Margie’s review of Theo of Golden > Likes and Comments
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Thank you for this review! The “illegal” comment stopped me in my tracks and made me run to reviews to see if I should even keep going with the book.
I am about a quarter of the way through and this is exactly how I feel. I’m struggling to see what all the hype is about. I keep expecting it to turn into The Shack, a book I thought was dreadful. Theo may be a DNF for me.
I am right there with you. “Illegal” made me feel icky, “just wanting to be a housewife” made me feel even more icky. I can be a real sap sometimes, but this book just didn’t do it for me. I found it incredibly boring, nothing happened, and none of the characters were really developed. I wanted to like it! But didn’t :(
Thank you for crossing a book off my TBR list. I’d stop at the illegal comment. How ironic for a “Christian “ book about kindness.
Stephanie wrote: "Thank you for this review! The “illegal” comment stopped me in my tracks and made me run to reviews to see if I should even keep going with the book."
I am curious. Did you finish it? Or put it into the DNF pile! :)
Donna wrote: "I am about a quarter of the way through and this is exactly how I feel. I’m struggling to see what all the hype is about. I keep expecting it to turn into The Shack, a book I thought was dreadful. ..."
Yes! I don't recall how i rated The Shack, but do remember I did not like that one either!!!
Shelley wrote: "I am right there with you. “Illegal” made me feel icky, “just wanting to be a housewife” made me feel even more icky. I can be a real sap sometimes, but this book just didn’t do it for me. I found ..."
It is nice to find friends down here in the low ratings lol! There are very few of us i think!
Debbie wrote: "Thank you for crossing a book off my TBR list. I’d stop at the illegal comment. How ironic for a “Christian “ book about kindness."
To be fair, lots of others LOVE IT. I just was on a social media page where someone asked for book recs, and numerous people responded with this book. Just not me lol.
Thank you for this review. It is so highly rated I was tempted to add it to my Want to Read list, but a preachy "christian" veiled judgy book is not how I want to spend my time.
Thank you for your review. I feel much better about not finishing this book. I just couldn’t get into it. The “illegal” part also got me. I kept wondering what I was missing that everyone was raving about. I wasn’t missing anything. It’s just not for me. I don’t think it’s well written and it’s too sappy. For me. Obviously other folks love it and I’m not one of them. Now I can just DNF and move along without wondering what if.
Yep, I reached the "illegal" line and came to check reviews. Thanks for your thoughts. I think I'll DNF this one.
You actually get to know the “illegal” in the book as a person Theo cares about and helps. He takes the time to learn their story, understand their pain, and see their humanity. The author most likely called them an illegal to highlight their legal status before attempting to show the reader the value of every person.
Your review helped me to remove this from my TBR list.
It's such a shame that having a racist dog whistle in your book doesn't prevent it from having nearly 5 stars on Goodreads. I was already running out of patience for the author's sappy and excruciating writing style when I got to the "innocent girl RUN OVER and KILLED by an ILLEGAL" plot line. Glad to see I'm not missing out on the next great American novel by not finishing this one
Thank you for your honesty! Great review!
Ive heard alot of crazy good review about this book and was thinking of trying it but your review made me rethink it. Thank you for sharing your thought on this one Margie, a great review.
Thank you for your review. You perfectly captured how I felt about this book.
Excellent review, I agree with everything you said. To me, this book is contrived. It will probably appeal to Nicholas Sparks fans.
Funny how some commenters think certain groups should only be portrayed as unrealistic stereotypes of virtue in fiction. When you think about
I do appreciate your pros and cons about the book from your perspective, but I hope that you read enough to realize that the portrayal of the ‘illegal’ was very sympathetic. I also don’t think that Tony had a ‘come to Jesus moment’, although he greatly appreciated Theo’s friendship.
i felt the same way. i Just wanted it to be over. Everyone can't like the same books!
