A heartbreaking story told from several viewpoints of the same Davenports family who have suffered the loss of their 5 year old son Jonah. I liked the way it was told and showed how they all dealt with the loss and their grief differently. A book that really connects with anyone who has lost a child.

Atmospheric and compelling. The setting drew me in, and the story was a gentle ride of emotions. Janis Thomas writes family so well.

This book is a bit of a mixed back. I thought overall it was well done but while reading i found it a bit hard to really get through it which each changing POV, since i didn't really love getting to many different points of view - the husband, wife, aunt, daughter, dead son, psychiatrist and family dog, thats a lot! - but at the same time it was pretty well done and overall interesting.

But because there are so many POVs i thought we didn't get to know each one well enough to really feel with them and what they are going through, because once i was starting to really get a feel for them we were already moving on and getting a new perspective. And that perspective might be done well too, but it was still a bit too much for me.

All in all a good book, but with too many different points of views for me.

Oh my goodness, this book was so sad. Of course I should have known that since it deals with the death of a child, but it was still hard to read. It is told from seven points of view, which generally worked, though I could have done without the point of view of the dog.

Well written, believable story of a family tragedy, especially as it is written in 7 voices. Normally I would probably not be able to follow that but this was an easy read and I enjoyed it very much

This was a fast paced great book. Well developed characters. Well written and will hold your interest the whole way through. Loved it.

Very fast paced and very intriguing. I enjoyed how it kept me hooked and it was an original story. Nowadays so many books read the same. Highly recommend

Wow. Book was way too sad for me. Each member expresses their grief at the loss of 5 year old Jonah, but the dogs point of view was kind of way to "out there" for me. But the subject matter was handled well and with sensitively the author and it was very well written.

A child dies and the story is told from various perspectives, husband, wife, aunt, the dead son and even the dog. The dead son I could get through, but the dog? Really? That is when the story lost me. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of the book in return for my honest review.

I was hesitant to read Janis Thomas's latest novel because of the subject matter. It's hard to think of losing a child when I am a mother of three. However, I have read other books that had similar situations and got through them okay, and I knew Janis would handle the topic sensitively, since she is a mother. She definitely proved me right in that regard.

From page one, I was completely absorbed in this story of a family tragedy and its aftermath. Janis gave each character their own unique voice and they blended together well to narrate the details of what happened before, during, and after the tragic event. It helped that she shared what happened somewhat early in the novel, so that we could focus on the family dynamics and their healing process instead of wondering what caused Jonah's untimely death. There were still a lot of details leading up to it, so just knowing what caused it still didn't answer all the questions or spoil anything.

The story goes back and forth in time, starting with a month after the tragedy and how everyone is coping. Then it goes to the day before and later to the day of. This is all explained at the beginning of each section so that there is no confusion.

Initially, I wasn't sure it would work to have a dog narrate some of the chapters, but it added lightness to the story and showed that animals really do have feelings. I enjoyed watching the characters interact with each other and with Maddie, their therapist. I felt connected to the story through Maddie, as it was not actually happening to me, but I could still feel for the characters and care about them. Having said that, I didn't cry while reading it due to seeing it through a therapist's lens. Even so, I could relate to Rachel a lot and felt we were similar in some ways, including both being bloggers.

The only minor things that seemed a bit off for me were that Jonah seemed way too smart for his age and Eden seemed too immature for her age. Jonah was saying words that my six year-old can't even conceptualize yet, but maybe he's gifted and this wasn't really established. Eden kept asking to have a play date with her friends, even though she's in fifth grade. If she's trying to act cool to fit in with her friends, play date sounds like something parents set up for toddlers. I did ask my twelve year-old about what he calls getting together with friends and he seemed to think "play date" was okay, but it still doesn't work so well for me. In any case, it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the novel, just some things that could have been adjusted to fit the younger characters' personalities a bit better.

Overall, I was impressed by Janis's first foray into the dramatic genre and will be interested to see what she comes up with next. I also hope she will write another romantic comedy at some point down the road. This novel has a Lovely Bones feel to it, so it will definitely appeal to fans of that book.

Movie casting ideas:
Rachel: Gillian Jacobs
Ruth: Annabeth Gish
Sam: Brandon Routh
Maddie: Anika Noni Rose
Greta: Alyson Stoner

I enjoyed this book. I thought it covered a difficult subject delicately.

