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dethklok1985's review against another edition
4.0
I would have given it a 5 star, but what the hell was that ending??
paperwitch's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 • Well to say this book is fucked up and disturbing doesn’t do it justice.
This story is not for everyone, the subject is very dark and not one I read about at all.
I also had some issues with the writing and the constant repetitive statements throughout. The execution was poor and hastily done. The story itself didn’t have an actual point and it just felt like a draft.
Overall I’d stay away from this one, it was just not brightly executed.
This story is not for everyone, the subject is very dark and not one I read about at all.
I also had some issues with the writing and the constant repetitive statements throughout. The execution was poor and hastily done. The story itself didn’t have an actual point and it just felt like a draft.
Overall I’d stay away from this one, it was just not brightly executed.
mmc6661's review against another edition
1.0
once again I tried reading Oates and once again I struggled through it to the point that I skimmed it to the end to see if it had any redeeming qualities. A harsh and sad book.
hetauuu's review against another edition
4.0
Joyce Carol Oates' Daddy Love is a gutwrenching, disturbing story about an abducted boy, a disturbed pedophile and grieving parents. Weaving these points of view together, Oates creates a sickening, chilling story that will stick with you for ages.
Five-year-old Robbie Whitcomb is abducted into a van in April 2006. His mother is ran over by the madman, Chester Cash, who, for six years, continues to abuse, groom and rape Robbie. This book digs into the psyche of a highly troubled, disgusting man such as Chester with such punch that I was gasping for air at times. Reading from Chester's perspective is so harrowing because he is so realistic. His character is not gratuitous or overly written, no, men like him have always existed and will always exist. The realism of it all made it hard to stomach. The same goes for how the other points of view were handled. Robbie's transformation to Son, an obedient little boy, and then to Gideon, a boy desperate to escape, was realistic and showed Oates' capability to understand the human mind.
The plot progresses well and I found this book very hard to put down. I was so invested in Robbie and hoping for his freedom all the way through. There certainly was hope and there were moments of possibility of healing for him. The ending left me scratching my head, but I like that. It means this book will keep me thinking about the characters and their fate in the future, and it is always important for me to take something away from a book.
Five-year-old Robbie Whitcomb is abducted into a van in April 2006. His mother is ran over by the madman, Chester Cash, who, for six years, continues to abuse, groom and rape Robbie. This book digs into the psyche of a highly troubled, disgusting man such as Chester with such punch that I was gasping for air at times. Reading from Chester's perspective is so harrowing because he is so realistic. His character is not gratuitous or overly written, no, men like him have always existed and will always exist. The realism of it all made it hard to stomach. The same goes for how the other points of view were handled. Robbie's transformation to Son, an obedient little boy, and then to Gideon, a boy desperate to escape, was realistic and showed Oates' capability to understand the human mind.
The plot progresses well and I found this book very hard to put down. I was so invested in Robbie and hoping for his freedom all the way through. There certainly was hope and there were moments of possibility of healing for him. The ending left me scratching my head, but I like that. It means this book will keep me thinking about the characters and their fate in the future, and it is always important for me to take something away from a book.
sausome's review against another edition
2.0
This book left a bad taste in my mouth, and an overall "squiggy" feeling ... I've read disturbing books before, memoirs, mostly, but somehow, this situation fictionalized feels worse than if it was real ... I dunno, maybe because literally ANYTHING could happen? I think I breathed a sigh of relief as I closed the book having finished it. This is not to say that Oates writing isn't exceptional -- it totally is -- or that her ability to get into these several mindsets (all disturbing in their own ways) isn't masterful -- definitely -- but the story was just too *shudder* for me.