Completely agree with this review. I just finished it and am struggling with the fact that he is redeemed by all of his acts of kindness even though his long-lost son is left with nothing but questions and potentially a sense of abandonment….I feel like that was missed. he had ample time to tell Asher who he was so this kindness could be extended and relationships healed but then this violent ending that came out of nowhere that ended Theo’s life was out of left field….I’m baffled by all the love for this book. I also wanted Theo to stop Tony from ogling at Mia!! Where’s the kindness for a younger woman there? The book was beloved because people are aching for kindness in the world….totally get that……I just wish the critical analysis of this book was along with it.
You expressed perfectly what I felt about this book!
People claiming the racist dog whistle have very clearly not read the entire book, especially that portion of it. You will come to find it is quite the opposite of that, and only indicates how susceptible to clickbait headlines most seem to be
Had to DNF for the same reasons you identified.
Quite a few folks in the comments here stating that the author and Theo redeem themselves later from the “illegal” term referenced in the book and that it’s not a racist term. For those that aren’t familiar, Brene Brown talks about how dehumanization starts with the language that we use for other people, which eventually leads to violence. “Dehumanizing often starts with creating an enemy image,” such as the term legal or not legal, which creates a moral stance about a person and enables societies to harm certain people groups. Please read her article (search Brene Brown dehumanizing language) to learn more about how powerful language is and how much it matters in how we care for each other. “Illegal” is a dehumanizing term, it is not redemptive .
100% I wish I had been told what a sermon heavy book this was before we chose it for book club. And “pollyanna” is perhaps a more apt description than my “old school Hallmark” story description. But it is both none the less. The book had some redeeming qualities but boy have I never been so shocked to see such high praise for such a boring book.
This review was probably the most helpful to me - I saw this book this afternoon, read the back, looked up reviews and saw that it was getting a lot of almost 5 stars…..but this review alone convinced me that this was not, in fact, a book for me. The preachy parts, the anti-immigrant and abortion sentiment….. while I realize there are people who believe these things in this world, I don’t need to also read about them in my spare time. Especially with how the world is right now and how so much hate has come from exactly these kinds of sentiments. I don’t need to indulge a single thing in this world that will add to it. I think reading a book that seemingly throws these kinds of sentiments into a book about “kindness” feels even more icky, honestly. So I appreciate this review immensely.
I agree. I too stumbled on the “illegal” term. Overall the writing felt a little archaic (as when in his first encounter with the young woman she says came from a “busted” family). It just made mw feel like I was reading a lecture from an old man. DNF
I am 10% in the book and it is starting to feel like an episode of Michael Langdon's "Highway to Heaven". More disappointing than a female professional disclosing a past abortion to someone she just met 10 minutes ago, was the "crying eyes of god" --the "eye" shapes in the trees--the trees which were used for lynchings. i mean, if I had the power.to stop a lynching, I would do it and that makes me better than the Christian god.
Thank you for balancing out all those 5-star reviewers. When I see an abundance of overly enthusiastic reviewers on Goodreads, I have learned to be skeptical. It seems a lot of people connect emotionally with some stories, even if the book isn't written or edited well. I have also noticed more and more Christian fiction is being catergorized as Historical Fiction, without specifying it's leaning. I have nothing against books based on one's theological leanings, but just like romance-heavy HF, it's not my cup of tea. And it bothers me that so many readers either didn't get the racism and sexism and mansplaining, or they liked that part, too. Again, thanks for this review.
Thanks, I was going to read it but have decided to give it a miss.
I knew it! Thank you for saving me from this one.
Heather wrote: "You actually get to know the “illegal” in the book as a person Theo cares about and helps. He takes the time to learn their story, understand their pain, and see their humanity. The author most lik..."
Heather, Nice of you to explain Theo's relationship with the "Illegal." Too bad more readers didn't stick with it to read it for themselves.
Had the same reaction to it. Too syrupy too Pollyanna too religious for me.
Thanks for the review, Margie. It’s helped me pass on it. I don’t like Christian leaning books.
Thanks so much for your review. I see so many glowing reviews but I'm not going to read it based on what you and a few others have shared.
