The Kids Are Gonna Ask - by Gretchen Anthony (Paperback)

About the Book

"The death of Thomas and Savannah McClair's mother turns their world upside down. Raised to be fiercely curious by their grandmother Maggie, the twins become determined to learn the identity of their biological father. And when their mission goes viral, an eccentric producer offers them a dream platform: a fully sponsored podcast called The Kids Are Gonna Ask. To discover the truth, Thomas and Savannah begin interviewing people from their mother's past and are shocked when the podcast ignites in popularity. As the attention mounts, they get caught in a national debate they never asked for--but nothing compares to the mayhem that ensues when they find him."--

Book Synopsis

A 2021 Alex Award Winner!

"A sparkling tale about fame and family... Fans of Elizabeth Berg and J. Ryan Stradal will relish the novel's humor, spark, and verve." --Booklist

"Smart yet surprisingly sweet, this meditation on family and media is as captivating as a favorite podcast." --Shelf Awareness

"Moving, humorous, and briskly-paced." --J. Ryan Stradal, New York Times bestselling author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest and The Lager Queen of Minnesota

A whip-smart, entertaining novel about twin siblings who become a national phenomenon after launching a podcast to find the biological father they never knew.

The death of Thomas and Savannah McClair's mother turns their world upside down. Raised to be fiercely curious by their grandmother Maggie, the twins become determined to learn the identity of their biological father. And when their mission goes viral, an eccentric producer offers them a dream platform: a fully sponsored podcast called The Kids Are Gonna Ask. To discover the truth, Thomas and Savannah begin interviewing people from their mother's past and are shocked when the podcast ignites in popularity. As the attention mounts, they get caught in a national debate they never asked for--but nothing compares to the mayhem that ensues when they find him.

Cleverly constructed, emotionally perceptive and sharply funny, The Kids Are Gonna Ask is a rollicking coming-of-age story and a moving exploration of all the ways we can go from lost to found.

Review Quotes

"A shrewd commentary on our viral culture... Readers will be drawn to the [McClairs'] drama and root for them." --Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Funny, fast-paced... Smart yet surprisingly sweet, this meditation on family and media is as captivating as a favorite podcast." --Shelf Awareness

"A sparkling tale about fame and family... readers will turn the pages quickly. Fans of Elizabeth Berg and J. Ryan Stradal will relish the novel's humor, spark, and verve." --Booklist

"Moving, humorous, and briskly-paced, The Kids Are Gonna Ask is a pure portrait of Minnesota nice, filled with empathy, wisdom, and characters you'll love to root for." --J. Ryan Stradal, New York Times bestselling author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest and The Lager Queen of Minnesota

"Going viral takes on a whole new meaning in this wry and humane look at the unintended consequences of inviting the world into your private life. The Kids Are Gonna Ask is a touching, wonderful novel about the discoveries we make when the simplest questions spark the most complicated answers." --Abbi Waxman, bestselling author of The Bookish Life of Nina Hill and Other People's Houses

"Not your typical family saga... The Kids Are Gonna Ask is a quirky tale that puts on a new spin on the ancestry.com and 23andMe craze by putting one set of siblings' search for their biological father into the limelight. Anthony captures millennial fervor perfectly in this thoroughly modern story. I truly enjoyed it!" --Elyssa Friedland, author of The Floating Feldmans

"Totally original, filled with quirky and heartfelt characters that leap to life off the page. The Kids Are Gonna Ask explores the complexities of familial love and the search for a biological father that quickly escalates into a national controversy. Gretchen Anthony has her pen on the pulse of today's social media culture and delivers a page-turning novel that could very well go viral." --Renee Rosen, author of Park Avenue Summer

"Gretchen Anthony's The Kids Are Gonna Ask is a smart, engaging send-up of our modern age wrapped up in a story too delicious to put down. With a lovable matriarch, a pair of insightful kids, a spot-on villain and even a ghost or two for good measure, plan to get totally sucked in to the tweets, texts, and podcasts that pepper this funny, heartfelt exploration of what makes us who we are." --Kelly Harms, bestselling author of The Overdue Life of Amy Byler

"Relatives: can't live without them... or can you? In The Kids Are Going to Ask, twins Thomas and Savannah McClair team up with their grandmother to find the father they've never known--only to discover that their tech skills are, ironically, no match for the intricacies of modern life. Gretchen Anthony does Midwest-funny in a way that few can, and her latest novel is a unique story that reminds us that however complicated, human connection is what makes life worth living." --Ann Garvin, bestselling author of I Like You Just Fine When You're Not Around