This had an interesting premise but I didn't like the execution or the writing and I didn't care about the characters. I got around halfway through it before completely losing interest.

***I received an ebook copy from the publisher at no cost***

There were a few things that drew me to this novel: 1. It's set in Minnesota and I'm MN born and raised. 2. I love podcasts and haven't read one in a book before. 3. The plot intrigued me. I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed.

Savannah, or Van as those close to her call her, and Thomas are twins who lost their mother and never knew their father. They live in an upscale neighborhood in Minneapolis with their grandma, Maggie, who is a nice combination of eccentric and classy. Maggie is known for having interesting people over for dinner, some who are well-known and some who are complete strangers. Thomas and Van have a podcast, where they interview the different people who come for dinner. During one of these dinners, Thomas mentions that he wants to find his biological dad (or biodad, as they call him), and this is the spark that sets off a wild and emotional chain of events for the twins and Maggie.

I'll go light on the details with this, so as not to spoil it for those who haven't had a chance to read yet. I liked the way this story played out. It was a bit slow to start off but when things picked up, they really picked up. The family's journey with the podcast felt realistic. They went from having their self-produced podcast, that wasn't unpopular but wasn't well-known either, to having this professionally produced and publicized show that ended up attracting attention around the country. The family struggled with a bunch of different emotions throughout this, as a collective and individually. Maggie was constantly questioning whether she did the right thing by letting the kids direct the course of their search and the podcast. It was clear through her development that the kids were extremely important to her, not only because of the grandmother-grandkid bond, but with their mother having died, they were sort of a last living connection to her. Van had this internal struggle going on when it came to what she wanted to do (interviews, publicity) and how to present herself. She developed her own voice over the course of the story and that was fun to see and read about. Thomas was the one character I didn't really care for and had a hard time connecting with. He acted like an entitled jerk a lot of the time, and then he had this giant secret he kept from Van and Maggie, which really irked me too. I had a little more respect for him by the end of the book but he definitely didn't make it onto a favorite list for me.

I liked how the story was authentic to Minneapolis. Mentions of places like Sebastian Joe's made me smile. The author did a great job representing the area and for me, that made the book all the easier to get into. Being from here, I was able to visualize things in my mind the way they really are in the city.

Another thing I really enjoyed in this story was the way Chef Bart was more than just the family chef—he was part of the family. I liked how that relationship was portrayed and the connection he had with Maggie.

This story has a unique plot and some pretty awesome characters. The author did a great job of balancing the present with pieces of the past woven in where needed. The characters are well-written and developed, with flaws that felt real, and most of them were relatable. The writing is solid and this was an easy-to-read story.

If you're looking for a good read with some mystery elements and family themes, this is a good story for you.

Four stars to this novel!

✨The Kids Are Gonna Ask by Gretchen Anthony ✨

Happy release day to this wonderful book!

Here is the blurb -

“The death of Thomas and Savannah McClair’s mother turns their world upside down. Raised to be fiercely curious by their grandmother Maggie, the twins become determined to learn the identity of their biological father. And when their mission goes viral, an eccentric producer offers them a dream platform: a fully sponsored podcast called The Kids Are Gonna Ask. To discover the truth, Thomas and Savannah begin interviewing people from their mother’s past and are shocked when the podcast ignites in popularity. As the attention mounts, they get caught in a national debate they never asked for—but nothing compares to the mayhem that ensues when they find him.”

I read this last week over a couple of days and I really, really enjoyed it! The story was really interesting and felt real and authentic to the experience that people have of finding long lost family.

I loved the podcast element too and the way that the podcast scripts were physically written in the book. I know 100% I would have tuned into that podcast if it had been real 😂

I loved that it was a story about family and the dynamics of a less than conventional family. It was so enjoyable learning about the twins and their mums story too although Maggie was by far my favourite character, I kept wanting her part to get bigger. She was wonderfully written and so fabulously eccentric. I would be more than happy to read a spin-off story all about her 😂

If you like heartwarming family based books with a little teeny mystery thrown in, then I’d pick this up!

