Customer Reviews

When the Sun Goes Down

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

 

 

Dysfunction can be part of a family even when one looks from the outside in and all appears to be well. In Gwynne Forster's When the Sun Goes Down, we find this to be so with the three Farrell siblings after the death of their father, Leon.

Leon Farrell was an odd character, who seemed to lose touch with real life and the children that most fathers would hold dear to his heart, especially after the loss of his beloved wife. However, he retreated within himself and played a cruel joke on his family, that could have them at odds with one another and ruin their relationships for good.

The eldest sibling, Edgar, was determined to get what was coming to him as a means to an end and continue to be the rebel that he is and live life on his terms. In the meantime, his brother, Gunther, and his sister, Shirley, tried to live their lives in spite of Edgar and the way they were treated by their father when he was alive. No doubt, their upbringing had a lot to do with who they grew to be, albeit, all three different in their own way.

When it was all said and done, secrets were revealed and hidden things brought to the light as this family strived to keep their families together and receive the things that they believed they were entitled to outside of their father and his eccentric ways. At the end of the day, it is about family and the things that we do to remain one.

What I loved about When the Sun Goes Down is how author Forster took her time to tell the story; there was no need to rush the storyline. I recommend this book to everyone who loves stories about family love and romance.

This book was provided to me courtesy of the publisher for review purposes.



Review by Sharel E. Gordon-Love
APOOO BookClub

This book was a decent read, but it was not very good. In this book, we are introduced to 3 siblings at their father's funeral. It becomes very apparent that there was no love lost between them and the deceased father. I don't remember any dialogue detailing any happy memories of time with their father.
We are introduced to Gunther, an entrepeneur software designer. His older brother Edgar, who is a guitarist/gambler/rebel, and a younger sister Shirley, who is a PR specialist for a cruise line.

What I liked about the book is that there seemed to be unwavering love for Edgar, who would make a nun want to strangle him. He is lazy, selfish and direction-less.
Shirley found love in the book (I don't want to give up the details), but that was encouraging.
They were blessed with another sibling, which was revealed through the father's will.

What I didn't like about the book;
1) The dialogue was unnatural and didn't flow. For that reason, I just never connected with the characters. They just seemed too robotic, especially Gunther's dealings with Lissa. I don't know any man who would answer or approach that situation with such clarity of thought and language. Also, this whole thing about "harrassment" was too contrived by the author.
2) I didn't feel that the siblings "enjoyed" life. I heard a lot of acceptance for their life as they were the captains of their own ship--they made their own way--but I didn't feel their enjoyment of their choices.
3) The author could have added more depth to the characters. I mean, it got kind of predictable.
4) This book was just not captivating or intriguing. I put the book down several times to tend to other things. I can read a book like this in 1-2 days. The writing was choppy and didn't flow. But the actual plot and storyline had a lot of potential.

This book was just okay for me.

"When the sun goes down on my life, you'll all come apart like ripped balloons." The wealthy Leon Farrell spoke those words to his three children before he passed, but, as always, he underestimated them. While his oldest, Edgar, does seem to be falling apart at the seams, Shirley and Gunther are doing just fine.

Shunned by their father after the death of their mother while they were still children, the younger Farrell siblings worked their way through college and into successful careers. Shirley handles PR on board cruise ships and Gunther has built a computer software company that's growing by leaps and bounds. Their oldest brother, Edgar, is the only one that seems to be struggling in the wake of his father's death. It's not that he misses their father, he misses the inheritance that he's sure is coming to him.

In his final thumbing of the nose at his kids, Leon died without telling anyone where his will was, including his attorney of over 20 years. Pressed for money to pay off gambling debts, Edgar hires private investigator, Carson Montgomery, to locate the missing document.

What did you like about this book?
It was a quick and easy read.

What didn't you like about this book?
Some of the conversations seemed so unnatural. For example, at the beginning of the book instead of giving a narration about the siblings, the author has them speaking to each other and describing their jobs to the other as if they're strangers meeting for the first time and not brother and sister.

I was also troubled by the dialect in which the author had the maid and nurse speak. It was almost as if because they were the hired help, they weren't capable of speaking in grammatically correct sentences. Every time I read their words, I cringed just a little.

What could the author do to improve this book?
There were whole chapters that served no purpose and, because of that, the book dragged at some points. I also question the nice, neat ending of the book. It's okay to not have a fairytale ending all the time.

This story follows the lives of 3 siblings in the aftermath of the death of their father. The father leaves a will with the stipulation that it must be found or the properties/assets will be given to the state. Edgar, Gunther, and Shirley are the Farrell siblings, offspring of Leon Farrell.
Edgar, the eldest seems to have an addiction that interferes with his ability to obtain stability in his life. Gunther and Shirley have made themselves comfortable in life through education and hard work. Although the two younger siblings have a tumultuous relationship with their brother, they do care for him. This story introduces other characters that make the book extremely interesting and adds a twist that I feel any reader will welcome. The storyline was smooth. All of the characters were well developed and placed in the story appropriately. I would recommend this book to any reader who enjoys reading about the trials and tribulations faced by families.

Zandra Barnes
AAMBC Reviewer

This story is what you would call "good meat and potatoes" reading, especially, if you have siblings. You have 2 brothers at odds, and the sister trying to be the constant mediator. I really enjoyed this story. It was very realistic and reflective.

Edgar, Gunther, and Shirley Farrell grew up without any love or support from their father, Leon. Gunther and Shirley put themselves through college and started lucrative careers, while troublesome Edgar became a travelling musician. When their father passes away, he plays the most disturbing joke on his children; he hides his will and they don't have a clue where he's hidden it. They must race against time to locate the will, so Edgar hires a private investigator for the search.

Although Ms. Forster lavished WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN with romance, secrets, and lies, the story line became predictable. The primary characters were strongly present, but the secondary characters weren't as strong. I felt there was too much emphasis on what the characters were wearing for every date and the search of the will dragged too long.

Reviewed by Sharon Lewis
of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers