I thoroughly enjoyed this book and my only criticism is that at time the tangents became distracting and while they did reflect a realistic pattern of delving in to memories I would have preferred if they had been edited. That being said, the story is excellent and their …more are so many themes that are worthy of discussion that there is no way I can do them justice here. I found the author to be very talented and look forward to his upcoming work. I highly recommend the book and think it would be a particularly good bookclub selection. (less)

I am drawn to books about complex social issues especially those that impact families. Characters that are real, who are developed well enough so that I can feel their emotions and a strong story line make a book exceptional for me. This book had all of this and more. It is …more not a happily ever after story bur it is a book that I did not want to put down and was which evoked a depth of emotions that took me by surprise. The book is thought provoking and would provide an excellent springboard for book clubs that want an entertaining book with substance. The story reminded me of a Jodi Picoult book and I highly recommend it to her fans. (less)

Golden Boy is one of the best books I have read in a long time. I sat down intending to read a few chapters and found myself putting everything else off until I finished the book. The story is about a family that has hidden the fact their child is intersex and has to deal …more with his and their own feelings regarding this as well as their fear of being exposed as "imperfect" when the boy is abused by an old friend. The story is told by alternating viewpoints of each of the characters which, along with the subject itself, drives the readers' curiosity to learn more about both the characters and their story. The book addresses many issues including our need to project perfection, family secrets and communication, personal identity and acceptance, and sexuality and it is hard to do it justice in a brief summary. Suffice it to say that I found the story to be riveting and the characters to be realistic and ones that I really cared about. The author does an extraordinary job dealing with a serious subject with skill and empathy and doing so in a manner that is both thought provoking and entertaining. This is a book that should not be missed and I cannot wait to see what this young author creates next (less)

In the midst of her husband Ben's public scandal Helen discovers that she has a gift for convincing people in similar crisis to accept responsibility and ask for forgiveness. The subject is definitely timely and the characters are realistic and intriguing. Dee does a …more skillful job of creating characters that are flawed but sympathetic and I found myself caring about them and wanting to know what happens to them. The book raises many questions about personal and family responsibility, whether we are playing a role or being our true selves, and about our capacity to forgive. I could go on about all the issues raised but suffice it to say that the book is well written and thought provoking and would make an excellent selection for a book club. I thoroughly enjoyed this intelligent book and I definitely recommend it. (less)