Review of Second Son

[Eriny Youssef]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Second Son" by Herman Willis Logan, continued by Kathleen Parrish.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Second Son is a heart-touching novel that takes place in Mississippi in the year 1938. Cliff and Towanna are the two sons of the Whitaker family. Towanna, the second son, was a very special boy. With his slim physique and his love for education, it was only normal that he was the one to fill in for their mother whenever she was sick. Unlike his father and brother, who were more cut out for the "manly" jobs, Towanna was always assigned the housework. Although he was capable of carrying out the farm work, and eventually helped in the harvest seasons, he was always thought of as a "house boy."

The novel is such a rich meal that tackles topics of education, family ties, sex, war, and other important issues related to this time. It is also centered around another very interesting subject. This subject is male body shaming and the insecurities that accompany it. Between having a brother with a muscular physique to compare himself to, and being laughed at by a girl who saw him naked, Towanna's life revolved around this security.

I liked the characterization the most. I could relate to and believe every single character. They all stood out as distinctive and unique. I particularly loved how Towanna's character developed and progressed. Reading through the story, I was afraid it will be a sudden change in confidence or a reckless decision that would make Towanna overcome his insecurity. However, that wasn't the case. His character's progression was plausible, reasonable, and inspiring.

There's nothing that I disliked about this book. The events unfolded at a good pace. There weren't any unnecessary details that didn't contribute or add to the story.

I give Second Son 4 out of 4 stars. The story was entertaining as it was edifying. It was equally fun and emotional. The text is professionally edited. The errors I found didn't affect the reading process at all. The book is written by Herman Willis Logan and continued by Kathleen Parrish. Kathleen's uncle wrote this book but it was never published. She continued the writing and condensed the pages in order to get it in shape for publishing. I commend her for crafting this work and producing this successful outcome.

You will enjoy this book if you like heartwarming, domestic, and fast-paced novels. If you are into the culture of the Deep South, you will find it particularly interesting. The setting of the story in the last chapters takes place in war zones. To this end, I don't recommend this book to people who are easily triggered by war violence. Although not written explicitly, the novel contains instances of injuries and deaths that may be unsuitable for people who avoid this type of emotional load.

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Second Son
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[Zack Titan]

Eventhough there was no such change in towanna's life, like traditional stories, like big change or reckless decision that made him to be able to overcome his insecurity.
Actually, this is the real beauty of author to be attached a reader to story awaiting a big change, and reader translate his patience in novel peacefully.
I love honesty of author not to mold story as a reader's wish but desxribe as it as true.

[Eriny Youssef]

Eventhough there was no such change in towanna's life, like traditional stories, like big change or reckless decision that made him to be able to overcome his insecurity.
Actually, this is the real beauty of author to be attached a reader to story awaiting a big change, and reader translate his patience in novel peacefully.
I love honesty of author not to mold story as a reader's wish but desxribe as it as true.

I love how you described it. I, too, liked that quality about the author and the novel. It just felt so real, nothing too dramatized.

[Chinaza Nnabuenyi]

This will be an educative novel as it talks about about sex, war and family ties. Good review.

[Snigdha Pandey]

The book contains a lot of important issues. It's so unfortunate that the society has created these unreal standards for people to be considered a 'man' or a 'woman'. I also love the fact that the character development is gradual. It seems like a nice book I'd like to check out. Thanks for the great review.

[Salah bourouba]

its too bad that some family members treat each other with disdain, every one deserves respect, interesting book, great review