Reviews with content warning for Drug abuse - Yes, Daddy

I.. I’m speechless. But I can’t tell if in a good way or just an extremely shocked way. I did tell myself once that I need to start reading TW/CW before I start books and I failed to do that again here with Yes, Daddy.. going in without knowing anything except for the synopsis on the inside of the dust jacket. Honestly, I’m actually glad I didn’t know because I don’t know if I’d have mustered up the courage to read this book if I had read the TW before.

First of all, if someone were to ask if I would recommend - I’d strongly suggest that everyone should consider reading the TW/CW before deciding. Or if you think you can handle some pretty heavy, effed up, intense, and basically horrific content.. then just dive right in.

Secondly; I read this book in basically two days. I was in a weird reading slump since the beginning of the month and needed something different (and yes, this was not the different I was expecting, but alas I sped through it).

The writing is actually pretty amazing and very immersive. For a first novel, Jonathan Parks-Ramage is very talented and I dig his writing style. The pace was consistent and fast throughout, which is why I got through the book quickly. However I did find the pacing in the last quarter of the book to drag a teeny bit.. But also, at that point of the story, I think I was also just needing some sort of reprieve from what I was reading.. but the frustration and angst just kept piling on!

The characters are.. well, I can’t say any of the main ones are likeable. The one that would be most down to earth and likeable would be Rashad. Though, I also see that this story is not intended for us as readers to like the characters. And despite not liking them, it didn’t affect my choice to continue reading.

I did however, question whether I should continue reading this book after around Ch 9/10. I literally had to put the book down after feeling quite physically ill from what I had just read.

Some of the traumatic scenes were just so vile and disgusting on a human level. I wasn’t sure if it was dialled up just for shock value, or whether it was essential as glue for the plot/story, especially since it did serve as a plot device for the rest of the book.

This is also one of the first books I’ve read where it’s not marketed as horror, but the scenes described in this can actually very much pertain to being “horror” or “horrorific”, in which case I would label this as a horror novel.

I’m torn at how to rate this one. I love the authors writing and the dialogue,m, and scene building was top notch IMO. I felt like I could envision everything, which is a two sided sword since the vile scenes were just so much more vivid and again, just so sick.

The story itself is a slog of shocking moments and depressing moments, which I think is what the author intended the story to have and do. It did it’s job! I think I need to justify that my rating is based on a lot more on this being true to itself (including the writing style) rather than a reflection on the specific content that is in the book itself.

This book will probably haunt me for the next few days!

Content Warnings

bootsmom3's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

apersonfromflorida's review against another edition

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dark emotional inspiring fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

danielghurst's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Yes, Daddy by Jonathan Parks-Ramage tells the story of Jonah, a young, gay, aspiring playwright in New York, who, like so many young artists in New York, is in a desperate financial situation. With painstaking precision, he leverages his youth and sex appeal for a shortcut to New York theatre's inner circle and gets much more than he anticipated. What starts as a dream scenario soon takes a dark turn that will have far-reaching consequences.

After a chilling prologue, Yes, Daddy takes the reader on a brooding and often brutal thrill ride. The clever narrative device and the heaviness of the language draw the reader into this world of desperation, sexual tension, and power plays. The first half of the book breezes by in a whirl of eerie events, odd characters, unabashed gayness, sexuality, and brutality, at times verging on camp.

The second half is more of a surprise. Several years later, Jonah has a more personal reckoning with what happened to him in the first half of the book, the others involved, and the childhood traumas that led him into such a dire situation. Mostly absent of thrills, the rest of the book moves more slowly and delves into societal critique around social media, mental health, religion, sexuality, and rape culture, particularly in regards to the gay community. Expect a more human story tinged with both despair and hope.

Non-exhaustive list of content warnings: rape, physical violence, underage drinking, sexual assault, kidnapping, infidelity, drug use, cruelty to animals, suicide, suicidal ideation, religious fanaticism

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