This book is one of those that I really liked for the plot and story, not much for the writing though. Let;s start with the positives, of course--Jonah is a 5-year old child who dies. No, I didn't mean that's positive, but can you feel empathetic? I bet you can because look how fragile the concept is, it's hard not to feel sad. The story goes about with all the characters who were related to Jonah, present their views and share their grief for the little boy who died. I loved how the story progresses with all of them, individually, pointing out their own fault that might've lead to Jonah's death; they keep blaming themselves even when they actually had nothing to do with it. But the entire ordeal makes sense since that's what humans tend to do at such sensitive occurrences--and what can be more sensitive than a kid dying? Another thing that I really really liked was how the story played up to the peak and ends on a good note when Jonah makes it clear to the family members that they weren't at fault, he died because a car hit him and nobody could've done anything to avoid it. He does this by appearing in their dreams, and the way his narrative is written, is probably the best part in terms of writing. He's a five-year-old who doesn't complicate things and cuts to chase. All this definitely worked in the story's favor.

What didn't work in the story's favor, is the multiple POVs written in first-person. Oh my God, I absolutely despise multiple POVs especially if there are so many. At some point I could've even dealt with the Eden, the mom, the dad, and the aunt's but the dog's POV? Nah, nope, not happening. I don't care how well it might've been written because I don't think it uplifted the story line in any way and was merely a failed attempt at bringing more 'eyes to the situation'. Anyway, having said that, this book is definitely a good read so I would recommend it to those looking for an emotional heart-wrenching story but are happy to read it through multiple characters' minds, including a four-legged one.

Great read! Looking forward to reading more by this author! Highly recommend!

Amazing book. Really leaves the question of what happens after we die. Beautifully written, it is amazing how our actions and one day can change us forever. I could really feel the characters guilt and sadness. I would definitely recommend this book and read more by this author.

What Remains True is a novel that drops you into the middle of a family in crisis. It is told from multiple points of view, even including the family dog, and the poor little boy who lost his life far too soon. Normally I would say too many cooks spoil the pot but in this case I think it was a brilliant way to express what every family member went through after Jonah's death. The only thing I really didn't care for was the therapist's point of view. It felt like a break in the real story, which I didn't want to be distracted from. It was hard to care about her personal life since I was so wrapped up in what was happening with the grieving family that I didn't want to be interrupted.

Not the easiest read, but a wonderfully written one that explores grief from the perspective of everyone in the family, including both the dead child and his dog. All carry a burden of guilt for what they perceive is their own failure. I'd not read Thomas before but she captured my attention and kept it. This never descends to the maudlin or twee- it's on point. Thanks to net galley for the ARC, This is a winner.

I wasn't able to finish this. It just seemed . . . emotionally manipulative.

This was a tough read for me. Maybe as a parent we're never really able to be comfortable around another parent's loss of a child - even a fictional one at that.. I felt strongly about most of the characters - hated Ruth simply because she thought Shadow should be put down. Nothing she did made me like her - and it seems silly to feel so riled up about a non-existent person. Samuel - typical male who puts ego over life. Rachel reminded me of a wailing woman at a funeral..Look at me - my grief is 10 times greater than yours. Poor Eden... she'll get the shaft for the rest of her life from her parents..

I loved this book for not attempting to provide a definite answer to the question "how do we recover from the untimely loss of a loved one?" The story focuses on the Davenports who have to come to terms with the fact that Jonah, the five year old charming boy, is dead. The author took turns in allowing the family members to express their grief, loss, anger and bitterness in each chapter and I found this approach quite easy to read and relate to.
I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for a review and would recommend this to anyone who's lost a loved one, more so a child.

4.5 overall

I received What Remains True as an ARC on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Five year old Jonah is dead. And each member of his family is hurting. Each member also blames themselves for the death of Jonah in some way-- thinking their one action led Jonah straight to his grave.

Told from alternating perspectives-- his dad, mom, sister, aunt, dog, and Jonah himself-- we are slowly brought to the worst moment of this family's life. While we get there, we are submerged into the grief a family feels when losing a child.

My only complaint was the dog's perspective. I understand the part it was supposed to play in the whole plot, I just did not find it necessary. The book would not have been worse without it. Otherwise, I enjoyed this book dearly and will recommend this one to many friends.