The Other Son

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon UK for the eARC.
What an utterly lovely book this is, I loved it!
The story features 69-year old Alice and her two grown sons. The story is told in each of their voices.
Alice has been unhappily married to Ken for 50 years and fantasized about leaving him. She's also trying to bond with her successful banker son, his Russian wife and their small sons...unsuccessfully.
Her other son is in France, basically lost to the family. It's not easy to like Alice, her husband and her banker son's family, but I felt sorry for each one of them, it's like they couldn't get out of their own ways. None of them are happy, but don't know why. Her husband, on the other hand, is a bully and doesn't seem to have any redeeming qualities.
When Alice finally leaves him, sporting a big black eye, it feels to her like she's in an out of body experience and eventually reached a peace she would never have thought possible.
The family dynamics are sad, but beautifully and sensitively drawn, I could totally empathize with them and was very happy with the ending. Nick Alexander writes such exquisite books! Highly recommended.

Another fantastic book from Nick Alexander. His characters always draw you in and are totally believable so much so that you feel that you know them. He is a kern observer of human nature and this runs through all his books. The books are a treat to read and I always look forward to the next one.

I’d like to thank Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Other Son’ by Nick Alexander in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
After living with her abusive and bullying husband Ken for forty years, circumstances force Alice to make a decision and she packs her bag and leaves him. Her older son Tim won’t take sides despite watching Ken beat his mother black and blue throughout his childhood years. Alice is staying with her friend Dot and sleeping on her sofa, but she can’t stay there for much longer. She doesn’t know where her younger son Matt is as he’s spent the last few years making a living whilst backpacking around the globe. Could he be the one to help Alice start a new life?
‘The Other Son’ is a beautifully written story of a dysfunctional family and tackles the subject of abuse behind closed doors with sensitivity and compassion. Due to being married to a man who only regards her as a skivvy fit for nothing more than ironing his shirts and making him cups of tea, it’s little wonder that some of his negativity has rubbed off on Alice. It takes new scenery and meeting Matt’s friends that makes her realise that even at 69-years-old she can still achieve what she wants in life, to find the peace and quiet she never thought possible. This is a lovely story with a perfect ending and I can definitely recommend it.

This novel reminds me of a Tolstoy quote.. loosely repeated, every unhappy family is unhappy in a different way. This book is a beautifully told story of one very unhappy, dysfunctional family. Two sons, who are as unlike as fire and water, are the result of familial abuse. A heart wrenching story of acceptance and self realization, the author renders his characters with honesty and skill. I felt I knew them at the end of the novel. The mother was so well depicted and eventually enlightened as to her failings and negativity. She was constantly trying to make the unbearable bearable. Perhaps that’s what abusive relationships create. I am delighted I was offered the chance to read this wonderful story.

Loved this book. Beautifully written, with well drawn characters, I would have no hesitation in recommending.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed reading this book. Story of Alice and Ken’s marriage is one that I am sure many readers will relate to. Yet another good book by Nick Alexander

Before we get into The Other Son by Nick Alexander, I want to warn readers [TRIGGER ALERT] that this book describes scenes of domestic violence that might be hard to read for some people.

Now that we got that out of the way, let’s get to what we came for. Our main character is Alice, a woman in her late 60s and with more than a fair share of regrets in life. Stuck in a marriage with a man she doesn’t love and disconnected from her now-grown children, Alice is finding it hard to continue to avoid her desolation.

I will start this review by admitting that I had to force myself to read through the first half of the book. During this part of the story, we get to know our main characters from the omnipresent perspective of our all-knowing narrator. And let me tell you, the sight ain’t pretty.

We meet Alice, who has lived almost her entire life avoiding conflict at a very high cost, her clueless husband, her emotionally isolated older son, and his insecure wife, who is traumatized by her own backstory. We also hear about a second son, who’s recurrently described as average and underachieving, but nowhere in sight.

The book dedicates a lot of time describing each character’s emotional state and the experiences that influenced it. The main characters are so “in their head” and unaware of the needs of those that surround them (or even how to relate to them) that you quickly lose sympathy for all of them, even Alice. I would be remiss to not mention that these characters’ tragic flaws are not without reason. Still, their deep-seated resentment for life and for each other is painful to read. They all seem so unhappy yet passive to their circumstances. Everything about this family is just sad.

