I have not disliked a book like this in a long time. Is it affecting? yes. I can't stop fuming about it. I just hate the framing and the conclusions and I genuinely do not understand its purpose.
Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Murder
Moderate: Abandonment, Violence, and Bullying
Spoiler
The basic premise of the story is 'perfect' son admits to acting on a sexual attraction to children and is charged & sent to treatment, with mother and family trying to deal with situation.
The conclusion is mother ends up agreeing to assist her son in killing himself which is framed as a difficult but noble decision (even as she plans to avoid arrest by making it out to be suicide & somewhere in there the father has never revealed that he had similar problems - in the past? but got over it? I suspect they were trying for a 'its genetic' point but it somehow made the 'this is a mental illness & there is no treatment & look at how society responds'..so euthanasia is the only solution- even more confusing and unsettling)
I genuinely do not understand what this story is trying to do other than flattening a complex and provoking topic into a very base 'well, killing pedophiles is the only option. In fact its a kindness.' with an added 'god understands'. I know this is a controversial topic & I have my own personal difficulties with the subject but turns out; I find this a highly disturbing take & genuinely wish I'd never read this book.