OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Siblings" by K. J. Janssen.]

Siblings by K. J. Janssen is a romance novel full of family drama. It depicts the complicated relationships in the Symington family and the obstacles they personally face. For the head of the household, we have Ronald Symington, an OB/GYN who graduated from Yale University, and whose renowned medical centre is facing a financial setback. Next, we have Marilyn Symington, Ronald’s wife, who is having an affair with her husband’s colleague, with whom he does not get along. Moreover, their three grown children have their own troubles:

Margaret “Maggie” Symington is Ronald’s favourite child. She experiments with drugs with an ex-boyfriend and gets pregnant thereafter. Richard, the oldest son, racks up gambling debts and gets blackmailed into performing illegal abortions in order to pay them off. He does not get along with Wilson, the black sheep of the family. Whenever they interact, insults fly and tension runs high. Wilson was a drug abuser, and when he’s released on parole, he is determined to stay away from drugs and the people associated with it. However, when FBI agents knock on his door with an offer too tempting to refuse, he once again comes into contact with the drug dealers for whom he took the fall and went to jail.

Siblings consists of numerous plots told from each of the five family members’ point of view. In other words, there are too many situations and characters for any plot to properly develop. There is simply not enough focus on a plot for me to come up with a better summary of the story. The abrupt switch between points of view also makes it difficult for any momentum to build, while the number issues means it’s tough trying to pin down a climax or resolution to any of circumstances facing the Symington family.

Furthermore, I feel that the title is also misleading. While there has been some interaction between the Symingtons for about two chapters – most likely to showcase their dysfunctional family relationships – most of the remaining forty-eight pretty much only shows how each of them deal with their respective circumstances individually. When Richard and Maggie’s situations finally cross each other, the author ends the book without a resolution whatsoever for them.

Although it seems as though the medical and business procedures are well-researched, I can only rate this book 1 out of 4 stars. In addition to the cluttered plotline, the dialogue feels unnatural. I think the author tried to dramatise the delivery of the story by giving characters’ speech a formal tone, but it backfired. To me, it just makes them sound weird.

Conversations consisting of only dialogue can take up pages, with no description of characters’ tone of voice, facial expressions, or even body language in between. What also really gets to me is that everyone’s speech pattern is the same – from the drug dealer to the FBI agent to the doctor who graduated from Yale, the tone and vocabulary are too similar. In the end, the unconvincing dialogue and underdeveloped plots completely overshadowed any slightly interesting storyline. Unfortunately, there is little I like about Siblings, and I would not recommend it to anyone.

******
Siblings
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Like erasmus's review? Post a comment saying so!

Thank you for the well-written review. Too bad about its flaws.

Nice, insightful review. I considered selecting this book a few weeks ago and found the sample hard to follow. As you mentioned, it's a cluttered storyline.

Siblings is a Romance novel and as such has many twists and turns. The reviewer seems to be looking for a tighter plot such as those he finds in mystery and thriller novels. He was not a good choice to do the review.

Thanks gali!

Thank you, bookowlie! Yes it's pretty cluttered. I think it would've been better if the author separated each Symington's story into their own novels. It would allow more development for each character and plot while letting the author choose when and how a story would crossover with the other.

I'm sorry you feel that way, kjanssen. I really do like reading romance novels. I just felt that 'Siblings' had too much going on all at once within too little number of pages. It was difficult to keep up with what's happening. Incidentally, I'm female.

Very thorough and insightful review, and although I don't read romance necessarily, I appreciate a detailed synopsis of anything, as I have read wonderful books I would have never read due to a good recommendation. It must be hard as an author to get a negative review as well, but not everyone will like anything. Appreciation of all input is the key.

Thanks for your kind words, Escapeartist!

You are very welcome!

I read the ebook of Siblings recently and I loved it. I'm a bit confused by some of the negative talk in the reviews shown. Personally I like a book with sub-plots and a lot of dialogue (Stuart Woods, John Sanford, Stephen Frey, etc.). Siblings was into abortions, drugs, pshchedalic trips and FBI stings. Who wouldn't love that stuff.

Janssen's other books, Blood Money, Fatal Dose and Family Matters were all thrillers and were great reads. Maybe some of the readers, that didn't like Siblings, really didn't like that this innovative writter went off on the romance and family drama kick.

Oh, well, you can't always please everyone.

Marsh

Marsh wrote:I read the ebook of Siblings recently and I loved it. I'm a bit confused by some of the negative talk in the reviews shown. Personally I like a book with sub-plots and a lot of dialogue (Stuart Woods, John Sanford, Stephen Frey, etc.). Siblings was into abortions, drugs, pshchedalic trips and FBI stings. Who wouldn't love that stuff.

Janssen's other books, Blood Money, Fatal Dose and Family Matters were all thrillers and were great reads. Maybe some of the readers, that didn't like Siblings, really didn't like that this innovative writter went off on the romance and family drama kick.

Oh, well, you can't always please everyone.

Marsh

Marsh, thanks for the kind words. I'll take your comments to mean 5 Stars. This is a fair review. It appears that you were not swayed by the negative rhetoric in some of the previoius reviews. I have another book circulating among several publishers, that ventures into the spiritual/inspirational. You can imagine what will come out of the woodwork when that one publishes. As you said, you can't please everyone. I'm just thankful for those who appreciate my labors.

K. J. Janssen

Wow, I don't know how some authors can just publish something that is just clearly underdeveloped. Very insightful review on your part erasmus. Sometimes I read books full of action and when I get to the end, I'm like, what was the plot again?

This is the first time I'm reading a book by the author so it may very well be that the author's thrillers are something I'd end up liking more than 'Siblings'. A difference in opinion is a healthy thing. In any case, I'm glad someone else likes this book. Like Marsh said, a book can't please everyone.

And thank you, Leon! While underdevelopment is bad, it doesn't mean that what's already there is completely no good either. Essentially, the plots aren't too bad. I just felt that there could have been more development to the plots and characters instead of scattering the focus among 5 characters with different situations within one book.

Fantastic and engaging review! It seems like the more character stories added to the mix in books the harder it is to make sure everything is interwoven and comes out cohesive.

Thank you for your kind words, bluemel4!

Sounds like a book I would read, just going by the initial summary. I was surprised by the 1-star rating before even clicking on the review. But I like how you justify the rating. Your criticism is clear and understandable.