“The tears are flowing freely now and Alice lowers her head into her hands and lets herself sob. She’s been busy, that’s the thing. She’s been very, very busy for a very long time — busy avoiding conflict. She’s spent her life not mentioning things, not noticing things. She’s had to become an expert at not thinking about things, and not having emotional responses, just to survive.” Excerpt from The Other Son by Nick Alexander

For a while there, I had no idea where this book was going. I kept thinking, is this one of these books where the author describes a period in time and, while beautifully and insightfully written, the story is just a flat line?

Then we meet him, the other son, and it all starts coming together. And, it’s worth it! This story’s unraveling is quick, but also delicate, meaningful and mesmerizing. Nick Alexander definitely delivers.

The Other Son is a story of learning to leave the table where happiness is no longer being served (a bit of an adaptation of Nina Simone’s wise advice) and letting love flourish. This book is not for everyone, but if you would like to read about an antihero who finds her courage and recovers her humanity, this might be the book for you.

The Other Son is compelling not because of grand moments but because of the way Alexander examines the mundane elements of life. A move by a friend causes Alice to question her decisions and her marriage, as well as her relationships with her two sons. It’s a book about taking stock of one’s life and taking agency.

Another good read by nick Alexander! Full of the complexities and dynamics of family life!
Alice the brow beaten, physically abused wife of ken has two very different sons Matt and Tim unfortunately the family are not a close open engaged family.
The book is told in parts, but the over riding feel is that what we are subjected to/ witness as children has far reaching effects upon us throughout life. The sensitive topic of domestic abuse is portrayed in a delicate but realistic manner as is coming to terms with homosexuality.
Alice finally breaks free from the controlling bullying ken and in doing so sets herself free, and reacquaints herself with son Matt and his basic lifestyle and becomes far more in tune with her feelings and emotions!
Thank you net galley for this early read x

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I really enjoyed this book as I have done with all the other books this author has written. Well worth a read.

What a fascinating read. The story follows Alice who is in the midst of deciding whether to leave her husband after a life time of abuse. I found I was sympathetic towards her until she is shown in a different light by the thoughts of her daughter in law and son who struggle with her behaviour. The reflection of her character by someone else, showing something different. The next part is the views from her other son, the sone living in France who couldn’t be more different to his brother.
An absolutely fascinating book with amazing characters and a great story

Had mixed feeling regarding this one .I will definitely read more from this author.
For complete review please visit my site melodyofbooks.com

I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. It was originally published I UK in 2015, 12/17/19 is US release
This is a story about a dysfunctional family. It takes place in London area.
The characters are Alice her husband of 50 years Ken, they are in their late 60’s almost 70’s. Their son Tim and his wife Natalya, and their other son Matt.
This book did a bit of timeline jumping, it was broken up into parts, Part 1 was about Alice and her marriage to Ken and her view on her relationship with her children. Part 2 was from Natalya and Tim’s view on their life and their relationship with Alice and Ken. Part 3 is a bridging section between what happens to Alice after Part 2 that leads to Part 4. The first part of Part 4 is from Tim’s point of view of his life, and the final part is from Alice’s view of Tim’s life and making some revelations about her own.
There is some touchy topic, abuse, drinking, prostitution, human trafficking.
I really enjoyed this book, I know that it has lots of triggers and may not be appropriate for everyone. I found the characters to be very realistic, even if they were not all likable. As a domestic abuse survivor myself I was really able to relate to Alice, Tim and Matt and understand their motivations for the choices they made. But I realize it is a heavy topic. It was a really well written book and compelling characters to me.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A woman lives in an abusive marriage and becomes negative and bitter. She makes a decision and is reconnected with her youngest son. After meeting his friends and getting to know to know both him and them, she makes positive changes in her life and finds peace.

I love the plot twist at the end. Great characters.

I took a little while to get into this story, I think due to the main character Alice being in her late 60s and so at a different stage in her life to me (having grown up children, attending funerals for her friends etc.) but once I did I really enjoyed it!

The book follows Alice as she finds herself stuck her marriage with a husband who, if she is being honest with herself, she doesn’t love (and isn’t sure she ever did). This is worsened by the fact that she is becoming more and more disconnected from her two grown up sons.

The story is almost split up into three sections, a focus on Alice, a focus on her eldest son and finally a focus on “The Other Son”.

