Customer Reviews

His Mother's Son

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Cai Emmons's first novel is extraordinarily accomplished. The suspense builds from the prologue on, so that you can't put the book down. In fact, I read it twice. The story portrays the profound challenges and rewards of married and family life, while at the same time luring us into an unsettling territory that we usually only read about in the news. The characters are psychologically complex and true, and the writing is lovely, nuanced, and striking throughout. I'll be thinking about Jana Thomas for a long time to come.

This book is disturbing and compelling in the very best way--despite the fact that Jana Thomas and her life, her story don't go down as smoothly as the best lemon meringue pie, it was good to the last crumb. Part medical thriller, part family saga, partly a chronicle of the complicated lives we live today, "His Mother's Son" is an impressive piece of work. Moreover, it touches the heart without making any obvious writerly attempts to do so.

I'm looking forward to more from Cai Emmons.

I just finished the book and I totally loved it. I will probably read it again because it was saturated with detail - I also really miss the characters already.

"His Mother's Son" perfectly rounds out and portrays the balance between good and evil inside every human. Whether the "evil" is murder or childhood awakenings; it addresses the "bad" in all of us and the fear that this will somehow fly out of control if we ignore the thoughts and tendancies.

However, this book not only paints the images of fear and balance, Cai Emmons does an INCREDIBLE job of painting her characters. These characters seem so real and not at all fabricated in any way. I found a little of myself inside each character in this story and found myself caring deeply about what happened next to each of them.

I found myself wishing the story would go on and on and my only complaint is that it ended too abruptly for me. However; if it were up to me I suppose there would have been no end.

As far as technicalities, the only distraction I had during the reading was one typo (page 17) and the repeated use of one word "sinewy". It is such an odd word, to see it at least 9 times in one book was a bit distracting to me. Then again, I may be just a little obsessive compulsive in my inability to ignore patterns. :)

I remained totally engaged with this book through the entire 8 hours it took for me to complete it. Cai Emmons constantly switched back and forth between second and third person voices... and I never really noticed it until 3/4 through the book. Even then it was so well done that I was not distracted by it at all which makes me wonder if that is how I was kept engaged.

I very much recommend this book and admire Cai Emmons as a writer. I sincerely appreciate the fact that I never felt manipulated as a reader, nor did I find anything in the book predictable. I anxiously await her next offering if there is one.

Paula

I can describe "His Mother's Son" in three words...

WOW. WOW. WOW.

Jana Thomas is hiding something- dark,indescribable secrets;
and by concealing these secrets, her own life begins unraveling-
Out of control. She becomes an ineffective mother, wife and friend. She begins to see events in distorted, unrealistic ways, and by doing this begins to become disturbed and obsessed herself.

I loved this book; The psychological character studies, how our childhood molds us and our genetics sculpt us. How we, by denying our past, become ineffectual,unavailable adults...

Cai Emmon's is polished and brilliant in her precision and understanding of the human animal. Her voice is beautiful, flowing, and caused my breath to quicken and stop during most of the reading of "His Mother's Son"

This book will make all of it's readers look at themselves in a new and uncomfortable way. And by doing this, discover that the past can never be lost or cast aside... Because like Jana, it will find you, consume you and rule you...
Until you finally make peace with it. (A must read for 2003~!)

My initial response to the book was very negative for reasons expressed by other reviewers. Limited character development particularly of the supporting characters, somewhat plodding and disjointed, insufficient context either both in the present and historically. I wonder though if that is exactly what the author was aiming to do. Cady has insulated herself from her past, her very self and her personal and professional circle. Written from her vantage point, it is no wonder that there was little revealed about these people; she has no real relationship with any of them and sees them strictly through her own fears and expectations.Nor do they know anything significant about her....nothing to develop. This thought did not lead me to like the book any more, but did cast in in a somewhat more positive light.

I found the premise of this book to be extraordinarily interesting; however, unlike some other reviewers, I did not find that it fulfilled its early promise. It seemed to plod along without any particular insights into Cady. Her husband was an enigma to me - and his relationship to his mother was vaguely disturbing. I think it is an average book. It didn't leave me with any lingering thoughts - on the contrary, I felt disappointed that there wasn't more to this book.

I started this novel, coincidentally, before "Virginia Tech." I don't like using a school name to identify a tragedy, but that's the easy handle. I live near "Columbine." It's a fact of life -- that's how these awful events are known. The writing is stunning. Yes, Jana is tough to live with and hang around. Her world isn't pretty -- why should it be. She's got secrets. Why wouldn't she? Cai Emmons' descriptions are so rich and captivating that credibility never sags. There are many images and ideas buried within the prose here that are stunning and original. The arc of the story is wonderful, the reconnection, the overcoming old fears. Jana faces herself, challenges herself and presses for truth and reality. You have to admire the challenge that the writer gave herself in this assignment and how faithful she was to the task.

We know from the beginning that something is wrong. Jana's life can't be perfect...things just don't all sit right. As the story unfolds we learn some things about "Jana's" childhood that make us wonder what was going on in the house where Jana grew up and her relationship with her brother. Especailly since Jana is SO freaked out about her own son. Is her son hyper active, or is it something deeper. I'm suprised Jana's life has progressed as far as it has without a mental breakdown. She is worried so very much that it's almost scary that she's a doctor. We finally find out more about her brother and what Jana has been carrying around with her all these years.

Overall a good story. I wouldn't say I was riveted to my seat but it was good none the less!

Cai Emmons is an excellent writer. In His Mother's Son her choice and simplicity of language is beautiful, and the plot is complex and real-a page turner! Emmons handles the flashbacks (which can be tricky) between Cady (past) and Jana (present) with ease. The characters are believable except her husband, Cooper. How does he really feel? What makes him tick? I liked the novel very much but the ending unravels which weakens the story. I look forward to a very talented author's upcoming books.

This book was a wonderful book that kept my attention the whole time. Being that I took AP Biology this year, I connected alot of Biology terms in the book. I thought the story line was good, and it really showed a mother who cared for her son, maybe a little too much. The only thing i would change about this book would be the ending. I would have given the book a 4, but the ending kinda made me upset. To be frank, I hated the ending, but the whole book was really good and I would recomend it to anyone who reads. Cai Emmons is a great writter and I hope to read more of her books. She shows a lot of potential for becoming the next big writter. I hope, personally, she writes a book that follows this one up, becuase it kinda leaves you hanging at the end. All in all, i loved it!