I'll be honest, I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't this... A powerful novel that sneaked it's way into my heart chapter by chapter.

The Right Kind of Fool is not your everyday murder mystery, no, it is so much better.

The father who didn't know his son, the mother trying to protect her son, and the boy who could no longer hear, each point of view was written in such a way that you will be pulled into a story of learning, reconciliation, hope, and a family's love.

I am so glad I picked up a copy of "The Right Kind of Fool" and it may have wiggled into a top ten favorite books this year...

I voluntarily received and reviewed a complimentary e/copy of this book which I received from the author/publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
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At its heart, this is a book about family reconnecting and about people connecting with each other.

Though overprotective, I think it was a good thing that Loyal's mom sent him to the school for the deaf. It taught him communication skills if nothing else.

I was glad to see Michael and Rebecca become friends with Loyal. I was also glad to see Creed realize he could communicate with his son and Delphy to realize that Loyal was growing up. ( )

I didn’t expect such character depth when I got into this book, but wow—what a lovely surprise! I especially loved how the deaf character in here interacted with the world—it never felt fake or forced, but very realistic. Yet the story kept going just fine through his point of view, which I was astounded with!

The mystery, too, was fascinating—and I appreciate how that ended up. It was quite involved and not straightforward, which I enjoyed. I rarely manage to guess the ending to a mystery anyway, but this one was very well done.

This is a story of rejection and healing, distance and understanding, grief and forgiveness. Overall, it was a lovely read, and well worth the time! Recommended.

I was given a review copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it. ( )

Author Sarah Loudin Thomas kept me totally immersed in this moving look at a family's efforts to do what is best for their hearing-impaired son in 1934 West Virginia. Loyal's mother and father have totally different views about their son and Creed Raines chooses to live alone in the mountains while Delphy and Loyal remain in their Beverly, West Virginia home. A murder in this small town changes all of this and Creed finally realizes that his perceptions of his thirteen-year-old son and his choice to abandon his family have been foolish, to say the least.

I loved the Raines family and the author's beautiful depiction of their emotions. Loyal's desire to simply belong. Delphy's desire to protect him from being hurt by other people that results in her being overprotective. Creed's feelings of guilt and his efforts to stay distanced from his boy. And then, as a tragic mystery enters their lives, Loyal's joy that his father is with him and they are communicating together!

There are so many reasons for me to love this book. A West Virginia setting that is so similar to my own Kentucky roots, the coming-of-age story of an extraordinary young teenager, a husband and wife trying to mend their marriage, and a mystery that kept me fully intrigued. I can't say enough good things about this amazing book and I would love to see it as a movie!

I received a book from the author and publisher. There was no obligation for a positive review. These are my own thoughts. ( )

With a setting in small-town West Virginia in the summer of 1934 and colorful, realistically flawed characters, this story immersed me quickly into it and kept me turning the pages. I was intrigued by Loyal Raines, a deaf 13-year-old boy trying to be like other kids and longing for friends, his father Creed Raines who because of his feelings of guilt has distanced himself from his wife and child, and Delphy Raines who wants to protect her son from hurts by others. When Loyal finds a dead body and runs to his father for help, it sets many things into motion that just might heal their family.

I admired Sarah Loudin Thomas’s creativity and the way she carefully meshed the solving of the murder with the changing feelings and growth of the characters. Along with a mystery, suspense, and a touch of romance, there is also a tender message of forgiveness, healing, and hope that lends depth and dimension to the story. I will definitely be looking forward to more books by this talented author. 4.5 stars

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Bethany House Publishers. All opinions are my own. ( )