I’ve just finished reading Saving Sophie by Ronald H. Bolson, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I suggested the title to many people on Twitter who were looking for book suggestions even before I finished reading it I was so enthralled.
This would be a great gift for anyone who is interested in politics and ethical relationships in the Middle East and a great stocking stuffer for anyone who enjoys a nice romantic thriller about family loyalty.
What I Liked
I enjoy complexity in anything that I read, and I got a good dose of that with how Bolson gave detailed explanations of the legal aspects of the criminal acts that had taken place throughout the novel–from kidnapping to embezzlement.
I liked that Jack was a father willing to do whatever it took to get his daughter back. This character and context reminded me of movies like John Q, which I love to watch.
I also want to give Bolson credit regarding how he created a deliciously frustrating situation between the reader and the characters over the meaning of the word “bags.” I LOVED/HATED THAT! 😀
I appreciated hearing what was going on in Jack’s head related to his struggle with moving on with his life versus honoring the memory of his dead wife, whom he cherished. This showed a level of humanity critical to the design of any solid character.
“…powerful…”
“…thought-provoking…”
and delivered directly to your Kindle-ready device!
Get your copy of ‘Feign’ today along with your copy of Saving Sophie!
What I Disliked
While I’m all for being positive an upbeat, Marcy was a diabetic character, in my humble opinion. There’s nothing wrong with holding out hope–that’s necessary in situations like this, even–but constantly using cliches like “It’ll all work out” or “Everything happens for a reason” just made her come off as naive and shallow.
I was dumbstruck by Jack’s willingness to allow visitation to Sophie’s grandparents. Jack came off as having very little basic logic when it came to dealing with people. If someone has disowned the woman you love and rejected the very idea of your child with her, never shown any interest in forming a relationship (even a contentious one!) with said child, then suddenly has the time, funds, and motivation to fly to the other side of the planet just to try to make up stupid shit about you being an unfit parent in order to get custody of their grandchild from a child who “unforgivably” “turned from Allah”, what would make you think giving them visitation rights would be a good idea? Especially unmonitored! I agree with Jack when he described his decision as having “failed Sophie.”
It’s a quick, fun, entertaining read that will provoke various positive and negative emotions in you–as any good work should. Pick it up and enjoy!
Volo Press 