stevienlcf's review against another edition
4.0
“Daddy Love”is a wrenching novel that opens in 2006 with the abduction of five-year-old Robbie Whitcomb in a suburban mall parking lot. As the opening chapter repeats the traumatic event with added detail, we learn that Robbie’s young mother, Dinah, managed to grab hold of the van carrying her son and was dragged beneath it across the pavement for 50 feet before her body was released and she was left broken and with life-threatening injuries. Oates then shifts our attention to Robbie’s abductor, who refers to himself as Daddy Love, an itinerant preacher and a sexual predator who hunts for young boys, drugs and imprisons them in a coffin-like structure, and then stashes them in a rural New Jersey farmhouse where he allows them some freedoms after he has destroyed their free will. What is most extraordinary about this charismatic monster is that he is able to adapt an “ordinary guy” persona, Chet Cash, and move effortlessly amongst the denizens of his rural community, selling his macrame creations (which were actually made by Robbie) to admiring boutique owners, and chatting with other “fathers” about sports and construction. As the years pass, we learn how the once “bright chattery, happy child,” and his parents, whose marriage is impacted by this tragedy, cope with unspeakable physical and psychological pain. Perhaps most harrowing in this disturbing book is the question of whether rescue and salvation are even possible for Robbie.
novelesque_life's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 STARS
(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review).
"Dinah Whitcomb seemingly has everything. A loving and successful husband, and a smart, precocious young son named Robbie. One day, their worlds are shattered when Dinah is attacked and Robbie is taken in a mall parking lot. Dinah, injured, attempts to follow, but is run over by the kidnapper's van, mangling her body nearly beyond repair.
The kidnapper, a part-time Preacher named Chester Cash, calls himself Daddy Love. He confines Robbie in a device called the Wooden Maiden, in essence a small coffin, and renames him 'Gideon'. Daddy Love slowly brainwashes 'Gideon' into believing that he is Daddy Love's real son, and any time the boy resists or rebels it is met with punishment beyond his wildest nightmares.
As Dinah recovers from her wounds, her world and her marriage struggle to exist every day. Though it seems hopeless, she keeps a flicker of hope alive that her son is still alive.
As Robbie grows older, he becomes more aware of just how monstrous Daddy Love truly is. Though as a small boy he was terrified of what might happen if he disobeyed Daddy Love, Robbie begins to realize that the longer he stays in the home of this demon, the greater chance he'll end up like Daddy Love's other 'sons,' who were never heard from again. Somewhere within this tortured young boy lies a spark of rebellion... and soon he sees just what lengths he must go to in order to have any chance at survival." (From Amazon)
A difficult subject matter but is realistic and an interesting read.
(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review).
"Dinah Whitcomb seemingly has everything. A loving and successful husband, and a smart, precocious young son named Robbie. One day, their worlds are shattered when Dinah is attacked and Robbie is taken in a mall parking lot. Dinah, injured, attempts to follow, but is run over by the kidnapper's van, mangling her body nearly beyond repair.
The kidnapper, a part-time Preacher named Chester Cash, calls himself Daddy Love. He confines Robbie in a device called the Wooden Maiden, in essence a small coffin, and renames him 'Gideon'. Daddy Love slowly brainwashes 'Gideon' into believing that he is Daddy Love's real son, and any time the boy resists or rebels it is met with punishment beyond his wildest nightmares.
As Dinah recovers from her wounds, her world and her marriage struggle to exist every day. Though it seems hopeless, she keeps a flicker of hope alive that her son is still alive.
As Robbie grows older, he becomes more aware of just how monstrous Daddy Love truly is. Though as a small boy he was terrified of what might happen if he disobeyed Daddy Love, Robbie begins to realize that the longer he stays in the home of this demon, the greater chance he'll end up like Daddy Love's other 'sons,' who were never heard from again. Somewhere within this tortured young boy lies a spark of rebellion... and soon he sees just what lengths he must go to in order to have any chance at survival." (From Amazon)
A difficult subject matter but is realistic and an interesting read.
moogen's review against another edition
4.0
Whoa that was intense. The first few chapters are deliberately repetitive which I found annoying rather than clever. But after that this novel just raced. It's often sickening without being too graphic. Certainly not a read for the faint hearted but Oates can really write.
illmakeyoulaugh's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-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
2.0
Idk what I expected from a book about a pedo written by a old white lady but this ain’t it. I don’t like the way the black characters were described and talked about and the use of the n-word is completely unnecessary. I don’t like the authors writing style, it’s really just obnoxious. There’s a lot of really interesting reviews for this book so if you’re interested I’d say read some of those reviews. I don’t know anything about this author, this is my first read of her’s so just want to put that out there. Probably won’t read any of her other books.
split_figures's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0