This story is told in two points of view, which actually was confusing for me. The language was awful, consistent, and doesn't add to the story. I had a hard reading this book. I almost did not finish it.

The ending was too quick and everything ending seemed to perfect.

When Meg Hart’s teenage son, McClane, goes missing, her perfect family life is exposed as not so perfect. Not only are her secrets exposed, but apparently McClane had some of his own too.

This was an amazing story. I’m so glad that I picked it up! It was a lot more suspenseful and thrilling than I was expecting it to me. I always have loved stories of motherhood that make us think how we only see our children from our own eyes. There were a lot of components to the plot, including backstories that are slowly developed. The end gets very exciting with every chapter ending on a cliffhanger making it impossible to put down until the very end.

“Every mother has been a girl who has witnessed a monster lurking inside a seemingly harmless boy. Every mother, at some point ponders her teenage son and wonders if he could turn into one of those boys, if he could be a monster.”

Upstanding Young Man comes out 8/12.

This thriller is told by two voices: that of a high school kid leading up to his disappearance, and his mother in the aftermath.

I went into this expecting a book about a missing persons case, and that’s not what I got. It was more about family drama, and somewhat more reminiscent of Happiness Falls. Throughout the book, you learn about the family’s secrets now and in the past, which help to make sense of the narrator’s disappearance.

One thing I struggled with was the voice of the narrators. The high schooler isn’t written aptly, as a high school, which I found quite annoying. The mother isn’t particularly likable, and so neither felt relatable and it all sort of fell flat for me.

Thank you to the author, publishing house and Net Galley for providing an ebook ARC of this title.

This dark, missing person story is told in alternating POV's, that of Meg, the mother and McClane, the senior boy looking forward to college on a wrestling scholarship. There are older and younger sibs that also factor into the family trials, and Meg's husband who is a shady character and is left as a huge question mark for most of the book.

The overall tone of the book is very dark, as illustrated by the cover of the book. As the book is told in two POV's, we get some repetition due to the narrators and time lines, and there are too many - in my opinion - pages of descriptions of characters inner dialogs. This wasn't an easy book to read, due to the issues the characters were facing. It mostly kept my interest and was a fast read, but the ending was a bit lackluster.

3 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for sharing this ARC. While the story is far fetched and a challenge to believe…. That all this happens within one family…. It is believable that one character could be so lost in the day to day and historic traumas in life that they don’t see what’s right in front of them. The writing is good and the story is intriguing. My only complaint is that it was longer than it needed to be.

I liked the concept and I definitely didn’t know where it was going at first. The characters are so unlikeable. The random words or formatting issues made this a bit difficult for me to read (it couldn’t just been reading it on kindle on my phone).

I received an ARC of this from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Finished this book in a day because I couldn’t put it down.

“Upstanding Young Man” is a compelling, quietly suspenseful novel that expertly leverages an alternating timeline to build tension and gradually peel back the layers of a seemingly ordinary family. The structure—what appears at first to be a dual point of view—works surprisingly well, especially once you realize there’s more going on beneath the surface. (To say more would veer into spoiler territory, but suffice it to say, the narrative is more complex than it first appears.) Considering the complex and layered storyscape, I found this novel to be very well-executed.

Natalie emerges as the most fully realized character in the novel. Seen largely through McClane’s eyes, her layers are slowly and carefully revealed in a way that feels intentional and emotionally satisfying. While the rest of the characters—particularly Joe, the elusive husband and father—don’t receive quite the same depth or arc (and the mom is obnoxiously unlikable) the family dynamics and buried secrets keep the emotional stakes high throughout.

The novel does leave several threads dangling by the end, which might frustrate readers hoping for a tidier resolution. Still, the central question it raises—how well do we ever really know the people closest to us?—lingers long after the final page.

A moody, well-paced read that trades high drama for a slow-building sense of unease, Upstanding Young Man explores identity, perception, and the hidden truths that bind or break a family.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Upstanding Young Man by Sharon Doering.

When Meg's son McClane goes missing, she is hesitant to call the police. In fact, it is McClane's girlfriend Natalie that finally insists to make the dreaded phone call, which might bust open way too many secrets in Meg's life.

I was really into this book at first. It was delicious foreboding, and I felt like I knew the characters immediately. Unfortunately it all took a turn when the plot his it's climax, and I was left pretty disappointed. I don't want to give too many details to avoid spoilers, but it didn't hold the same tension and interest as it did at the beginning.

3.5 stars, rounding down.

I received a free copy of, Upstanding Young Man, by Sharon Doering, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. McClane is a high school student in the burbs of Chicago. I also live in the burbs of Chicago, though I dont think its the same one McClane lived in. McClane is going through a lot, and his parents arent helping him, but he has a lot of secrets. This book goes back in forth between McClane and his mother Meg. I did not care for the language in this book, it took away from the story.

Wow! This one had me on the edge of my seat. At times had me mad that the author dropped so many tidbits only for them to be tied up in the end.

One thing I really enjoyed, that kept med engaged, was that many of the chapters left on a little cliff hanger before flipping POV. It was very hard to put this down.

My only issue is that I wish that Joe and Jamie were used a bit more. I really thought this was going to go a different way.

I loved this, it was thrilling through out with just a few lulls.