This was my recommendation for my book group, but the red flags you mentioned hit the mark for me. I try not to read reviews once I’ve begun a book, but knowing how much this one resonates for people and me not getting the same feeling, I had to read some of the middling reviews. I’m not enjoying the writing as it is too Pollyanish for me and actually the premise isn’t that interesting either. The frequent mentions of heaven and the term illegal do not make me inclined to finish. I know there’s a payoff at the end, but I can’t wait to hear what my book group has to say about it.
I have a feeling I'm going to end up feeling like you. I am about halfway through, and although the novel is sweet, there really isn't much of a story. I'm also finding the dialogue to be really stilted. I hope that Theo's secret is worth the wait!!!
I made it as far as the letter he wrote to the woman in the first portrait he bought - it just struck me as completely stupid and I questioned why I was reading it. I really appreciate your review - thank you!
Book group choice. I’m really struggling to get through it. It’s so tedious.
I felt pretty similarly to you, although I gave it 4 stars being generous. It just felt stilted and too over-the-top.
I am 99% sure the woman said all she really wanted to be was “a mom”. Whole different statement.
I couldn’t agree more. So syrupy I really dull I really can’t understand the positive review.
Thanks for this review. In this info alone, it’s not going to be on my list.
I'm at 60% and this reflects my own thoughts about this book... should have dnf'd but I kept waiting!!!
Thanks for this review, it's definitely steered me away from it!
I listened to this book and I have to highly disagree with this review, but again... it was an audible for me and can change a person's subjective view on the book.
I think with the world around us and all the drama unfolding, it's easy to pick out words such as "illegal" and "abortion" and start to feel as if this read is swaying to a certain side... but I honestly can say I NEVER thought that while listening. I felt it was full non-bias. If we go through and nit-pick every word to describe a situation, we are going to find fault with ALL books or literary works.
Enjoy this story for what it truly is... a story... and a BEAUTIFUL one at that.
The thought of someone not reading a book because of words like illegal and abortion is absolutely absurd and says more about the character of a person. Those words can be used in literature without having to be linked to political sides. Read the book without your political viewpoint dictating what the book is trying to actually make you feel.
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Stephanie
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Jun 26, 2025 07:01AM
Thank you for this review! The “illegal” comment stopped me in my tracks and made me run to reviews to see if I should even keep going with the book.
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I am about a quarter of the way through and this is exactly how I feel. I’m struggling to see what all the hype is about. I keep expecting it to turn into The Shack, a book I thought was dreadful. Theo may be a DNF for me.
I am right there with you. “Illegal” made me feel icky, “just wanting to be a housewife” made me feel even more icky. I can be a real sap sometimes, but this book just didn’t do it for me. I found it incredibly boring, nothing happened, and none of the characters were really developed. I wanted to like it! But didn’t :(
Thank you for crossing a book off my TBR list. I’d stop at the illegal comment. How ironic for a “Christian “ book about kindness.
Stephanie wrote: "Thank you for this review! The “illegal” comment stopped me in my tracks and made me run to reviews to see if I should even keep going with the book." I am curious. Did you finish it? Or put it into the DNF pile! :)
Donna wrote: "I am about a quarter of the way through and this is exactly how I feel. I’m struggling to see what all the hype is about. I keep expecting it to turn into The Shack, a book I thought was dreadful. ..."Yes! I don't recall how i rated The Shack, but do remember I did not like that one either!!!
Shelley wrote: "I am right there with you. “Illegal” made me feel icky, “just wanting to be a housewife” made me feel even more icky. I can be a real sap sometimes, but this book just didn’t do it for me. I found ..."It is nice to find friends down here in the low ratings lol! There are very few of us i think!
Debbie wrote: "Thank you for crossing a book off my TBR list. I’d stop at the illegal comment. How ironic for a “Christian “ book about kindness."To be fair, lots of others LOVE IT. I just was on a social media page where someone asked for book recs, and numerous people responded with this book. Just not me lol.
Thank you for this review. It is so highly rated I was tempted to add it to my Want to Read list, but a preachy "christian" veiled judgy book is not how I want to spend my time.
