Tom Matthews

I once had a friend tell me about a Hallmark Christmas movie that made her cry. Yes, that is the point of Hallmark movies in general and their Christmas movies in particular. But these weren't tears of joy or pseudo sadness, they were real pain. The movie told the story of a family who's father had died and then through some Christmas magic the main character gets their dad back. The only problem was that my friend had actually lost her father and being an adult, knew that her father wasn't show more going to come back from the dead.

That unsettling feeling is the premise and guiding force for the novel, "Raising the Dad" by Tom Matthews. A son must grapple with the knowledge that a father he'd lost to a stroke 30 years prior wasn't actually dead yet is still "lost to a stroke." He must do so even while navigating his own complicated marriage, troubled older brother, and fast fading mother.

Matthews manages to write this complex story in a manner that doesn't feel convoluted and keeps the reader engaged throughout. His style of moving from present day to stories from the past flow easily from one to another. Each character is developed with enough depth to maintain an investment in seeing the whole family through the process.

I received an uncorrected proof of the novel through a Goodreads giveaway. This review is also posted on Goodreads and at https://incidentalreviewsblog.com/2017/12/15/understanding-loss-in-raising-the-d.... It will be posted on Amazon once published in April. The copy I read has been placed in a Little Free Library for others to enjoy. show less

The premise of this book sounds simple: Tired of being tricked, two teenagers start an anti-consumerism revolution. The reality of the book is far more complicated and oddly deep.

It starts out simple: Josh, star athelete, minor rebel, all around "Mr. Popular" is beaned in the face by a fastball -- and, as a consequence, has his jaw wired shut for six weeks. Unable to speak -- or smoke -- he really starts to see the people he's hanging with. To really hear what kind of bull they're saying. show more This book has one of my favorite lines -- "maybe when you stop speaking, you really start to listen."

Temporarily on the fringes of the group he formerly lead, Josh winds up hanging out with elementary school buddy, Todd -- all around nice guy, school nerd, philosopher. It is Todd who points out to him all the money he's not spending on cigarettes (since he can't smoke with a wired jaw!) or soda or candy. It is Todd who notices -- and verbalizes -- how everyone, including them, is being tricked into buying more, bigger, more, more, more!

The "revolution" starts simply -- Josh refusing his cigarettes. Stepping away from the counter. Todd follows suit. Between the two, they carry this message to other teens in their neighborhood, and with the aid of an MTV-style TV network, R2Rev, the movement sweeps the country.

Personally, I thought this book was well-written. Most of the characters were believable, the continual threat of backsliding into consumarism absolutely credible. My only problem with the book was that it became so obsessed with it's grassroots message that sometimes the story got lost. Since it *is* A YA book, I suppose Tom Matthews reasoned he had to state the moral of the story clearly, instead of couching it in symbolism like many adult books. But once I surfaced back into the story, I enjoyed the book again.

There is only minor character development, believe it or not. Even Josh only undergoes the most minor of changes to his basic personality -- but that, in my mind, makes it all the more realistic. This is not a book with a fairy-tale ending. After all, these characters aren't just characters -- they're pieces of our own personality. The part of us that wants to fit in, the part of us that just wants stuff. The part of us that's tired and cynical and doesn't want to be tricked anymore. You know there's more to the story.... more happens after the final chapter. It's just up to us to figure out it out. show less

Raising the Dad by Tom Matthews is a recommended drama featuring a dysfunctional family in an unimaginable situation.

John Husted's family is struggling. The doctor for his mother, Rose, has diagnosed her with Alzheimer's. His older brother, Mike, a ne'er-do-well drug abusing rocker, has just been released from prison. His marriage of seventeen years to Robin has become a stale, routine. His daughter Katie is hanging out with a moody, fatalistic group at her high school. To add to the stress, show more John, a grant proposal writer for a nonprofit group, is falling behind on his job.

When an old friend of his father wants to meet with John at a familiar restaurant across the street from the hospital that he and John's father helped found, he agrees. John's father Dr. Lawrence Husted, had a debilitating stroke thirty years ago and died. Since then, his family has been struggling. What the old doctor shares with John is unbelievable, overwhelming, and places John in an inconceivable situation. What his family believed about his father's death isn't exactly the truth. Now John's stress levels are increasing and he must decide what to tell his family about the new revelations.

The writing is good and Matthews does address the history of the family and the struggles they have encountered over the years since their father's stroke. The characters are developed, and background information is disclosed. Their relationship with the family patriarch is portrayed realistically, helping to set up the conflicts and exposed buried emotions. The characters make the novel worthwhile. There is growth and development. There is change.

The actual situation that the family finds themselves in, however, is truly unbelievable and, well, preposterous. In a farce, I could go with it, but this isn't written as a satire so it was a struggle for me to accept the situation. There is a story here and the interaction between the characters is worth the read, but you will have to overlook the impossible in the novel.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of St. Martin's Press.
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Reviewed by Mark Frye, author and reviewer for TeensReadToo.com

A small group of teens, a school teacher, and a TV producer shake the foundations of the corporate world in LIKE WE CARE, the debut novel from screenwriter Tom Matthews. What begins as a small protest between friends and hangers-on snowballs into a cross-country, grass roots protest movement with more at stake than mere dollars. With witty dialogue and perfect comedic timing, LIKE WE CARE is that rare adult novel that is not only show more suitable for teens but is highly recommended.

Joel and Todd were best friends growing up but grew apart with the onset of adolescence -- and Joel's ascendance to the role of alpha-male jock on campus. But after a severe injury in a baseball game, they renew their friendship. As a result, Todd helps Joel take a closer look at his inane lifestyle and his sheep-like followers, particularly concerning their smoking and spending habits. As Joel fully understands how badly the local convenience store - and the advertising world in general - is manipulating him and his peers for their money, he uses his charisma to organize a boycott. Eventually, the protest garners the attention of a TV executive desperate for stories of substance for R2Rev, the music video channel in which she works. Joel's charisma and Todd's message soon resonates across America, influencing impromptu boycotts and small-town elections. But the movement begins to unravel on all fronts as they grow in fame and success and their opponents begin to see what's at stake. Yet Todd refuses to surrender and has a few tricks up his sleeve that provides for a sweet victory when defeat looks certain.

Although satirical in many facets, LIKE WE CARE rings true on all fronts: the high school cliques, the fan-bashing rap stars, the exploitative TV executives, and the price-gouging store owners. This is laugh-out-loud funny but also inspiring. show less