*Advanced Copy from NetGalley✨

Title: The Kids Are Gonna Ask
Author: Gretchen Anthony
Genre: YA
Rating: 3.0 out of 5

The death of Thomas and Savannah McClair’s mother turns their world upside down. Raised to be fiercely curious by their grandmother Maggie, the twins become determined to learn the identity of their biological father. And when their mission goes viral, an eccentric producer offers them a dream platform: a fully sponsored podcast called The Kids Are Gonna Ask. To discover the truth, Thomas and Savannah begin interviewing people from their mother’s past and are shocked when the podcast ignites in popularity. As the attention mounts, they get caught in a national debate they never asked for—but nothing compares to the mayhem that ensues when they find him.

I liked the premise of this novel, but in the end, my dislike and/or apathy for the characters made this just a so-so read for me. Solid writing and vivid characters, so my dislike of them is just a case of personal preference.
Thomas and Savannah came across as selfish and entitled, with little to no regard for anyone else’s feelings (including their twin’s). Maggie was willfully oblivious to reality and she let the kids do whatever they want without any boundaries, so I don’t have time for that. Their producer was not a nice person—but they ignored the warning signs, too, so there’s that. There were a lot of descriptions of elaborate vegetarian meals, but I’m not sure why they were in book, frankly.

Gretchen Anthony lives in Minneapolis. The Kids Are Gonna Ask is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/Park Row in exchange for an honest review.)

The Kids are Gonna Ask – Gretchen Anthony

2.5 angst ridden teens out of 5

The Kids are Gonna Ask by Gretchen Anthony is an intriguing and modern concept centred around twins, raised by their grandmother, who host a weekly dinner podcast with a myriad of interesting characters. Using current social media allure with YA fiction is certainly relatable as is the intended hook – using the podcast to discover and find their biological father.

Unfortunately, the plot fell flat in the middle and did not recover making this a long read. The quirky and eccentric protagonists required more richness and depth of character which would have helped to connect me to them and added to the overall feel of the story by drawing in readers.
While this book was not for me it may be for others, especially younger audiences and those new to YA fiction. The premise of dinner podcasts with an eclectic roster of guests is a good one which I hope Anthony will revisit in her future works.

What started out as a really fun book to read kind of ended flat for me since there was little conflict, the plot didn’t seem fully developed and the characters were either eccentric to the max or not fully revealed. The premise was that Thomas and Savannah McClair are teens living with their permissive grandmother Maggie since their mom was killed in a terrible accident. The precocious twins decide to find their bio-father via their podcast. They research, interview people who knew their mom and sign a contract with a media company to hype the podcast and help them in their quest. My favorite character was the very quirky Chef Bart, the cook for the family. The deceased mom Bess “talks” to Maggie, giving her advice that is generally wise and may or may not have been followed. The father is revealed quickly, too quickly in my opinion since the reason for the podcast seemed to be irrelevant after that revelation. The plot is plausible and certainly relevant to today’s times, but it all fell short for me because there was an implausible villain and a mystery that just fell short of holding my interest. The disagreements between the twins were annoying and just added pages to the book but did not add to the plot in any way. All in all, this book provided a light and enjoyable read without a lot of take-away from it or a feeling of having read a really good book. It was okay and might be enjoyed more by a young adult audience. But even parents of YAs should be cautioned that pre-marital sex is a thing in this book, not a big thing, just presented as a regular occurrence. Three stars for entertainment value and timely topic.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

I really liked this story, but the writing really wasn't there. I pushed myself to finish it because I really did care about the characters and their story and I wanted to know what would happen, but the quality of the writing was so poor that it was difficult to read. It was a refreshing light hearted but still engaging story.

McClair Dinner Salon starts the idea. Thomas and Savannah McClair, 17 year old twins, began this podcast a year ago for her Modern Broadcasting class. They’ve developed presentation skills and are ready to go to a new level. They want to find their father.

Eighteen years ago, their mother Bess went on a ski trip with three friends and returned pregnant with twins. She graduated from college, raised them as a single mother with the help of their grandmother Maggie and never told them who their father was. Bess was killed in an accident when they were thirteen. Now they plan to find their “biodad” with a podcast titled “the kids are gonna ask”. They line up a media producer, schedule interviews, call sources and they’re off. Off into a wild world of social media trolls and bots, unscrupulous hangers-on, television appearances, panel discussions and more popularity than they could imagine.

