The Kids are Gonna Ask (ARC Review)

The rise in popularity of books featuring podcasts has opened the door for novels like The Kids Are Gonna Ask, a story following two twins using the format to broadcast their search for their biological father, the identity of which their mother gave no clue to before her untimely death.

Exploring fame and family, The Kids Are Gonna Ask switches perspectives between the two siblings, Thomas and Savannah, and other characters as the podcast makes their personal search very much public…and divisive.

The unfolding of the mystery of who their father is creates a great momentum to move the plot forward despite the novel’s somewhat-too-drawn-out 400+ pages. But the length also allows plenty of time to build the main characters and watch them grow. Although the real strength of the book is actually the sections of the podcast script sprinkled throughout, which I’d be interested to hear in audiobook form, and which add a dynamic layer to the book.

But despite the well-rounded characters, the story is very much plot-forward, a trait that ends up working against the story overall. Readers will have to suspend their disbelief when it comes to how much fame the podcast garners and the amount of input people have on the kids’ lives, as well some other oddly placed details of the book, such as that the family has a personal chef that makes intricate and high-end dishes despite the fact that no one in the household seems to have any stable income. 

Even more so, the story doesn’t seem to know exactly what it wants to be. Without enough intrigue to be a full-on mystery, and with a reveal that comes too soon for the genre, the book also feels oddly placed in the ‘domestic drama’ territory. Hints of magical realism also arise within the novel but aren’t fully realized for the book to be considered fantastical, and end up feeling incomplete and odd. And, an adult fiction in its pacing and themes, the story follows the teens in the novel more than any adults and takes on their younger perspectives most of the time. 

I rated The Kids Are Gonna Ask 2.5 out of 5 stars.