Review of Teething Problems

[Sarah Zain]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Teething Problems" by Mark Fletcher.]

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3 out of 5 stars

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There is an old proverb that says, “What the fathers sow, the children reap.” This expression came to my mind when I started reading this book, Teething Problems by Mark Fletcher. This story began with a young man in his twenties who heard a knock on his door, and a man called him by his name and told him that he was his father. The young man, who is the protagonist of this story, discovers that the father whom he weeps for and visits at his grave is not his real father. The young man finds himself in front of a big lie drawn by his mother. How is he going to be able to face this and accept it? This is what we are expected to know after reading the book.

The fact that the mother portrayed the fake father as a symbol or superhero dad formed a large part of the protagonist’s memories and thus part of his imagination became a reality for him, and his discovery of this lie destabilised the truth on which he drew his life. The author was able to show the extent of the fragility of the relationship between the protagonist and his mother, especially after her success in her professional career. This appeared in the sarcastic style used by the author on the lips of the protagonist when he talked about his attitudes towards his mother or her reactions. In some situations, like when he mentioned the New York story and his desire to be independent of her and to get his own space, that showed the contradiction between his feelings towards his joy in his memories of honouring his fake father and the complete opposite towards his mother’s success and his unwillingness to share this success with her, which made the impact of her lie on him deeper and greater.

What I liked here was the author’s use of the protagonist as a narrator. We listen to the story through him and thus see things from his perspective. This partly facilitated knowing his personality. The hero spoke as if it were a conversation between two people, one of whom was me as a reader, which gave me the feeling that I was a part of the events. Accurately describing the details surrounding situations or events, such as describing the mother’s house and the places where the protagonist searched when he tried to find evidence to prove that his mother was an alien.

What I did not like here was the impression left by the author that I would enter into a specific story. Then he took me to a completely separate situation. I really liked the main theme of the story, which was the return of the real father. I had hoped that the author would build on the events in a deeper way, but he prolonged the situation between the protagonist and Diane, who is his girlfriend, in a way that made the book implausible in part, and I did not feel connected, so the book lost the enjoyable part that I felt when I started reading it.

Despite the points that I did not like and that I mentioned earlier, the book holds the possibility of writing a coherent story on a wonderful topic if the author wrote the events in a more relatable and in-depth manner. Therefore, I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars. The book is well edited. I recommend this book for mature adults because of the profanity it contains. It will also be interesting for speed readers. This is the book that you can read during your long train trip. The book can be finished in one sitting.

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Teething Problems
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[Jeff Kanda]

This story seems great and curious to read it. Thanks for the brief review!

[Sarah Zain]

This story seems great and curious to read it. Thanks for the brief review!

Thank you Jeff for your comment. Glad you liked the review

[Chris Agbara]

Thank you for the wonderful review of Teething Problems by Mark Fletcher. I appreciate your honest opinion on the strengths and weaknesses of the book. Your insight into the protagonist's perspective and the author's use of narration is insightful. The story's theme sounds intriguing, and I am looking forward to reading it.

[Mariamm Ibrahim]

How would you feel getting to know after years that someone you see as your biological father isn't one? I hope the narrator copes with this situation.

[Sarah Zain]

Thank you for the wonderful review of Teething Problems by Mark Fletcher. I appreciate your honest opinion on the strengths and weaknesses of the book. Your insight into the protagonist's perspective and the author's use of narration is insightful. The story's theme sounds intriguing, and I am looking forward to reading it.

Thank you Chris for your kind and supportive words .

[Sarah Zain]

How would you feel getting to know after years that someone you see as your biological father isn't one? I hope the narrator copes with this situation.

Thank you Mariamm for your comment. He will in a way many could satisfied with but I wished he could dig deeper into this theme.

[Sara Nóbrega Bartolomeu]

The story of the book sounds really good! I wouldn't consider reading based on title and cover only but I liked your insight of the book.

[Sarah Zain]

The story of the book sounds really good! I wouldn't consider reading based on title and cover only but I liked your insight of the book.

Sara I am glad it was useful. Thank you for taking time to comment.

[Catalina Isabel]

I think this is a great initial plot, and I can only imagine how the young man felt leaning that a big part of his life is a lie. I wonder what his mother's motives were for lying, as there are always two sides to a story. It sounds like the author could re-write this story in a better way though! Thanks for an intriguing review!

[Rob Carr]

From the title of the book I never would have picked what the book is about. Your summary of the book and it's narration style makes it sound promising. It's a shame the story didn't stay more focussed or go into greater depth.

[Sarah Zain]

I think this is a great initial plot, and I can only imagine how the young man felt leaning that a big part of his life is a lie. I wonder what his mother's motives were for lying, as there are always two sides to a story. It sounds like the author could re-write this story in a better way though! Thanks for an intriguing review!

Thank you Catalina , yes the main storyline is rich the book has potential If events were developed more deeply.

[Sarah Zain]

From the title of the book I never would have picked what the book is about. Your summary of the book and it's narration style makes it sound promising. It's a shame the story didn't stay more focussed or go into greater depth.

Thank you Rob for your kind words .

[MsH2k]

When I read your first paragraph, I gasped. This sounds like it would be a complex and intruiging story. I am sorry that it was not as enjoyable a reading experience as you would have liked.

Thank you for your honest and thorough review!

[Sarah Zain]

When I read your first paragraph, I gasped. This sounds like it would be a complex and intruiging story. I am sorry that it was not as enjoyable a reading experience as you would have liked.

Thank you for your honest and thorough review!

Thank you MsH2k for your encouraging words and your kind comment .