Alice’s eldest son is a high achiever, with two beautiful boys and a “trophy wife”, however, as is the case in this book, not all is well. He is struggling with the need to be enough and his wife Natalya is struggling with her own demons from the past. At first I found Natalya to be annoying and I really disliked her, however the more I read the more I began to understand her and felt more towards her. I would really like to read more about this character!

The final section was my favourite and where the story all begins to make sense and come into it’s own. Matt is “the other son” who all through the book is referred to as being the failure of the family and he is aware this is how they see them so has made a conscious effort to distance himself from them. However, when he hears that his mum has finally left his dad he feels it his duty to step up and help her (with a little encouragement from those around him). 

Although, as I said I struggled to get into this book, once I did I really enjoyed it and I think it is a really beautiful story of family. The characters are so well written and for a time I wasn't sure if there was going to be a story line or if it was more just going to focus on a time in the characters life (I mean this in the best possible way!). 

Trigger warning: the book describes scenes of domestic violence, drinking, prostitution, human trafficking.

Family relationships can be quite complicated, especially when domestic abuse is involved. Is it ever too late to heal relationships torn by abuse? This well written book is thought provoking, heart wrenching and ultimately satisfying.

This was an interesting book to read. It is about Alice and her marriage to Ken. It is also about Alice and her two sons. Tim, who was a successful banker and Matt who traveled all over the world and she called him, the other son. I was so sorry for the way the boys had to grow up and as an adult, we saw the flashbacks of the memories that he had lived through as a child. His brother, Matt had built a new life on another continent and he was happy. He inspired a lot of people where he was living and he was happy. When his mother came to visit, the book started turning around. We saw her changing her viewpoint on different things. I cried when Marr finally got what he had always wanted and had given up on, his mother's approval, and she gave it to him when she told him how as he was younger she had felt disappointment in him bus since coming there to his new life, she saw everything and was so proud of him.
The book gave us a glimmer of something and I am hoping there will be a book that takes us on a journey starting with the glimmer. I received an ARC from NetGalley and when I read what the book was about, I thought so many people, including me, would understand this book because so many have lived through some of what they did. We have choices, carry on as we learned or blaze a new trail. That is my kind of book.

This is a good read. I have read several books by Nick Alexander and have enjoyed all of them. The other son is written with empathy and feeling. I wanted to find out what happened to the characters. I liked most of them and got caught up in their world. I would definitely recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Alice is sixty-nine years old. She lives with her over-powering husband Ken. She's not happy and a can't remember when she really was happy. She has two sons, who are completely different, two grandsons she rarely sees but she knows it has a lot to do with her relationship with Ken.
Ken has always been aggressive towards her and sometimes the boys; but she's always got an excuse for Ken and his actions.
When her best friend Dot, leaves her husband it makes Alice think about no the the past and the future. Can she finally put herself first?
An enjoyable read with believable characters.

Thank you to Netgalley for this advanced reader's copy. I have come across Nick Alexander novels previously but hadn't read any so I was especially delighted to come across this one on Netgalley and was intrigued by its premise. I love that the story is told from each character's perspective and the addition of third person narration added an extra dimension. I love how the story slowly unfolded and read it in a day.

I found this a really interesting book. Slow in places but engaging and a nice message overall. It surprised me a few times with the direction of the story, and it was interesting to see how we don't really know others, and what goes on behind closed doors.

An engaging read and one well worth a look at

Alice is not happy. Her husband is abusive and her sons don't want to spend any time with her. Alice is her own worst enemy. One of her sons is married and doing well. The other son is away travelling the world.

This is about as dysfunctional a family as you can get. It covers some delicate subjects: a use, human trafficking and prostitution to name a few. The story is told from multiple points of view. The characters are not likeable. None of them are happy in their situations. It did take me a little while to get into this book but once I did, i couldn't put it down.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and the author Nick Alexander for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Nick Alexander for the opportunity to read and review this book - loved it. I read this book on the heels of another of his books, The Bottle of Tears, and have determined that Alexander really gets people's emotions - the good, the bad, the ugly. 4.5 stars!

