madelinesudbeck's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
guywho_reads's review
4.0
The main character was almost too relatable and it was horrifying…
This is a recap for me not a review.
Yes, daddy follows 25 year old Jonah living in New York City and struggling to make a life for himself. He’s an aspiring writer and filmmaker without any real friends or career. When he attends a queer film festival, Jonah meets Richard, a famous screenwriter. It is in that moment that Jonah decides he must win him over. Jonah does everything he can to be a part of Richards life and his efforts payoff. Jonah finds himself involved romantically with Richard and is being supported by him financially. When Jonah is invited to spend his summer at daddy Richards summer home on Long Island, he doesn’t see how things could get any better. It’s not until the true reason he was invited is revealed when Jonah realizes the horrific position he has put himself in.
Spoilers below!!!
Basically, after some time goes by at the summer home Richard breaks up with Jonah and requests back all the money he ‘gave’ to him. Since he is broke, Jonah has no way to pay back to the money. Daddy has a solution and offers Jonah a position to ‘work’ off his debt. Long story short Jonah becomes a sex slave for the old men on the commune. This book is gory and does not hold back any details depicting the sexual violence Jonah and all the other young men endured. The sex scenes are graphic and horrifying. The drug use to get the young boys to submit to the old men is gut wrenching. Ultimately, this becomes a story of revenge and an exploration of how far we are willing to go for love and financial security. I think the story is very realistic and happens, unfortunately, to a lot of people.
What really lost me and prevented this from being a 5 star read were all the religious sections. Jonah is from a very religious family and has left this lifestyle. He has a lot of internalized trauma due to the catholic church’s homophobic rhetoric and experiencing conversion therapy. Jonah is a fatally flawed character but I really argue that all his actions were justified. He broke apart his family due to him blaming his father for a lot of trauma (which his dad directly caused). I really did not understand the need for the ending with Jonah going back to his father and forgiving him. I get how cathartic and necessary it was for Jonah to heal, but him rekindling his relationship with religion was highly unnecessary.
This is a recap for me not a review.
Yes, daddy follows 25 year old Jonah living in New York City and struggling to make a life for himself. He’s an aspiring writer and filmmaker without any real friends or career. When he attends a queer film festival, Jonah meets Richard, a famous screenwriter. It is in that moment that Jonah decides he must win him over. Jonah does everything he can to be a part of Richards life and his efforts payoff. Jonah finds himself involved romantically with Richard and is being supported by him financially. When Jonah is invited to spend his summer at daddy Richards summer home on Long Island, he doesn’t see how things could get any better. It’s not until the true reason he was invited is revealed when Jonah realizes the horrific position he has put himself in.
Spoilers below!!!
Basically, after some time goes by at the summer home Richard breaks up with Jonah and requests back all the money he ‘gave’ to him. Since he is broke, Jonah has no way to pay back to the money. Daddy has a solution and offers Jonah a position to ‘work’ off his debt. Long story short Jonah becomes a sex slave for the old men on the commune. This book is gory and does not hold back any details depicting the sexual violence Jonah and all the other young men endured. The sex scenes are graphic and horrifying. The drug use to get the young boys to submit to the old men is gut wrenching. Ultimately, this becomes a story of revenge and an exploration of how far we are willing to go for love and financial security. I think the story is very realistic and happens, unfortunately, to a lot of people.
What really lost me and prevented this from being a 5 star read were all the religious sections. Jonah is from a very religious family and has left this lifestyle. He has a lot of internalized trauma due to the catholic church’s homophobic rhetoric and experiencing conversion therapy. Jonah is a fatally flawed character but I really argue that all his actions were justified. He broke apart his family due to him blaming his father for a lot of trauma (which his dad directly caused). I really did not understand the need for the ending with Jonah going back to his father and forgiving him. I get how cathartic and necessary it was for Jonah to heal, but him rekindling his relationship with religion was highly unnecessary.
prebeartobemoosified's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
i'm not sure i can rate this book. it was fast going and easy to read but i also had to put it down for hours because it was so...hurtful. i don't know.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Rape, and Religious bigotry
tfw_'s review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
kamcburns's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
vexatiousbird's review
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
It does well at depicting escalating abuse and makes it clear why the protagonist doesn’t leave after the early warning signs, and it’s written in a conversational style that makes it a quick read. The protagonist is intentionally unsympathetic to highlight how even unsympathetic people can be victims, but that presents a challenge for the reader. At least for me, the basic sympathy for his suffering and desire for him to escape terrible abusive circumstances didn’t extend to much longer term emotional investment in him as a character in the extended aftermath.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Homophobia, Drug use, Rape, Alcohol, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Suicide and Violence
Minor: Incest
kurucow's review
5.0
I’m giving this book 5 stars because it definitely deserves 5 stars, but for me it was more of a 4/low 4. This is solely because of how spiritually and religiously connected it is and that’s just not the trip for me. But I whole heartedly enjoyed and appreciate the experience of this book and I’m eagerly awaiting what the author has to publish in the future.
Though I feel the conversations in this book were important and can be cathartic in a way, I feel that it is necessary to mention the sensitive content that it holds so readers can make sure they will feel safe reading this novel (the following may be considered as minor spoilers).
Content Warning for a fairly significant amount of on page rape, conversion therapy, falsely accused pedophilia/molestation, pedophilia, social media slander, suicidal ideation, abuse of religious power
Though I feel the conversations in this book were important and can be cathartic in a way, I feel that it is necessary to mention the sensitive content that it holds so readers can make sure they will feel safe reading this novel (the following may be considered as minor spoilers).
Content Warning for a fairly significant amount of on page rape, conversion therapy, falsely accused pedophilia/molestation, pedophilia, social media slander, suicidal ideation, abuse of religious power