cbressler80's review against another edition
dark
sad
fast-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? It's complicated
4.0
I mean wow…. I started this book feeling one way and ended it feeling another way. It’s a hard read especially if you are a mom. But it truly answers the question of how far a person would go for TRUE love. That twist at the end.? Never saw that coming.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Violence, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Gore, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Blood, Pedophilia, Body shaming, Incest, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Self harm, and Grief
shania_siobhan's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Suicide attempt, and Rape
voilajean's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Drug use, Grief, Vomit, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, and Suicide
corywbowers's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Grief, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Sexual harassment, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Drug abuse, Child death, Vomit, Violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Self harm, Rape, Mental illness, Incest, Bullying, and Child abuse
kiddocut's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
3.25
This book is not for everyone. Don’t go into it thinking there is a big twist once you read what the subject matter is-there is no twist. That’s the point.
It’s one of the most challenging and upsetting things I’ve ever listened to and if you skip bits I don’t blame you-I had to skip some final chapters to “finish” this book. <specifically those associated with assisted suicide>
I think it takes great skill to write about this subject matter in a humanizing light without excusing the actions of the MC’s son.
The point of the book is seeing her do everything she thinks she can to save her son from his own urges-even denying the truth or hoping it’s a mistake…and how that rips her family apart. And yeah the MC does stupid and dangerously risky things to do that-but I can’t help but understand how hard it must be with the association of someone like her son.
I think this book does a good job with the ripples of victimhood that the actions of the MC’s son actually does. That it affects every family member and how it affects them. And I think we forget that aspect of these kinds of crimes.
If you can stomach it, (again, it’s not for the faint of heart) the change of perspective is interesting in and of itself.
And as much as I like that, I do wish there was like a blurb or something about the research in this book-especially when it comes to the profiling efforts. It’s well researched but i still felt left hanging.
It’s one of the most challenging and upsetting things I’ve ever listened to and if you skip bits I don’t blame you-I had to skip some final chapters to “finish” this book. <specifically those associated with assisted suicide>
I think it takes great skill to write about this subject matter in a humanizing light without excusing the actions of the MC’s son.
The point of the book is seeing her do everything she thinks she can to save her son from his own urges-even denying the truth or hoping it’s a mistake…and how that rips her family apart. And yeah the MC does stupid and dangerously risky things to do that-but I can’t help but understand how hard it must be with the association of someone like her son.
I think this book does a good job with the ripples of victimhood that the actions of the MC’s son actually does. That it affects every family member and how it affects them. And I think we forget that aspect of these kinds of crimes.
If you can stomach it, (again, it’s not for the faint of heart) the change of perspective is interesting in and of itself.
And as much as I like that, I do wish there was like a blurb or something about the research in this book-especially when it comes to the profiling efforts. It’s well researched but i still felt left hanging.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Self harm, Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, Chronic illness, Sexual violence, Stalking, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Pedophilia, Medical content, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Incest, Bullying, Blood, and Adult/minor relationship
Don’t go into this thinking there is a twist like I did-I was mislead by a friend suggestion, there *is* a slight one, but it’s so minuscule and misleading that it’s a pseudo twist that has no affect on the MC or her son.erica_reads_things's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
An incredibly tragic and heartbreaking read. A unique perspective of a family struggling in the aftermath of a loved one causing harm - but being genuinely remorseful. Where do we draw the line between accountability and punishment?
I wasn't a fan of Adrienne's justifications and excusing tone sometimes of her sons actions, but I can absolutely see how parents would have similar thoughts processes. It's not right, but it felt real.
All of the characters were so complex. What a read.
I wasn't a fan of Adrienne's justifications and excusing tone sometimes of her sons actions, but I can absolutely see how parents would have similar thoughts processes. It's not right, but it felt real.
All of the characters were so complex. What a read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Grief, Self harm, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Medical content, Mental illness, and Violence
Minor: Incest, Drug use, and Bullying
kelseyyreadssbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, and Vomit
minimicropup's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
3.5
Atmosphere: 👍
-set primarily by conversational dialogue and internal thoughts; this is done well without ever being over the top, coming across as forced for plot convenience, or as "cheesy"
-has "the-“ syndrome for setting environment ("the living room", "the table", "the bedroom"). In almost any other book I'd be annoyed with it, but it works here. The material is so dark there's no way I would want to spend time reading about the sounds, smells, and colours of their surroundings with such challenging events unfolding
-you can imagine suburban housing in a fairly small town with a temperate climate; the author won't suddenly destroy it!
Main POVs: 👍
-a married Catholic parent of two who unconditionally loves their kids, but is bordering on denial/justification sometimes. We are following this parent's reflections on the past and experiences when their adolescent son admits to molesting young girls, completes a treatment program in an institutionalized setting, and is faced with re-integration during his senior year of high school.
-an adolescent in a treatment/rehabilitation centre for young males who have committed sex crimes
Growls and Howls: 🐺
-I wish this started off with a short intro showing us the family dynamics BEFORE the events. Like starting with the family happy together at the amusement park, then jumping to the timeline written. Since I was being told the past mainly through the one parent’s POV, it made it harder for me to imagine a time when Noah was popular and likeable and close with his family.
-I got yanked out of the book a bit when they went to a public place with children everywhere and Noah’s parents, who previously were sketched out if he was so much as left alone with his younger sister were, like, totally cool with it. It seemed like the elephant in the room and out of character.