This was a page-turner for me! Although I did feel my progress was impeded just a teensy bit by the flashbacks, overall, it is well written and believable. Meg, the mother, has a history that is only hinted at in the beginning and unfolds as the story takes hold. Told in two viewpoints, both by Meg and her son McClane, the story involves a missing teen (McClane) and family secrets from the past. The family dynamic rings true throughout the book. If that didn't work, I wouldn't have kept reading. Recommended!

One final thing. Regarding McClane's character, I'd like to offer a grammatical observation. I feel that teens these days must have lousy English teachers; otherwise, why would they keep saying things like, "Me and mom get along fine." (Not a quote from the book, just an example of how McClane speaks throughout.) Perhaps sentence diagramming should be taught in high school to end this travesty. I have read it in other books, as well, by adults no less, and it sets my teeth on edge. Just a pet peeve of mine!

Thank you very much to the publisher, author and NetGalley for the ARC.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A family of five loses a young child. The marriage survives and the parents have two additional children. Then another one of their children goes missing. The investigation leads into a reinvestigation of their first child's death while authorities simultaneously investigate the circumstances involving the missing son.

3.5 rounded up for this crazy domestic thriller. This was twisty, but not convoluted. Close dual timelines, but not hard to follow. Surprising, but not in a way that made me feel like it came out of nowhere. So overall, I found this very well written. That said, the dual POVs were only distinctive due to action. The teenage son and the mom sounded very similar, and since I have teenage boys, that left me shaking my head. It’s very character driven and Meg is hard to like, but as you learn more about her, it’s understandable in some ways. This is for sure a page turner and I couldn’t put it down for the last third of the book. I had to find out what was going on and the ending didn’t disappoint.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy and a chance to read this early. All opinions are my own.

This book is full and twists and turns. The characters aren't all likeable, so if you have to be invested in your character and like them, this book may not be for you. However, if you like books where you are kept guessing until the end, then pick this book up.

I wasn’t too sure of this book through the first 25% or so. I kept reading and all of a sudden it was a totally better story. The first part is rather boring but once I got into the book I was amazed at the excellent story telling and two points of view, mother and her son who was the kidnap victim. Most of the characters are unlikable in my opinion but it doesn’t detract from the plot. I was very surprised at who the guilty party was in the end. I would definitely recommend this thriller to anyone who likes that genre. I received a copy of this book free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What an uniquely plotted book, I wouldn't qualify it as thriller even tho some parts certainly kept me on the edge of my seats. Very good characters, captured many essences about motherhood perfectly, and loved the dual perspective and count- down timeline. Very enjoyable.

This book was so good from the very first page. It kept my attention and had my guessing the entire time. I thought I had it all figured out a few times but those little twists were thrown in like confetti. This would make a great movie.

Upstanding Young Man has a lot going on, from start to finish, but not necessarily in a good way. There are multiple characters, most unlikeable, and several storylines introduced, but not fully explored. It also takes awhile for anything to really happen, so you need to keep reading to get anything out of it. Overall, not one I loved and probably would not recommend to others.

3.5 stars rounded up.

What I liked:
1. Great sense of tension throughout, even when in characters' minds.
2. The threat of Joe.
3. The #upstandingyoungman isn't who we think it is.
4. The dual narrative, the before and after. When we arrive at the point where McClain goes missing in his narrative, it's a punch in the gut. An OH SH*T moment. Didn't see that coming.

What I didn't:
1. The adult characters - not an upstanding one to be found.
2. Joe...not fleshed out other than acts weird and menacing. We think we know why but can you give us more?
3. Meg. She doesn't get it til it's too late. Which I guess is the whole point, but still frustrating.
4. Nathan and Carson's stories need to be explored more fully. Maybe a missed opportunity here?

Riveting and hard to put down, even with one or two missteps, still enjoyed. I identified with Meg in that you think you know, but you don't.

P.S. Thanks to #netgalley and Goodreads giveaways for the ARCs.

Sharon Doering’s *Upstanding Young Man* is a gripping psychological thriller that plunges readers into the disintegrating world of Meg, a mother navigating the chaos of a fractured family and a vanishing son. Meg, mother of four—two grown and two still at home—has long carried the weight of caring for her former-boxer husband, who she suspects suffers from CTE. Gone is the magnetic, adventurous man she once loved; in his place is someone unpredictable, distant, and increasingly unrecognizable.

When Meg receives a call from her son McClane’s school alerting her to his unexplained absence, she instinctively lies, convinced he’s simply playing hooky. But what begins as a small deception quickly unravels into something far more alarming. As Meg’s concern grows, so too does her awareness of just how disconnected she’s become from her children. Her focus on managing her husband's instability has come at a cost—one paid in fractured trust and emotional distance.

The story unfolds through a compelling dual narration from both Meg and McClane. This structure offers intimate glimpses into the minds of both mother and son, allowing readers to witness the unraveling through their alternating perspectives. Yet, neither voice can be fully trusted, deepening the sense of uncertainty that propels the narrative forward.

*Upstanding Young Man* is a taut, emotionally charged novel that explores the high price of silence, the fragility of family bonds, and the harrowing consequences of denial. Doering’s deft storytelling and unrelenting tension made this a read I couldn’t put down. The path to redemption in this story is anything but smooth—layered with grief, desperation, and ultimately, hard-won clarity.