Review: These Things Happen by Richard Kramer

These Things Happen by Richard Kramer

Publisher: Unbridled Books 

Pages: 272 

Format: book 

Buy the Book: Amazon  

Goodreads:  A domestic story told in numerous original and endearing voices. The story opens with Wesley, a tenth grader, and involves his two sets of parents (the mom and her second husband, a very thoughtful doctor; and the father who has become a major gay lawyer/activist and his fabulous "significant other" who owns a restaurant).

Wesley is a fabulous kid, whose equally fabulous best friend Theo has just won a big school election and simultaneously surprises everyone in his life by announcing that he is gay. No one is more surprised than Wesley, who actually lives temporarily with his gay father and partner, so that he can get to know his rather elusive dad. When a dramatic and unexpected trauma befalls the boys in school, all the parents converge noisily in love and well-meaning support. But through it all, each character ultimately is made to face certain challenges and assumptions within his/her own life, and the playing out of their respective life priorities and decisions is what makes this novel so endearing and so special.


Kritters Thoughts:  A different book than what I normally read, but a girl needs a change every once in awhile!  With only male characters voicing the story, two of which are a gay couple with one of their sons living with them for the semester, this an interesting family drama with a different kind of family at the center.  Other male characters that are involved are two young boys who are friends and in the middle of their friendship, one comes out to the other and their entire school in quite a public way - how does this affect their friendship?     

Each male character is given an opportunity to move the story along with their own chapters that are distinctly labeled.  I absolutely loved how the story kept moving forward through a different viewpoint; it made for such a full story.  One chapter is told through a woman's eye - the mother of the child at the heart of the story.  I may be biased, but I loved her chapter the most - seeing this different family situation through her eyes was enlightening.

I would recommend this read to a parent who may have a child who is dealing with the issue of not fitting in for one reason or another.  Although this book has a few characters that are of young adult nature, I am not sure that this book is best suited for that audience.


Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.