-I don’t know what the current stance is within the fields of psychology and medicine re: pedophilia, so I can’t comment on the accuracy of what is said or done within this book. I’m not particularly wanting to look any of this up myself, so I’m going to guess it’s controversial but mostly a conundrum (no real cure etc). I would have liked if there was a bit at the end of the book informing the average reader of evidence for whether or not true pedophilia exists and treatment outlooks IRL.
Show'n'Tell: 🥺
Mostly tell, but shows where it counts. Uh, no crayons for this one folks, class is cancelled.
Reading Journey: 🥴
You have a truck so you agree to an afternoon helping someone move and quickly realize it's a whole sad thing. If you complete the task, you are def skipping the beer and pizza to get outta there asap.
Good match if you like:
-dark but thought-provoking nature-vs-nurture tropes
-one twist at the end (I didn't see it coming) that makes you want to re-read some parts
-short, to the point, hard-hitting drama
-family and parenting struggles
-social issues commentary
Vibes: 🫢😢😮💨
Format: Kindle Unlimited
-set primarily by conversational dialogue and internal thoughts; this is done well without ever being over the top, coming across as forced for plot convenience, or as "cheesy"
-has "the-“ syndrome for setting environment ("the living room", "the table", "the bedroom"). In almost any other book I'd be annoyed with it, but it works here. The material is so dark there's no way I would want to spend time reading about the sounds, smells, and colours of their surroundings with such challenging events unfolding
-you can imagine suburban housing in a fairly small town with a temperate climate; the author won't suddenly destroy it!
Main POVs: 👍
-a married Catholic parent of two who unconditionally loves their kids, but is bordering on denial/justification sometimes. We are following this parent's reflections on the past and experiences when their adolescent son admits to molesting young girls, completes a treatment program in an institutionalized setting, and is faced with re-integration during his senior year of high school.
-an adolescent in a treatment/rehabilitation centre for young males who have committed sex crimes
Growls and Howls: 🐺
-I wish this started off with a short intro showing us the family dynamics BEFORE the events. Like starting with the family happy together at the amusement park, then jumping to the timeline written. Since I was being told the past mainly through the one parent’s POV, it made it harder for me to imagine a time when Noah was popular and likeable and close with his family.
-I got yanked out of the book a bit when they went to a public place with children everywhere and Noah’s parents, who previously were sketched out if he was so much as left alone with his younger sister were, like, totally cool with it. It seemed like the elephant in the room and out of character.
-I don’t know what the current stance is within the fields of psychology and medicine re: pedophilia, so I can’t comment on the accuracy of what is said or done within this book. I’m not particularly wanting to look any of this up myself, so I’m going to guess it’s controversial but mostly a conundrum (no real cure etc). I would have liked if there was a bit at the end of the book informing the average reader of evidence for whether or not true pedophilia exists and treatment outlooks IRL.
Show'n'Tell: 🥺
Mostly tell, but shows where it counts. Uh, no crayons for this one folks, class is cancelled.
Reading Journey: 🥴
You have a truck so you agree to an afternoon helping someone move and quickly realize it's a whole sad thing. If you complete the task, you are def skipping the beer and pizza to get outta there asap.
Good match if you like:
-dark but thought-provoking nature-vs-nurture tropes
-one twist at the end (I didn't see it coming) that makes you want to re-read some parts
-short, to the point, hard-hitting drama
-family and parenting struggles
-social issues commentary
Vibes: 🫢😢😮💨
Format: Kindle Unlimited
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Bullying, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Vomit, Forced institutionalization, Rape, and Pedophilia
Minor: Incest
I don't think this book is automatically a nope for anyone who has survived someone (or has a family member) like Noah; I think for some it may offer some healing, perspective, and understanding, but could also be very derailing, rage-inducing, and come across as too sympathetic to the abuser. Here are some considerations with mild spoilers if you'd like to know first: How main incidents are describedSpoiler
the molestation isn't described in great detail but is mentioned and includes the perspective of Noah using children's curiosity about the body to encourage the touching. There is no penetration.Spoiler
incidents of incest are mentioned briefly in the context of noting who in the treatment centre had committed it. Noah is not experiencing incestuous thoughts and doesn't commit any acts of incest.Spoiler
One parent is very accepting and wants to understand Noah; they sometimes verges on the edge of being dismissive "he didn't actually HURT them or mean to" type thoughts. The other parent is very rejecting and resentful of Noah and wants to pay him off to go across the country and never contact the family again...which would essentially give him free rein and resources to hurt girls there w/o accountability so...yeah. We see that this parent has issues later on too.Spoiler
Noah is diagnosed as a true pedophile (rare but incurably attracted to children). I don't know if the subject matter, diagnosis, or treatment options are realistic, but essentially there's not much hope for any positive outcomes for him in the future if left in society. The psychiatrist seems excited to try to treat him further but also like, a little too okay in my opinion with the idea that he can't control or stop these urges even with modern medicine and castration options.Spoiler
there are male rape scenes in the treatment centre, and Noah is raped with a baseball bat at one pointSpoiler
suicide is romanticized a bit where a parent helps Noah plan and go through with it, but it’s under the guise of love and how he has no other options. Controversial for sure, and could be a lot for anyone who loves someone who is/was suicidal or anyone who struggles with suicidal thoughts particularly if they arise from shame/lack of hope for the future
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