No spoilers here so I’m not saying anything about the father. I will say that this is a delightful, original, imaginative, yet totally realistic story. It’s told in multiple voices, the strongest ones those of Thomas and Savannah. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade and Gretchen Anthony for this ARC.

The Kids Are Gonna Ask: A Novel by Gretchen Anthony releases on July 28, 2020. This contemporary fiction book follows seventeen year old twins as they search for their biological dad. Their story is public being told over a podcast and drama ensues. My favorite character was the biodad and I felt like this was a character driven book told from multiple perspectives. There was a lot of depth as the teenagers are still mourning the loss of their mom and all of the emotion of meeting their dad for the first time. Thank you to Park Row via Netgalley for this review copy.

This book had a bit of everything for a younger generation. Lighthearted at times, serious at others. Two teenagers being raised by their grandmother start a podcast that become viral and takes on a life of its own.. They are trying to find out more about their mother who died several years earlier and also who their biological father was. Make sure to read this to find out, you will find it an enjoyable story.

👍🏼I loved the premise of the plot and the use of podcast scripts. It was a coming of age story as the characters were still grieving their mother but also wanted answers. I also appreciated how relatable the characters were👌🏼 I loved how it was told from multiple perspectives, but not too many either!⁣
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👎🏼The novel is broken into three parts. My only issue is that the middle section does get a little slow, but other than that I loved the story! ⁣

This coming of age/family drama stars a fractured family, twin teen siblings are being raised by their grandmother and they fill much of their time with a podcast from their basement studio. When they decide to find their biological dad, things go viral in a big way. The family is sucked into the nasty world of media and the drive for fame. This quest for biological parentage may resonate with some readers and be a trigger for others.

I did enjoy most of the characters in this one, especially the eccentric grandma Maggie. She’s doing her best to raise the twins. And I do want a personal chef like they have! I also enjoyed that a bit of the story is set in Breckenridge, Colorado, in my home state.

This was a quick read but I didn’t get deeply invested in the story or the characters.

Savannah and her twin brother, Thomas, are teenagers who lost their mother in a car accident. Several years later, they start on a journey to discover who their father is, something their mother never told them. That journey becomes a popular podcast, which along with some answers opens them up to some cyber bullying. One of my favorite characters is their grandmother, Maggie, supportive of their efforts but unique in her own quirky way. I recommend this book, and thank NetGalley for the ARC.

I received an ARC of The Kids Are Gonna Ask in exchange for an honest review. The premise of this book seemed very interesting. Twins, Savannah and Jack, are looking for their biological father, who they never knew. Their mother died suddenly a few years earlier, without ever telling them who their father was. Even though they are only 17, Savannah and Jack start a podcast to help find their father. This story could have been so good. Instead it seemed to be filled with a lot of unnecessary information. For a book to be based on a search for an unknown father, they found him very early in the book. Again, a lot of unnecessary details. The search didn't seem to actually be that hard, which I think in reality is not true. I expected the book to go in a different direction and instead it seemed to focus on other parts of the story.

I've seen a lot of new fiction deal in the concept of "investigative podcast" and I do think it's really rich territory. Unfortunately, I found this particular version to be a little bit simplistic. The novel starts with a wonderful concept-- a red table that has been the home base for a family-- and around which this unique family gathers strangers for dinner. This, however, turned out to be merely a setup for a less interesting concept-- two twins doing a podcast to find their father. The novel isn't suspenseful-- it's not meant to be-- but it easy a quick, clean read. I just wish I cared more about it.

A podcast to identify your bio-dad? That's what the Kids are Gonna Ask is. Thomas and Savannah's mom died without ever revealing the identity of their father and now that they are 17, they decide to use their social media to find him. The podcast becomes a series of interviews of people who knew their mother and then just as it goes big, it becomes more than that. You, like me, might figure it out sooner than the twins to but you'll keep reading because Anthony has raised some interesting ethical questions AND because you'll want to know what the twins feel when they find out. Frankly, they might have been better served by using a DNA testing service but this made for a more interesting read. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. This proves that secrets can't always be kept secret anymore.

