Title: The Kids Are Gonna Ask by Gretchen Anthony
Publisher: Park Row
Genre: Contemporary, Fiction
Length: 416 pages
Book Rating: C+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
A whip-smart, entertaining novel about twin siblings who become a national phenomenon after launching a podcast to find the biological father they never knew.
The death of Thomas and Savannah McClair’s mother turns their world upside down. Raised to be fiercely curious by their grandmother Maggie, the twins become determined to learn the identity of their biological father. And when their mission goes viral, an eccentric producer offers them a dream platform: a fully sponsored podcast called The Kids Are Gonna Ask. To discover the truth, Thomas and Savannah begin interviewing people from their mother’s past and are shocked when the podcast ignites in popularity. As the attention mounts, they get caught in a national debate they never asked for—but nothing compares to the mayhem that ensues when they find him.
Cleverly constructed, emotionally perceptive and sharply funny, The Kids Are Gonna Ask is a rollicking coming-of-age story and a moving exploration of all the ways we can go from lost to found.
Review:
The Kids Are Gonna Ask by Gretchen Anthony is a quirky family-centric novel.
Maggie McClair is raising her grandchildren, seventeen year old twins Thomas and Savannah. Their twin’s mother, Bess, died four years ago without ever revealing the name of their father. Thomas and Savannah decide to use their podcast to try to locate their biodad. After their podcast goes viral (not because of their quest but due to an odd dinner guest), podcast producer Sam Tamblin offers them his expertise to reach a wider audience. With Savannah writing their episodes, the teenagers reach out to their mom’s friends to help identify their dad. However, Maggie, Thomas and Savannah are ill-prepared for some of the more negative publicity surrounding their quest. Will Thomas and Savannah continue with their search for their bio-dad? And if they do find him, will he be open to meeting them?
Thomas and Savannah are fairly normal teens but Maggie is a bit eccentric. She invites people she meets into their home for a weekly dinner that serves as the basis for the twin’s podcasts. She is supportive of her grandchildren’s search but none of them foresee the unexpected backlash and unfavorable opinions on social media platforms. And Maggie is surprised by some of the feelings she begins to experience as she and her grandkids delve deeper into her daughter’s past.
Thomas and Savannah squabble and disagree with some elements of their search. As they face the adverse aspects of social media, their regular friendships falter but Savannah finds support from an unexpected person. The twins’ relationship is strained when one of the keeps a secret from the other. And the most likely candidate for their biodad is someone who is dealing with issues of his own. Will he agree to meet with the teenagers?
The Kids Are Gonna Ask features an unique storyline but the pacing is slow. The characters are a bit off-beat but easy to like (with one exception). The twins quest raises some interesting moral and ethical questions as they utilize a public platform for their search for their biodad. Gretchen Anthony brings the novel to a satisfying conclusion.
