Finding Jake by Bryan Reardon
I was reluctant to pick this one up,
but the buzz about it was really good and (I cringe to admit this was a reason)
it was short. I shouldn’t have doubted
the buzz this time; this is a new twist on an often told story and one that
should be read.
Jake is different. He’s quiet, shy, a typical introvert. He gets along great with his sister and most
of his friends are good kids according to his father. Doug is the doubtful friend. The one dad doesn’t like and can’t quite put
his finger on why. But he always told
his son to be nice to everyone, so he can’t really squash the budding
friendship.
Simon is Jake and Laney’s dad. He’s also an introvert, cringing at the
thought of playdates, and he’s a stay at home dad. His wife is a successful lawyer so the role
reversal made fiscal sense but he still struggles with it even after more than
a decade of raising the kids and working from home. He wonders if he’s doing a good job as a
dad.
One morning the call comes in. Simon races to the school to find utter chaos
and SWAT teams. He, his wife and
daughter and other family members of children at the school are asked to wait
in a nearby church. As people leave in
relief or grief Simon remains. Witnesses
saw two boys enter the school, one was Doug and one is believed to be
Jake. Doug is dead and Jake is
missing. Simon knows that to find the
truth, to prove to himself and everyone else that Jake truly is a good kid the only
thing that matters now is finding Jake.
I’m not going to tell you what
happens, even though you’ll have inklings throughout the book. It’s the character studies and the reactions
of people that are so interesting. Would
you doubt your own kid? Are introverts
prejudiced against? How would you react
to what the media was feeding you? All interesting
questions that the author tackles while everyone tries to find Jake and the
truth.
