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There are currently 38 member reviews
for Golden Child
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Patricia W. (Homewood, AL)
Story of Twins
I am so glad I received this ARC from BookBrowse in exchange for an honest review. This is an outstanding story of a humble family and interaction of twins living in Trinidad. One boy is very gifted and the other has a birth injury which makes him a little slower.
Claire Adam portrays them very well and it is easy to visualize the family and the boys in their day to day lives. Living in Trinidad can be very risky and safety is always a concern. From a betrayal by a family member comes a threat that no parent wants to ever have to deal with, but the father deals with it as only he knows how.
As his dilemma becomes more and more clear, it makes the reader very anxious because there was no good resolution. The author is very adept in her portrayal and it will be awhile before this story is forgotten.
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Linda Z. (Melville, NY)
"Golden Choices"
Claire Adam, Author of "Golden Child" has written an intense, heart-breaking, emotional, riveting, captivating, and suspenseful novel that takes place mostly in Trinidad. The Genres for this novel are Fiction, with a touch of Historical Fiction, and Suspense. Sarah Jessica Parker has chosen "The Golden Child" as one of her picks, as she likes "bringing stories from far away closer" The author describes her characters as complex and complicated, perhaps due to the circumstances.
The author vividly describes both the poor and rich sides of Trinidad. Symbolically there are elements of good and evil, and jealousy and betrayal that is devastating. In Rural Trinidad, Clyde, and his wife Joy live a simple life. They live near the bush, and often go without water. The happiness in their life is when they have twin sons. Peter and Paul are born, and their family surrounds and helps them. Peter seems to be the "good" baby and Paul is "fussy" and has more problems. As they grow up, Peter is extremely smart and called a genius. Paul has a knack for getting into trouble, and causing his parents to worry on more than one occasion. Joy wants both boys kept together in school so Peter can keep an eye out for Paul.
Paul goes walking in the bush one day and never returns. The family is devastated. Clyde is given news that crushes him. Clyde has to make sacrifices and choices. No father should ever be presented with such decisions. I would highly recommend this novel for those readers who enjoy an intense, and emotional story. I received an ARC from Book Browse for my honest review.
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Kristen H. (Hagerstown, MD)
Lost Child
I enjoyed the book but found it difficult at times to finish, but not due to the author. I just had lost interest in the story line.
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Susan B. (Rutledge, MO)
interesting, had hoped for arresting
This book was well-written, and introduced me to a place and culture I was unfamiliar with, which I quite enjoyed (as well as the time I spent down a number of internet rabbit holes about Trinidadian food and vocabulary.) Other than the non-golden child Paul, however, whose perspective we are eventually shown when he becomes a POV character later in the book, I did not find myself able to relate to the characters, or like them much either. I was also taken aback by the casual corruption and violence. I assume this is an accurate portrayal of the place and time, and so not necessarily a bad thing, but it did impact my reading experience. After one particular scene, in fact, I had to take a long break from the book. Despite these issues I found it a very interesting read, and definitely worth the time.
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Melanie B. (Desoto, TX)
Very good book! Complex and disturbing
This story of the Deyalsingh family and the critical decision that changes all of their lives is well-written, complex, and disturbing. I was not expecting the ending and the dilemma presented by the disappearance of Clyde's son Paul results in a realistic and thought-provoking decision that is difficult to consider. I highly recommend this novel for book groups looking for lively and passionate discussion.
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Sandra C. (Rensselaer, NY)
Dramatic book
Golden Child is not a kind of book I would normally read but I did find it a good read. There were so many real, but troubling, passages in the book that were thought provoking. This book would make for a good book club discussion. What happens when a child is repeated told he is less than, the relationship between twins to name two items.
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Julie R. (Woodland, CA)
Golden Child
The book "Golden Child" follows the lives of Clyde, Joy, and their twin sons in rural Trinidad. Peter is the bright twin and considered the "golden child" of the family while his twin brother Paul is considered "slow". Clyde and Joy love them both but know, out of the two, Peter has a better future. One day Paul goes for a walk and never comes back.
What will Clyde and Joy do? Will they risk it all to save Paul or will they do nothing and protect their golden child? Many parents would do anything to save their children. But what if you don't have the means to save them both?
This book was well written and describes the problems that many families face when living in poverty. I can't wait to discuss this book in my book club.
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