What is a family dynamic novel?
Any story focused on a ‘family’/relatives interactions and focused on the pattern of this interaction; is a story based on a family dynamic. Whether it was a mother-daughter relationship, husband-wife, Father-son or siblings relationships. Most of the stories I enjoy reading though, are those which focus on a dysfunctional relationships in the family. Don’t even ask me why…..
Here are some of the one’s I have read. [ Feel free to comment your choices/suggestions]
Little Fires Everywhere By Celeste Ng
“Where do we follow the rules, and where do we justify breaking them? Do our pasts determine what we deserve in the future? And is it ever possible to leave your past behind?”
In this utopian suburb called Shaker Heights everything is planned. The color of the houses, the length of the grass, the layout of the roads and many more things. The Richardson’s embodies the spirit of the rules and principles. But when Mia Warren and her daughter (Pearl) arrive in Shaker Heights things start to happen..
Mia is an artist and a photographer; free-spirited kind of soul. She is everything Elena isn’t. As soon as Mia rents a house from The Richardson’s they get to know each other because Pearl starts to hang out with The Richardson’s kids.
One of The Richardson’s friends attempts adopt a Chinese-American baby; which causes a custody battle; things starts to unravel; it leaves Mia opposite of Elena. And that’s when Elena determines to uncover Mia’s darkest secret.
What I love about Celeste Ng’s writing is that she writes in a way that can truly make you wonder deeply about the right and wrong. She can tackle the fact that there is no (bad person/good person) but in fact we are all mixed between the good and evil.
This book though is focused deeply on motherhood; There is no such thing as a perfect parent. Little Fires Everywhere shares a story of mother-daughter relationships.
**What makes someone a good mother? That is one of the main questions you get to ask yourself while reading this story. ⠀
Everything I Never Told You By Celeste Ng
It starts off with “Lydia is dead. But they don’t know it yet.”
As a story I didn’t really enjoy it much. But to be honest I was thrilled by the topics that this novel explores. It hit me by how realistic it is. Gave me hints of who I want to be or don’t want to be as a parent. After reading this novel I have realized that everything we do/say or not say in this case…. Has an effect on us and the people around us. It is quite important to be able to communicate your thoughts and feelings to those who are close to you. As well as sharing your emotions and thoughts. •••••The novel is about a Chinese American family in the 70’s having a normal day until they realize that there daughter “Lydia” is missing.. It’s only a matter of time until they discover that she was dead__ Drowned in a near lake.. Now the question is: was she murdered? Or was it suicide?
I do believe that the book doesn’t really discusses the matter of her death but everything that happens before and after it.
Everything I never told you is about race, family, siblings, individuals, achieving your dreams and facing your fears. It is about marriage, cheating, jealousy and anger. And the most important part of it all it is about being misunderstood and miscommunication. Overall, the story wasn’t a thriller or a mystery for me personally, but it was deep enough to make me think about what kinda person I am and how my behavior is impacting others around me.
A Good Man By Ani Katz
Unreliable Thomas Martin. I don’t know whether I should believe him or not. I don’t know whether I should feel sorry for him or otherwise. A Good Man takes on a journey of a man who had good intentions and all what he ever wanted was to create and maintain a good loving family. But does something happen along the way living this dream?.. Or everything that has happened was a collateral damage from his built up negativity and anger? Sometime’s it takes us years to realize what we have been enduring.. and then SNAP!
This novel was dark on a different level. The writing was astonishing. Katz truly captivated that mental struggle that Thomas went through in a way I feel that he had split personalities? I couldn’t even prefer one character because they all seemed distant and twisted… And the end was just mind-blowing.
coffiishotreads.com 