoyed it!

The author encompassed the difficulties of modern family life and pressures of raising a family, made even more difficult with the role reversal of a stay-at-home dad. When a tragedy occurs, Mr. Reardon delved into the emotions and reactions of the characters realistically and honestly.

I really enjoyed this well written book. I read the whole book in one sitting. The characters in the book were depicted very realistically, as I could understand the feelings of each person as they dealt with the agony of the situation at hand.

How do we protect our children from heartache and pain? Do we control their every interactions with other children? And when they take our advice, do we wish we could take it all back? As a parent who thinks about how my actions have shaped my children's futures, I was emotionally vested in this book. This book taps into the fear of a parent; how did I cause this?

This was a tense, and sad read. The character development was excellent, and the novel was well paced. As parents we always want what's best for our children, but eventually they must make their own path. This is the story of a boy who took an extraordinary path.

to express my love of this incredible novel. Rather than rewrite all the other reviews, I will simply say I gulped the words and I did not want this book to end. It's been a long time since I have been so immersed. My compliments and appreciation.

A heart-warming and heart-breaking story about life, death, love, and doing what is right - and trying to figure out what that might be. It's about forgiveness and the need to both forgive and to be forgiven. It captivated me to the very end - a great book!

This was an excellent book. Held my interest. This was the story of a young man who by all accounts was "different" and his parents, especially the Dad in his interpretation of these differences. A very good read.

This was an excellent book. Held my interest. This was the story of a young man who by all accounts was "different" and his parents, especially the Dad in his interpretation of these differences. A very good read.

This was a well written book that covered several issues. It started out as a book about "stay at home dads" but ended up being more than I thought. It made me stop and think about how well we know anybody, even those we love dearly. It was good. I like a book that causes me to ponder issues I hadn't really thought about before. Sometimes we just love blindly. I am glad I read it.

My book club picked this book to read. The subject matter was not something I really wanted, but once I started almost read straight through. This book and the characters give a parent plenty to think about. Very good writing.

I love books that are written about controversial issues or based on happenings that our society is faced with which I found this book to do just that. I love books by Jodi Picoult and have read every last one and a friend suggested this one. I was completely satisfied.

This book kept me interested from the start. It was hard to read at times, thinking about the pain this family was feeling. However, I enjoyed it especially getting to know young Jake. It is a good mysterious story to read if you like the genre.

The ending was a bit disappointing.
Couldn't stop reading because i wanted to find out where the heck Jake went!
Then the ending just wasn't the interesting surprise that one would expect! Tooooooo bad for it!

Although a good idea, the backstory of Simon wasn't developed enough to understand him. I was left wondering why Simon questioned Jake and didn't feel like I knew Jake well enough to have an opinion of if he did or did not do it.

This book becomes a bit of a challenge to read, because it's so heart wrenching. At the same time though, there's a very strong thread of hope and love running through the background...especially at the end. I couldn't put it down and am very glad I read it.

Every parent should read this book. I rarely give 4stars, but this was worth the read. I won't say anything about the content, other than its timely subject matter will keep you reading and not want to put it down.