Thank you for your review. I feel much better about not finishing this book. I just couldn’t get into it. The “illegal” part also got me. I kept wondering what I was missing that everyone was raving about. I wasn’t missing anything. It’s just not for me. I don’t think it’s well written and it’s too sappy. For me. Obviously other folks love it and I’m not one of them. Now I can just DNF and move along without wondering what if.
Yep, I reached the "illegal" line and came to check reviews. Thanks for your thoughts. I think I'll DNF this one.
You actually get to know the “illegal” in the book as a person Theo cares about and helps. He takes the time to learn their story, understand their pain, and see their humanity. The author most likely called them an illegal to highlight their legal status before attempting to show the reader the value of every person.
Your review helped me to remove this from my TBR list.
It's such a shame that having a racist dog whistle in your book doesn't prevent it from having nearly 5 stars on Goodreads. I was already running out of patience for the author's sappy and excruciating writing style when I got to the "innocent girl RUN OVER and KILLED by an ILLEGAL" plot line. Glad to see I'm not missing out on the next great American novel by not finishing this one
Thank you for your honesty! Great review!
Ive heard alot of crazy good review about this book and was thinking of trying it but your review made me rethink it. Thank you for sharing your thought on this one Margie, a great review.
Thank you for your review. You perfectly captured how I felt about this book.
Excellent review, I agree with everything you said. To me, this book is contrived. It will probably appeal to Nicholas Sparks fans.
Funny how some commenters think certain groups should only be portrayed as unrealistic stereotypes of virtue in fiction. When you think about
I do appreciate your pros and cons about the book from your perspective, but I hope that you read enough to realize that the portrayal of the ‘illegal’ was very sympathetic. I also don’t think that Tony had a ‘come to Jesus moment’, although he greatly appreciated Theo’s friendship.
i felt the same way. i Just wanted it to be over. Everyone can't like the same books!
Completely agree with this review. I just finished it and am struggling with the fact that he is redeemed by all of his acts of kindness even though his long-lost son is left with nothing but questions and potentially a sense of abandonment….I feel like that was missed. he had ample time to tell Asher who he was so this kindness could be extended and relationships healed but then this violent ending that came out of nowhere that ended Theo’s life was out of left field….I’m baffled by all the love for this book. I also wanted Theo to stop Tony from ogling at Mia!! Where’s the kindness for a younger woman there? The book was beloved because people are aching for kindness in the world….totally get that……I just wish the critical analysis of this book was along with it.
You expressed perfectly what I felt about this book!
People claiming the racist dog whistle have very clearly not read the entire book, especially that portion of it. You will come to find it is quite the opposite of that, and only indicates how susceptible to clickbait headlines most seem to be
Had to DNF for the same reasons you identified. Quite a few folks in the comments here stating that the author and Theo redeem themselves later from the “illegal” term referenced in the book and that it’s not a racist term. For those that aren’t familiar, Brene Brown talks about how dehumanization starts with the language that we use for other people, which eventually leads to violence. “Dehumanizing often starts with creating an enemy image,” such as the term legal or not legal, which creates a moral stance about a person and enables societies to harm certain people groups. Please read her article (search Brene Brown dehumanizing language) to learn more about how powerful language is and how much it matters in how we care for each other. “Illegal” is a dehumanizing term, it is not redemptive .
100% I wish I had been told what a sermon heavy book this was before we chose it for book club. And “pollyanna” is perhaps a more apt description than my “old school Hallmark” story description. But it is both none the less. The book had some redeeming qualities but boy have I never been so shocked to see such high praise for such a boring book.
This review was probably the most helpful to me - I saw this book this afternoon, read the back, looked up reviews and saw that it was getting a lot of almost 5 stars…..but this review alone convinced me that this was not, in fact, a book for me. The preachy parts, the anti-immigrant and abortion sentiment….. while I realize there are people who believe these things in this world, I don’t need to also read about them in my spare time. Especially with how the world is right now and how so much hate has come from exactly these kinds of sentiments. I don’t need to indulge a single thing in this world that will add to it. I think reading a book that seemingly throws these kinds of sentiments into a book about “kindness” feels even more icky, honestly. So I appreciate this review immensely.
