Rating: 
Summary: Uninspiring
Review: I wanted to like this book...I really did. But I'm having the hardest time figuring out how to give a fair review without slamming the whole story. The characters are one-dimensional, almost to a fault. Especially Caleb. He made me want to beat his a&# with his 'the world owes me something cause my father walked out on me, my mother died, and my big brother treats me like crap' attitude. Were the women in the story clones of one another? Did we ever truly understand the dynamics that made Austin walk out on his family other than needing his 'space' or his wife not cooking for him one night? I don't think so. Marcus was just a complete wuss. Everything was so predictable. I can understand the writer wanting to shed some light on the epidemic of fatherless children and the emotional turmoil that it entails but in my opinion he falls way short of that mark. A very disappointing and time-wasting read.
Rating: 
Summary: GREAT NOVEL
Review: THIS BOOK, ALONG WITH "WALKING THROUGH MIRRORS" WRITTEN BY BRIAN KEITH JACKSON, ARE PROBABLY THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE READ IN A VERY LONG TIME. FOR A DEBUT NOVEL, I THOUGHT THE BOOK WAS INCREDIBLY WELL WRITTEN. I APPRECIATED THE AUTHOR TAKING THE TIME TO DEVELOP HIS CHARACTERS. SPECIFICALLY, I FOUND THAT THE AUTHOR TOUCHED ON THE ISSUES EACH BROTHER FACED AS IT RELATED TO EACH RESPECTIVE BROTHERS BIRTH ORDER. AUSTIN HAD A DIFFERENT VIEW OF HIS FATHER THAN DID MARCUS AND CALEB BECAUSE HE WAS THE OLDEST. LIKEWISE, MARCUS WAS PROBABLY THE MOST DEVASTATED BY THE DISSERTION OF HIS FATHER BECAUSE HE WAS THE MIDDLE CHILD AND HAD TO FACE HIS MOTHERS DEATH, FATHERS ABSENCE, AND RAISING HIS YOUNGER BROTHER. THE ABSENCE OF THE FATHER HAD MUCH DIFFERENT EFFECT ON CALEB BECAUSE HE NEVER REALLY HAD A STRONG AND LASTING RELATIONSHIP WITH EITHER OF HIS PARENTS BECAUSE HE WAS THE LAST BORN. ALSO OF INTEREST WAS THE ROLE REVERSAL WHICH TOOK PLACE TOWARDS THE END OF THE NOVEL BETWEEN AUSTIN AND MARCUS. ALTHOUGH THROUGHOUT THE BOOK, MARCUS WAS THE ONE TO TRY AND KEEP THE BROTHERS TOGETHER,MUCH TO THE DISMAY OF AUSTIN, IT WAS ULTIMATELY AUSTIN WHO TRIED TO MAKE PEACE BETWEEN MARCUS AND JULIAN. HOWEVER, MARCUS' REQUEST OF HIS FATHER AT THE END RESULTED IN KEEPING THE BROTHERS TOGETHER WHICH I THOUGHT WAS INTERESTING. ALL IN ALL, I THOUGHT THE AUTHOR DID A GOOD JOB WITH A DIFFICULT SUBJECT MATTER AND THIS SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING FOR ALL BLACK MEN WHO ARE CONTEMPLATING HAVING CHILDREN. THIS BOOK POINTS OUT THE INCREDIBLE RESPONSIBILITY INVOLVED IN RAISING CHILDREN AND HAVING A FATHER FIGURE AND UNFORTUNATELY, THE PAIN, CONFUSION, DESTRUCTION OF LIFE AND LONG LASTING EMOTIONAL EFFECTS WHICH RESULT WHEN FATHERS ARE ABSENT. I HAVE ORDERED AND LOOK FORWARD TO READING "FATHER:FOUND", THE AUTHORS SECOND NOVEL.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Good Conversation Book
Review: I had difficulty at first reading the first 100 pages and then couldn't wait to finish. The book was somewhat predictable when you learned a little about each character and believeable. I was able to identify someone I know with each character in the book. All of the characters had personal issues that were REAL to them! I think the book was very well written with insight on how long people will carry baggage into their personal happiness. Although two brothers were what we would call 'successful' the third brother was also typical how one can fall through the crack. It's amazing in each son's situation, they found someone who they loved and was loved in return, however, still let the baggage of the father's absence influence how they dealt with their own adult lives. It's unfortunate that men will WALK from their children and families, but somehow I even felt that the way Julius came back and explained why then and why now, that I would have even forgiven him because life is just what it is! It was somewhat heartwarming to see how the brothers were very different but alike by the influence of the mother's raising. Children do know when one is loved more by a parent and too bad they felt the separation of love, especially Caleb. I was glad that Caleb finally admitted to himslef what he was about. I liked the book and it opened up a lot of sterotypical relationships that I can relate to and make you think about what is important and how to keep your life in perspective with the ones you love.
