Golden Child by Claire Adam

A special thank you to NetGalley, Crown Publishing, and SJP for Hogarth for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This deeply affecting novel is set in rural Trinidad. We follow the lives of a family that is trying to make their way with little by way of resources. They live in a brick house on stilts that was built by hand and is surrounded by bush. Clyde, the man of the house, works shifts at the petroleum plant and spends long hours away from his wife, Joy, and their thirteen-year-old twins. The boys must rise early every day to attend school in the capital, Port of Spain.

Although they are twins, the boys are vastly different—Paul was deprived of oxygen at birth and is considered to be developmentally delayed, while his brother, Peter is thought to be a genius destined for greatness.

One afternoon Paul doesn't return home. Clyde sets out on a search for the missing boy who has always caused him trouble. As the days pile up, Paul's fate becomes apparent, and Clyde is faced with making a gut-wrenching, unimaginable decision. This story is not for the feint of heart. Although it is set against a beautiful backdrop, this novel will shake you to the very core.

People are either going to love Adam's debut, or be too outraged with the outcome. I happen to fall into the latter. For me the book was an example of toxic masculinity that the author juxtaposes against a beautiful setting. Trinidad comes to life on the page and becomes one of the only likeable things.

Told mostly from Clyde's perspective, there is a complete lack of growth and trajectory, and you can figure out where the plot is headed fairly quickly. There's really not much of a story and what little there is, is lacking in character development. I wanted more of the twins—they are perfect opposites, two halves of a whole.

As mentioned, the ending is devastating, detached, and abrupt. Given the length of the story, there was certainly room to flesh out the characters and explore more depth of the plot.

CLAIRE ADAM was born and raised in Trinidad. She lives in London