The Kids Are Gonna Ask surprised me. I expected something more serious, but this one is lighter than I would've guessed and even what I would call quirky. That's not to say it doesn't have its serious side. Any time you deal with grief, things are going to get serious. It is also a story about family, and not necessarily those related by blood. The characters are well rounded and likable, some are on the eccentric side, but I think that's one of the things that make them likable. The story is well written, and it may not be what I expected, but I think there's something to be said for a story that tackles this subject and does it with a lighter air than it could've been, I speak from experience when I say that looking for your biological father as a teenager can be brutal on the heart, so I appreciated the way this story was done.

Thomas and Savannah have experienced great loss in their lives. They lost their mother when they were thirteen and are being raised by their grandmother for the past few years. What is more is that they never knew their father - or anything about him. The siblings, twins actually, decide to launch a search for him, and they utilize what proves to be a very successful podcast in order to find him with hopes of their father becoming a part of their lives.

Their grandmother Maggie is a truly wonderful person. She is someone who never met a stranger and could not be a better role model for Thomas and Savannah. When their podcast takes on wings higher than they ever could have imagined, they begin to gather clues about their mother's past and why their father's identity was never made known. Of course, the podcast and their youthful energy and devotion doesn't mean that things are going to go easy for them. In fact, a maelstrom of events begin to occur.

I found The Kids Are Gonna Ask to be humorous with moments of deep emotion woven in. I kept hoping for an idyllic solution to what was at hand while reading this book. Their dad would be unaware of their existence and be this great guy ready to step into their lives and make their family as whole as possible.

Of course, that was me. Instead, there were secondary stories that ran right smack into their search, thus affecting the existing relationships. This led to some deeply emotional moments in the story. This was very well done. Of course, in real life this is an all-too familiar scenario, with children being raised alone by their mothers for most of their lives. This remarkable story - driven by two teenagers - in search of a missing father was one that was done with excellence.

Gretchen Anthony did a fine job with this book, creating fine characters while delivering a really good story. I loved the fact that the teens were decent kids - with real issues, but able to be enjoyed within the context of this story. I loved this book from start to finish and hope to read more by Ms. Anthony again.

Many thanks to Park Row and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

The Kids Are Gonna Ask is an entertaining read with a myriad of lovable characters who seem all-too-real. For the adorable characters, the heart-warming story and the little twist at the end, I give it four stars!

Truth be told, I’m a big fan of novels about podcasting. I’ve read a few books now that include it in their narration, and I love how it’s clearly becoming more popular with recent novels. Like “instant messaging” and “text messaging” eventually came to be included in novels of those years, we’re now in the Podcasting Years.

Most of the time, when characters are recording a podcast inside a novel, it feels very much like a conversation with the reader. It really allows for a different insight, as we get to know the characters from an afar point-of-view, instead of an inside-their-minds POV. I really love the mix of the two narrating styles!

Now, about The Kids Are Gonna Ask: the characters are very much a big positive for me. I enjoyed how they all got along (or didn’t get along) and how real they felt. I liked the dynamic between Thomas and Savannah and between Maggie and the twins.

Gretchen Anthony really knows how to get the reader invested in the story and the characters. From beginning to end, I couldn’t wait to read what was next for the McClair family.

I do wish however, that some relationships had been expanded more. Like I mentioned, I felt really involved in the character’s lives, but I feel somewhat letdown that some relationships weren’t explored more in depth. For example, the friendship between Nadine and the twins: I oftentimes felt like Nadine was a convenient character. It felt easy to let information pass through her.

All in all, I truly enjoyed The Kids Are Gonna Ask: the characters, the story, the debates, the themes and the use of podcasting and social media.

I recommend this book without hesitation!

The premise of this book, teenage siblings who do a podcast with their grandmother, Maggie, didn't seem like the kind of book that would take me on a twisty ride with lots of questions, a healthy dose of suspense, and a few surprising reveals but damned if that isn't exactly what it did.

Because Savannah and Thomas are written in a way that makes you remember, painfully, what it was like to be almost grown but still so young and these two are doing it under public scrutiny, without the anchor of their mother who is long gone, while trying to find the father they have never known and never got around to asking their mother about when she had the power to give them an answer.

Maggie is the kind of grandmother who has her grandkids call her by her first name and is tough, and honest, and so deeply loving that she helps us all remember the beauty there is in being real and vulnerable and how deeply trust is anchored in allowing the people we love to see us as our truest selves.

This book is a perfect summer read for anybody looking for a mystery minus the blood and guts.