I agree. I too stumbled on the “illegal” term. Overall the writing felt a little archaic (as when in his first encounter with the young woman she says came from a “busted” family). It just made mw feel like I was reading a lecture from an old man. DNF
I am 10% in the book and it is starting to feel like an episode of Michael Langdon's "Highway to Heaven". More disappointing than a female professional disclosing a past abortion to someone she just met 10 minutes ago, was the "crying eyes of god" --the "eye" shapes in the trees--the trees which were used for lynchings. i mean, if I had the power.to stop a lynching, I would do it and that makes me better than the Christian god.
Thank you for balancing out all those 5-star reviewers. When I see an abundance of overly enthusiastic reviewers on Goodreads, I have learned to be skeptical. It seems a lot of people connect emotionally with some stories, even if the book isn't written or edited well. I have also noticed more and more Christian fiction is being catergorized as Historical Fiction, without specifying it's leaning. I have nothing against books based on one's theological leanings, but just like romance-heavy HF, it's not my cup of tea. And it bothers me that so many readers either didn't get the racism and sexism and mansplaining, or they liked that part, too. Again, thanks for this review.
Thanks, I was going to read it but have decided to give it a miss.
I knew it! Thank you for saving me from this one.
Heather wrote: "You actually get to know the “illegal” in the book as a person Theo cares about and helps. He takes the time to learn their story, understand their pain, and see their humanity. The author most lik..."
Heather, Nice of you to explain Theo's relationship with the "Illegal." Too bad more readers didn't stick with it to read it for themselves.
Had the same reaction to it. Too syrupy too Pollyanna too religious for me.
Thanks for the review, Margie. It’s helped me pass on it. I don’t like Christian leaning books.
Thanks so much for your review. I see so many glowing reviews but I'm not going to read it based on what you and a few others have shared.
This was my recommendation for my book group, but the red flags you mentioned hit the mark for me. I try not to read reviews once I’ve begun a book, but knowing how much this one resonates for people and me not getting the same feeling, I had to read some of the middling reviews. I’m not enjoying the writing as it is too Pollyanish for me and actually the premise isn’t that interesting either. The frequent mentions of heaven and the term illegal do not make me inclined to finish. I know there’s a payoff at the end, but I can’t wait to hear what my book group has to say about it.
I have a feeling I'm going to end up feeling like you. I am about halfway through, and although the novel is sweet, there really isn't much of a story. I'm also finding the dialogue to be really stilted. I hope that Theo's secret is worth the wait!!!
I made it as far as the letter he wrote to the woman in the first portrait he bought - it just struck me as completely stupid and I questioned why I was reading it. I really appreciate your review - thank you!
Book group choice. I’m really struggling to get through it. It’s so tedious.
I felt pretty similarly to you, although I gave it 4 stars being generous. It just felt stilted and too over-the-top.
I am 99% sure the woman said all she really wanted to be was “a mom”. Whole different statement.
I couldn’t agree more. So syrupy I really dull I really can’t understand the positive review.
Thanks for this review. In this info alone, it’s not going to be on my list.
I'm at 60% and this reflects my own thoughts about this book... should have dnf'd but I kept waiting!!!
Thanks for this review, it's definitely steered me away from it!
I listened to this book and I have to highly disagree with this review, but again... it was an audible for me and can change a person's subjective view on the book.I think with the world around us and all the drama unfolding, it's easy to pick out words such as "illegal" and "abortion" and start to feel as if this read is swaying to a certain side... but I honestly can say I NEVER thought that while listening. I felt it was full non-bias. If we go through and nit-pick every word to describe a situation, we are going to find fault with ALL books or literary works.
Enjoy this story for what it truly is... a story... and a BEAUTIFUL one at that.
The thought of someone not reading a book because of words like illegal and abortion is absolutely absurd and says more about the character of a person. Those words can be used in literature without having to be linked to political sides. Read the book without your political viewpoint dictating what the book is trying to actually make you feel.