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tyslady's review against another edition
3.0
The first thing this book did for me, was give me a HUGE amount of respect for my friends who own a crime scene cleanup agency. It's not something people want to think about, the "what happens 'after'" aspect, but this book makes you do just that. Suicides, accidentals, murders; it's all in there. But, he does it in a way that is not in-your-face gore.
The author introduces us to two main characters a year after their wife/mother died. David is the husband/father and is a crime scene technician. Mr O'Connor does a beautiful job showing us David's love and tenderness with his admittedly "off" son, and helping us see his slow descent into insanity. "Whitley" is a sweet little boy, known mostly as "The Kid" to everybody, including his father, who has voluntary mutism. Mr. O'Connor lets us know exactly what is going on in this little boy's head and heart.
The story is wonderfully written and I could "see" everything the author talked about. I did have an issue with the bullying that went on at this child's school. I found it a bit unbelievable. Maybe it's just because when I was a kid, I went to 5 different schools, and my kids have gone to 7 different schools and we have never encountered that kind of bullying. Maybe it does get that bad in some places, but I had a hard time wrapping my mind around it.
One amusing side note. I was nearly half way through the book, when I turned to my husband and said, "I'm amazed! With a topic like this one, there hasn't been a single swear word in the entire book so far!" Then, in the very next chapter, a peripheral character tried to make up for that in his next scene. Okay, maybe it's not that funny, but I got a kick out of it!
The author introduces us to two main characters a year after their wife/mother died. David is the husband/father and is a crime scene technician. Mr O'Connor does a beautiful job showing us David's love and tenderness with his admittedly "off" son, and helping us see his slow descent into insanity. "Whitley" is a sweet little boy, known mostly as "The Kid" to everybody, including his father, who has voluntary mutism. Mr. O'Connor lets us know exactly what is going on in this little boy's head and heart.
The story is wonderfully written and I could "see" everything the author talked about. I did have an issue with the bullying that went on at this child's school. I found it a bit unbelievable. Maybe it's just because when I was a kid, I went to 5 different schools, and my kids have gone to 7 different schools and we have never encountered that kind of bullying. Maybe it does get that bad in some places, but I had a hard time wrapping my mind around it.
One amusing side note. I was nearly half way through the book, when I turned to my husband and said, "I'm amazed! With a topic like this one, there hasn't been a single swear word in the entire book so far!" Then, in the very next chapter, a peripheral character tried to make up for that in his next scene. Okay, maybe it's not that funny, but I got a kick out of it!
tracib's review against another edition
5.0
A son deals with the loss of his mother by not speaking. A father deals with the loss of his wife by not dealing with it. This can't go on forever, and things start spiraling out of control as they separately fall deeper into their own despair. A powerful story of two people trying to find a semblance of normalcy in their abnormal lives.
mellabella's review against another edition
3.0
I don't know if this the kind of book that you "love". It was dark, depressing and brought me close to tears once or twice.
For some reason, the bullying aspect bothered me as though The Kid was real. I was probably thinking of all the kids that are bullied in real life everyday and feel so alone and have no way to make it stop.
I put this book down for years and recently picked it back up. I was ready to tackle it again.
3.5 stars.
For some reason, the bullying aspect bothered me as though The Kid was real. I was probably thinking of all the kids that are bullied in real life everyday and feel so alone and have no way to make it stop.
I put this book down for years and recently picked it back up. I was ready to tackle it again.
3.5 stars.
spinstah's review against another edition
4.0
This wasn't a happy book, but it was a compelling story and I think it ended well. The story begins about a year after the death of Lucy Darby, and follows the increasingly sad and frightening downward spiral of her husband, Darby, and son, The Kid. There are a couple of different threads of story woven together here, but as everything impacts everything else, it never felt like one of the story lines was being forced or ignored. The characters are interesting, and we see enough from their perspectives that you can understand and sympathize with many of their actions. O'Connor did a great job of writing some tough scenes of mental and physical anguish. If you enjoyed The Road you should give this a try. (And if you have a nook and I know you IRL, this is a Lend Me title and I'm glad to let you borrow it.)
wendyskeenan's review against another edition
1.0
One of the worst books I've ever read. I only finished it because I kept hoping something interesting or remotely good would happen.
booknerd7820's review against another edition
1.0
Ugh. Dark and depressing. Story is about a boy, nicknamed "The Kid" who has made a commitment to not speak until his mother returns, because he doesn't believe she really died, and his father who works for a hazardous materials cleaning service and has a lot of issues of his own. Everyone has major problems in the book and there is a lot of bullying that The Kid endures that never seems to have any consequences for those bullying. Frustrating read and a story that went on for far too long without any significant plot development.
daleann's review against another edition
3.0
This was a tough book to read. It was well written, it was the subject matter that made it difficult (if not at times draining.) if you read to get away from things for a while, this is not the book for you.
palliem's review
3.0
I was torn between three and four stars for this book. For me, it definitely ended stronger than it started. Perhaps I was wary at the start because I had read the reviews calling the story "bleak" and "dark". While the story definitely was those things, there was far more hope in the story than I expected. Ultimately, that thread of hope pulled me through the story and kept me wanting to read to the end.
matosapa's review against another edition
5.0
It's one of those books that is immediately a "5" but so disturbing that you wrestle with the choice for a long time.
Very similar to the atmosphere and claustrophobia of The Road.
Very similar to the atmosphere and claustrophobia of The Road.