eyereadwhatiread126's review
5.0
My review is as always, late to the party. I must start by saying search triggers for this - reading is fabulous, mental health care and consideration is also fabulous!
I loved this book! I am so glad the author offered to send me it to read, and appreciated the patience they face when real life got in my way!
Synopsis:
In A NEST OF SNAKES, Brendan Cortland is a broken man. Middle-aged, pasty, pudgy, and fearful, he suffers from chronic depression, nightmares, and agoraphobia. His contact with the outside world is limited to trolling chatrooms, where he hunts pedophiles, and a weekly session with his psychiatrist, to whom he describes dreams of being devoured by predators. The doctor suspects catastrophic abuse, and maybe something more; but in all his years of therapy Brendan never divulged the deepest source of his trauma.
Pushed to his breaking point, Brendan embarks on a quest for justice. It’s the terrifying step he’s avoided for decades: going public with his story. His lawyer warns him that testifying might mean dredging up painful memories, ones he’d rather keep buried.
Still, no one is prepared for the horrible secrets and revelations that emerge during the trial … least of all Brendan himself.
This book gutted me and had me all in my feels. It’s raw and real, twists and turns and tackles heavy topics. The way the author writes it though is just enough to make it digestible to read without going overboard. It goes into Brendan’s past and you find out what happens, and what currently is going on for him and through therapy tells his story.
The book is courageous, and reminds us this happens to boys too, not just girls and how one person speaking up can speak for so many!
I will be buying the physical copy to have on my shelf, since I read this in February and am still thinking about this book!
I loved this book! I am so glad the author offered to send me it to read, and appreciated the patience they face when real life got in my way!
Synopsis:
In A NEST OF SNAKES, Brendan Cortland is a broken man. Middle-aged, pasty, pudgy, and fearful, he suffers from chronic depression, nightmares, and agoraphobia. His contact with the outside world is limited to trolling chatrooms, where he hunts pedophiles, and a weekly session with his psychiatrist, to whom he describes dreams of being devoured by predators. The doctor suspects catastrophic abuse, and maybe something more; but in all his years of therapy Brendan never divulged the deepest source of his trauma.
Pushed to his breaking point, Brendan embarks on a quest for justice. It’s the terrifying step he’s avoided for decades: going public with his story. His lawyer warns him that testifying might mean dredging up painful memories, ones he’d rather keep buried.
Still, no one is prepared for the horrible secrets and revelations that emerge during the trial … least of all Brendan himself.
This book gutted me and had me all in my feels. It’s raw and real, twists and turns and tackles heavy topics. The way the author writes it though is just enough to make it digestible to read without going overboard. It goes into Brendan’s past and you find out what happens, and what currently is going on for him and through therapy tells his story.
The book is courageous, and reminds us this happens to boys too, not just girls and how one person speaking up can speak for so many!
I will be buying the physical copy to have on my shelf, since I read this in February and am still thinking about this book!
genevasbookdiary's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
A nest of snakes
5 ⭐️
Heart wrenching novel about abuse / child sexual assault at a all boys private school.
It’s a very very powerful story that uncovers what Brendan had been dealing with since the school. Reading his terrorizing past just kept me turning and turning the pages.
Highly recommend searching triggers if you have any.
Thank you for this copy of the book In exchange for a honest review. This is one I will always recommend if you want a great story with a powerful ending.
A fictional debut I would have never thought it’s written so well and the story top tier.
Trigger ⚠️ warnings:
Depression
Pedophilia
Bullying
SA minor
soobooksalot's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
A Nest Of Snakes was not always an easy book to read. Yet I can start by saying I solidly enjoyed it, though enjoy feels like the wrong word given the subject matter.
Thank you to author Deborah Levison for the eARC for review, and for bringing my attention to her novel!
I became fully invested in this story of Brendan Cortland, whose story we are told in the early 80s and present-day. From the first page, we know Brendan is a tortured soul.
He and other students suffered horrible bullying and sexual abuse at the hands of those in positions of trust at the elite Torburton Hall Academy for Boys.
There are monsters in every corner.
But A Nest Of Snakes is ultimately a story of redemption and healing.
It's heavy subject matter and yet I absolutely couldn't put it down - the characters felt so real and there was so much tension throughout Brendan's journey. I was especially invested in the courtroom portion in the second half.
This is a difficult read but such an important one. Levison's author's note at the end was especially eye-opening.
Recommended!
Thank you to author Deborah Levison for the eARC for review, and for bringing my attention to her novel!
I became fully invested in this story of Brendan Cortland, whose story we are told in the early 80s and present-day. From the first page, we know Brendan is a tortured soul.
He and other students suffered horrible bullying and sexual abuse at the hands of those in positions of trust at the elite Torburton Hall Academy for Boys.
There are monsters in every corner.
But A Nest Of Snakes is ultimately a story of redemption and healing.
It's heavy subject matter and yet I absolutely couldn't put it down - the characters felt so real and there was so much tension throughout Brendan's journey. I was especially invested in the courtroom portion in the second half.
This is a difficult read but such an important one. Levison's author's note at the end was especially eye-opening.
Recommended!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs, Rape, Suicide, Child death, Bullying, Death, Pedophilia, Drug use, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, and Mental illness
chelz286's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
With the height of the Me Too Movements and trial outcomes being announced, this novel is a perfect read to bring to light the forefront of not just the women that were taken advantage of, but boys as well. This was at times a dark but good poignant read and the author did a great job at making her point about the seriousness of this all happening and the long-lasting effect on someone. Brandon is middle aged and has lost everything. His wife, his son, his ability to do anything really and he has also harbored a deep terrible secret that many around him would not have ever understood. This is the long-lasting effects of what can happen when someone was taken advantage of, and yet no one would do anything. Everyone always asks, "Why didn't you say anything?" and this novel dives right into that question and how things like this happen and stay buried even when many are involved. Very heartbreaking to read at times, I really loved how the author wrote Brandon character as well as Dylan's and how the court room played out as well. This is like a bad accident that we all slow down to gawk at, as we drive by. It is terrible, we are glad it was not us in that situation but we want to know what happened and why and how. This novel reads just like that, and I enjoyed every page of it. Thank you to the author for sending me a free ebook to read and review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Drug abuse, Alcohol, and Violence
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