Rating:
Summary: Real Men
Review: I loved the Harris Men. They were real with real lives and problems. The writer tells a very compelling story of a family of men, three of which grew up without a father. While there is never a GOOD excuse for leaving you children. The writer tells a story that is all too familiar with men today but he also tries to help the reader understand how it can happen and its effects. I remember reading a review of the book prior to reading it and the reviewed stated that both men and women would learn from it. They do indeed! RM Johnson has done a very good job on his first novel. As an advid reader I can tell you from experience, we'll be hearing a lot about him in the future if he continues producing good reading as he has done with the Harris Men. I'm planning to read Father Found, his second novel. I'll let you know when I'm finished.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT NOVEL
Review: THIS BOOK, ALONG WITH "WALKING THROUGH MIRRORS" WRITTEN BY BRIAN KEITH JACKSON, ARE PROBABLY THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE READ IN A VERY LONG TIME. FOR A DEBUT NOVEL, I THOUGHT THE BOOK WAS INCREDIBLY WELL WRITTEN. I APPRECIATED THE AUTHOR TAKING THE TIME TO DEVELOP HIS CHARACTERS. SPECIFICALLY, I FOUND THAT THE AUTHOR TOUCHED ON THE ISSUES EACH BROTHER FACED AS IT RELATED TO EACH RESPECTIVE BROTHERS BIRTH ORDER. AUSTIN HAD A DIFFERENT VIEW OF HIS FATHER THAN DID MARCUS AND CALEB BECAUSE HE WAS THE OLDEST. LIKEWISE, MARCUS WAS PROBABLY THE MOST DEVASTATED BY THE DISSERTION OF HIS FATHER BECAUSE HE WAS THE MIDDLE CHILD AND HAD TO FACE HIS MOTHERS DEATH, FATHERS ABSENCE, AND RAISING HIS YOUNGER BROTHER. THE ABSENCE OF THE FATHER HAD MUCH DIFFERENT EFFECT ON CALEB BECAUSE HE NEVER REALLY HAD A STRONG AND LASTING RELATIONSHIP WITH EITHER OF HIS PARENTS BECAUSE HE WAS THE LAST BORN. ALSO OF INTEREST WAS THE ROLE REVERSAL WHICH TOOK PLACE TOWARDS THE END OF THE NOVEL BETWEEN AUSTIN AND MARCUS. ALTHOUGH THROUGHOUT THE BOOK, MARCUS WAS THE ONE TO TRY AND KEEP THE BROTHERS TOGETHER,MUCH TO THE DISMAY OF AUSTIN, IT WAS ULTIMATELY AUSTIN WHO TRIED TO MAKE PEACE BETWEEN MARCUS AND JULIAN. HOWEVER, MARCUS' REQUEST OF HIS FATHER AT THE END RESULTED IN KEEPING THE BROTHERS TOGETHER WHICH I THOUGHT WAS INTERESTING. ALL IN ALL, I THOUGHT THE AUTHOR DID A GOOD JOB WITH A DIFFICULT SUBJECT MATTER AND THIS SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING FOR ALL BLACK MEN WHO ARE CONTEMPLATING HAVING CHILDREN. THIS BOOK POINTS OUT THE INCREDIBLE RESPONSIBILITY INVOLVED IN RAISING CHILDREN AND HAVING A FATHER FIGURE AND UNFORTUNATELY, THE PAIN, CONFUSION, DESTRUCTION OF LIFE AND LONG LASTING EMOTIONAL EFFECTS WHICH RESULT WHEN FATHERS ARE ABSENT. I HAVE ORDERED AND LOOK FORWARD TO READING "FATHER:FOUND", THE AUTHORS SECOND NOVEL.
Rating: 
Summary: Controversy, Controversy
Review: I had heard a lot about this book but was disappointed. From page one until the end, there was nothing but controversy. Brother against brother--brother against wife--brother against girlfriend--brother against dad--brother against the world! Nearly in every chapter, the brothers were either fighting each other or cursing each other out. The story is told mostly in narratives. The dialogue is a bit offy considering these are African-American men and women speaking. Especially considering the fact that the men had to practically raise themselves after their mother died. Austin's character did not appeal to me. He just didn't seem like a real black man. He seemed like a foreigner who could not come to grips with American family culture. The character, Blue, for him to have been a "street hood," and no doubt a school dropout, he spoke entirely too intelligent, although most street hoods are very insightful. Although Mr. Johnson did a good job with introducing the reader to each scene, it seems as though he's written this book as a screenplay. I must admit, however, there is some truth to character environment, i.e., my dad left me and my mom, so I think I'll do the same thing to my family. I'm just giving my honest opinion. But I believe that Mr. Johnson will be very successful in his writing endeavors.
Rating:
Summary: I Can Relate
Review: R.M. Harris hits a homerun. This book enlightens the world to the affects abandonment can have on loved ones. It also shows us that if we empower our self we can over come lifes obstacles. We can achieve inspite of the difficultlies that we may have. Coming up without a good realtionship with my father, I can feel Caleb's pain. This book should be read by all parents, parents to be and anyone that has a relationship with a child/children.
Rating:
Summary: Fatherless America
Review: R.M. Johnson did a great job delving into the social problem of father abandonment in urban America. He shows the negative, rippling effects that it can have on the family left behind. The book was very realistic as far as the anger felt by Marcus and Caleb, but lacked a sense of realization in depicting the feelings of Austin. The only negative side of the book was allowing the "villian" absent father manipulate his son into allowing him to reenter his life. This was a quick read and a great book.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT READ
Review: This was the first time I read a book by this author. I thought this book was a very good read!
Rating:
Summary: A Good Attempt
Review: I applaud this author's attempt to stray from the Omar Tyree, Eric Jerome Dickey school of plots and characters. I even thought the book had a good premise, and it's written decently, but the characters were bland and predictable. The young wild-child, Caleb. The unemotional sucessful, rich one, Austin. And the moderately successful, more sensitive one Marcus. The women characters were cookie-cutter images of each other, and the plot lines were cliched. But overall, a good attempt at trying to explore black father/son relationships.
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