Alice stayed married to Ken, an abusive husband/father, because she didn't see another way to live and thought it was best for their two boys, Tim and Matt. But now in her 70s, Alice is starting to wonder if there could be another kind of life for her. Both boys have suffered their upbringing in different ways - for Tim, a successful banker, there is never enough things to surround himself with - the perfect wife, the always bigger house and sound system. Matt never followed through on anything - dropped out of college right before graduation and ha been traveling the world not communicating with his family much at all. What will happen if Alice decides to make a new life?

Spot on with emotions, this book is hopeful and wise. Another great read from this author!

Excellent story with gripping plot. Character driven and emotive topics covered with sensitivity. I was compelled to finish this quickly due to needing to did over the outcomes of each character. A good deep story with a lot to think about in terms of how people perceive others, and how characters are driven by events in their past.

You don't initially like the characters but as the story evolves, you begin to like them ore and more. It little slow to start with but soon draws you in. The subject it deals with is emotive, and strikes a chord in many ways. A good read.

If I was only given one word to describe this book that word would be lovely. Although the storyline is about a dysfunctional family and the affects this has on the entire family it also shows that it is never too late for.change. The characters are so well drawn I was totally invested in them and found myself wanting them to get it together! This is a great book and I highly recommend it.

An easy book to read, full of everyday domesticity. It starts slowly but quickly becomes thought provoking. Alice seems quite placid and long suffering but Ken, the husband, he's a real piece of work. Overall a good read.

It's the first time that i have read any of Nick Alexander's books and judging by 'The Other Son', it will not be the last. I very much enjoyed reading about Alice, her husband and two sons. A well written book that i can recommend.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review, which i have voluntarily given.

This book did the one thing that can make any book a success - focus on the family dynamics and avoid over the top theatrics to lure in readers. I enjoyed this immensely because I felt invested in the characters.

I loved the first and third sections of this book, but the middle dragged a bit. It was so lovely the watch Alice and Matt's relationship grow, and while Tim's section was interesting as well and served as a good contrast, it dragged on a bit for me.

The story was well written and pitch perfect in terms of slice or life, coming of age, and learning to leave behind what is comfortable.

I've been reading this author since my early days of kindle when I discovered his wonderful 50 Reasons series. I've devoured each and every book ever since. So, imagine my horror when I saw this was a re-pub of a book from 2015 which I had missed! Oh my!
Anyhoo... normal service has been resumed and calm has been restored...
In this book we meet Alice. Married with two grown up children we get a glimpse into her life and, what at first appears to be ticking along nicely, swiftly starts to become more exposed, and the truth hiding behind her many masks becomes evident. Something has to give, and as no one else in her life (best friend aside) is flexible, she soon realises that her happiness is all down to her. But can she make that break, that bid for freedom. And is the grass really greener on the other side...?
What I really love about this author's books is that they are always very character driven. He has this knack of making every single character burst off the page, oozing with life, and realism. He must spend his days people watching as his variety and accuracy both astound me at times. So much so that I really dread finishing one of his books as I fear that I will miss the people that I have almost come to consider as friends.
But characters, even ones so good as the ones he creates, don't make a book great on their own. They need a story to play out. And here too this author excels. As with the majority of good, character driven novels, they are often slow burners. But this doesn't mean they lack depth and action, on the contrary, there is plenty of both, just in a more subtle way. There are no tricks to dupe the reader, no major plot twists that other authors rely on. No, this book, as with all his others, creeps up on you, envelops you, and spits you out at the end exhausted (emotionally) but wholly satisfied.
All in all, another winner from this author and... joy of joys, I've just discovered that there is a short follow-up to this book available too. Guess what I'm reading next...!
My thanks go to the Publisher for the chance to read this book.

The Other Son by Nick Alexander was a beautifully written book and I enjoyed a lot. Nick Alexander is a new author to me and I will be reading more of his books in the future. I loved the way he wrote, as he wrote with passion throughout. Just beautiful! x

I highly recommend this book

Thank you NetGalley for my copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

The Other Son by Nick Alexander is the second novel that I have read by this author and, like the first, I found it to be a fascinating character driven story that speaks, with much wisdom, to the human condition. What I love about a Nick Alexander story is the fallibility and vulnerability that is so fully fleshed out in each and every character.

