Fathers' Day: 2018 Next Generation Indie Awards Finalist Paperback – February 28, 2018

Here's a great story that picks up speed and force right off the block. It rapidly becomes impossible to put down. The hard-scrabble small-town setting is described with poetic grace and authority. The conflicted characters are both magnetic and wrenching. The plot is full of believable, often uproarious surprises. The ending, respecting the complexity of human dilemmas, romantic and moral, the story so lovingly explores, instills heartache and wonder that lingers long after. A beautifully written book that deserves wide readership...

Such a cool story and love the way it's organized with inviting subheadings like "Take me to the river," "Green Onions," and "She Bribes him with Cookies." The book puts lie to a claim I hear sometimes that long paragraphs won't hold readers' attention: Jim's are incredibly linked phrases that sizzle conveying inner and outer demons and delights of his unique characters and their lively come-to-life dramas.You won't regret this purchase! Buy it.

I give this book 5 Stars. At first I had to sort out the complicated characters; however the narrative picks up quickly and becomes intriguing. Such insightful character study of a community located in central Pennsylvania, These are conservative, fundamentally religious, working class people. The story is about a young ambitious teacher (Victoria) who, despite the odds, brings the community to a new level of enlightenment in a very surprising way. The dialogue and description becomes more exciting and suspenseful as the book progresses.Here is an excerpt:"They stay here, never leave, many of these kids. Generations of daughters follow their mothers’ recipes, sons work in their fathers’ trades. Same churches, same Sunday dinners. Everything here for them in a manageable scale. Why leave? There’s a big distrust here for newcomers and anyone who doesn’t work with his hands — for flatlanders”.

Beautifully written, FATHER'S DAY engages with the moving story of first-year teacher Victoria and her student Francis, whose year-long journey helps each deal with the burdens of shared loss and move toward hopeful transformation. The novel is poetic in its language but also laugh-out-loud funny, filled with vividly-drawn, compelling characters who advance the story, some in unexpected ways. I thoroughly enjoyed the read and my time in the world of FATHER'S DAY, and eagerly await HJ Brennan's next novel. He is a real talent.

I wish I could write like H. J. Brennan. His prose don’t just describe. They delight and enchant:“…mid-forties and laugh lines sticking out the sides of little designer glasses…”“… her lipstick, fresh but cursory—a bit crooked—she frequently looked like she’d just been crying.”“His jutting chin and piranha under bite bespoke power…”“His head and wasted body sagged like wet canvas.”“…beneath her green satin landslide of a neckline, there appeared the stereoscopic results of a full-effect Wonderbra.”“…she felt somewhat like steamed broccoli—a necessary part of a good diet…”“…he was wrapped in the retreating sadness of an abused pet.”“Rumors surrounded the nineteen-year-old like fruit flies.”“…surrendered a sleepless night to the predawn. Sheets tortured, pillow spent…”Fathers’ Day is literary fiction at a high level.

I loved this book. It gains In strength as you go. Real atmosphere with some truly lyrical description. Character development and surprising yet still believable plot turns. The characters are real individual people rather than simply vehicles to present a plot. You’ll enjoy this book!

The story pulled me into the raw despair and need for love portrayed vividly by the author who clearly has a gift for understanding humanity. I know I ‘ll pull more from the second reading... this one’s worth it!! Hope there’s a sequel.

What a fine read! An intriguing story, unusually structured with evocative prose sprinkled liberally. The author's unexpected plot turns keep the reader engaged while his rich descriptors and mis en scene evoke emotions that evolve with the story line.