Alice has been ticking along for years with her husband, Ken, until one day her friend Dot decides to leave her own marriage, and Alice realizes that the time has come for her to drop the facade that she has hidden behind for so long. The dysfunction of the family has been glossed over for years, and Alice and Ken's two sons, Tim and Matt, have each carved out new lives for themselves. Having a distant relationship with her boys, Alice awkwardly reaches out to them in her time of need, but is it too late to begin healing the hurts of the past, particularly with Matt, whom Alice has always considered to be 'other'? This is an emotive and engaging domestic drama that showcases the author at his best.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for this ARC.

Family dynamics are a powerful thing. Alice and Ken have been married for 50 years. Fifty years of anger and unhappiness. Their two sons, Tim and Matt have pretended that all is well, just as their parents have. But one day, Alice has had enough. She leaves Ken and eventually finds herself forging a new, strong relationship with Matt, who had always been the child she least understood. In getting to know who Matt is, Alice is able to acknowledge who she really is. And with acknowledgement, comes acceptance. Perhaps even a brighter future.

The first time I picked this up, the depression of the mother was way too much for me and I put it down. I waited a month and tried again and I'm glad I did. When you look for excuses, like going out in the rain to buy bread you don't need, just to get away from your husband, you really need to wonder why you are still there. The local son has so much wealth, but no happiness or even congrats from the picky and nagging parents. no wonder the other son left years ago as you just can't win with these folks!
The story did turn around and I did finish it, but it was still dragging me down more than picking me up. 2.5 stars is the best I can say. Others may disagree, but I need more uplifting books if I am to read for pleasure.
Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Great read. Well written and plot is well thought through and strong characters within.
Highly recommended.
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book

Enjoyed this book was very gripping & could not put it down did not take me long to read once I got into it I would recommend it to a friend!

Another lovely book by this author examining the relationship between parents and their sons. Sad and thought provoking at times and uplifting at others.

I enjoyed this book, the story of Alice, whose been unhappily married for 50 years, and tells us about the relationship she has with both her sons, Matt and Tim. An unhappy tale of a family where the children has witness domestic abuse and how its affected their relationships.

I loved this book. What I like about this particular book and all the books by Nick Alexander is that the way that he writes is as if he is writing real life stories about real people. They feel real, believable, as though he's writing about my family or about people I know. This book is a wonderful story about a non functioning family and about people finding themselves, however long it takes.

First of, many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC copy.


Alice is ot happy. Her husband is abusive and her sons don't want to spend any time with her. Alice is her own worst enemy. One of her sons is marries and doing well. The other son is away travelling the world.

This is a out as dysfunctional a family you can get. It covers some delicate subjects: abuse, human trafficking and prostitution to name a few. The story is told from multiple points of view. The characters are not likeable. None of the char5are very likeable. Nons of them are happy in their situations. It did take me a little while to get into the book, but once I did, I couldn't put it down.

Having read previous nick Alexander books I had high hopes for this one. Just couldn't seem to get into it. Thats not to say the story is bad, quite the opposite. Just couldn't find a rapport with the characters

I have read Nick Alexander books before and have always enjoyed them. He writes beautifully and tells a great story. This book centres on Alice and her relationships with her husband of 40 years and her two sons Tim & Matt. The characters are complex and you are torn between like and dislike; pity and scorn at different times.

Loved this book and highly recommend this and any other Nick Alexander book you can get your hands on.

Many thanks to the author and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Despite being a fan of Nick's books ordinarily, I really didn't click with this book, with the plotline or with the characters.

I have read a few of Nicks books now and he definitely does not disappoint. I love his style of writing and makes you feel there. Good book.

An enjoyable read that I will go on to recommend. I found the characters interesting and the plot line engaging. Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the story of a completely dysfunctional family
The story covers hard hitting topics including abuse and human trafficking
It is told from many points of view. The characters are so unlikeable

Alice has finally left her horrible bullying abusive husband and is at loose ends. She reaches out to her son Tim but that doesn't go well. Matt, her other son, has been traveling for years but he's the one who will help to heal her. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Fans of novels about dysfunctional families will welcome this one as an example of a mature woman with adult sons who comes into her own.

A compelling story of a completely dysfunctional family, the characters are not likeable but you can't stop reading it and it works well being told by the different points of view. Definitely not light easy reading but a good book

I loved this book more than Nick Alexander's last one!
Even though I couldn't relate personally to Alice's plight, I still found myself to be sympathetic to her situation and i'm glad the end of this book was so satisfactory.
The characters and setting for The Other Son were perfect - another easy read that i'll pick up again and again!