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benbingley's review against another edition
5.0
Honestly … quite devastating. Really pessimistic; big lead up to ultimately mean nothing, but in a really heart wrenching kinda way that was written so smoothly. The ending was not what I wanted but was still happy with how things turned out … I think?
cloulesss's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
justinkhchen's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars
Way, way darker and emotionally charged than the cheeky title and the vacation-vibe cover art suggests otherwise, Yes, Daddy is a nightmarish deep dive into sexuality, trauma, #MeToo movement, and today's cancel culture, all through the familiar thriller trope of 'relationship from Hell'. Jonathan Parks-Ramage casts a wide net with this heartfelt debut; even though at times it lacks the polish and restraint of a seasoned author, one can't help but revel in its ambition.
The stylish writing is another aspect worth highlighting; not only is the narrative told in a particularity unique structure, Jonathan Parks-Ramage has a piercing ability depicting moments of neurosis and hallucination; the controlled chaos in his prose masterfully conveys the contradiction, the enlightened hopelessness of the central character.
While Yes, Daddy succeeds as a collection of powerful vignettes, it is less refined as a cohesive novel. The crux of the issue lies in its protagonist, Jonah. Deeply disturbed, Jonah is crippled by his less-than-ideal upbringing and unrelenting self-loathing. It is tricky treading the fine line between true-to-life documentation, and melodramatic sensationalism, unfortunately there are moments where the book crosses into the later. Jonah's continuing poor decision making plunges him into grimmer and grimmer scenarios, to the point where the character becomes a tragedy caricature, losing all sense of credibility. The book also has a tendency relying on the 'bait-and-switch' with its secondary characters, having them act erratically to generate shock and plot twist, disregarding whether it makes sense or not.
Yes, Daddy is a very solid achievement as Jonathan Parks-Ramage first novel; it defies typical genre convention, tackles taboo subjects head on, and delivers an achingly memorable story about one's self (re)discovery. Even when the story is spiraling out of control, teetering between candid realism and (unintentional) dark comedy, there's no denying the raw passion at its core.
***This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!***
Way, way darker and emotionally charged than the cheeky title and the vacation-vibe cover art suggests otherwise, Yes, Daddy is a nightmarish deep dive into sexuality, trauma, #MeToo movement, and today's cancel culture, all through the familiar thriller trope of 'relationship from Hell'. Jonathan Parks-Ramage casts a wide net with this heartfelt debut; even though at times it lacks the polish and restraint of a seasoned author, one can't help but revel in its ambition.
The stylish writing is another aspect worth highlighting; not only is the narrative told in a particularity unique structure, Jonathan Parks-Ramage has a piercing ability depicting moments of neurosis and hallucination; the controlled chaos in his prose masterfully conveys the contradiction, the enlightened hopelessness of the central character.
While Yes, Daddy succeeds as a collection of powerful vignettes, it is less refined as a cohesive novel. The crux of the issue lies in its protagonist, Jonah. Deeply disturbed, Jonah is crippled by his less-than-ideal upbringing and unrelenting self-loathing. It is tricky treading the fine line between true-to-life documentation, and melodramatic sensationalism, unfortunately there are moments where the book crosses into the later. Jonah's continuing poor decision making plunges him into grimmer and grimmer scenarios, to the point where the character becomes a tragedy caricature, losing all sense of credibility. The book also has a tendency relying on the 'bait-and-switch' with its secondary characters, having them act erratically to generate shock and plot twist, disregarding whether it makes sense or not.
Yes, Daddy is a very solid achievement as Jonathan Parks-Ramage first novel; it defies typical genre convention, tackles taboo subjects head on, and delivers an achingly memorable story about one's self (re)discovery. Even when the story is spiraling out of control, teetering between candid realism and (unintentional) dark comedy, there's no denying the raw passion at its core.
***This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!***
bocco's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Kidnapping, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Self harm, Alcohol, Mental illness, Rape, and Sexual content
wolfscout's review against another edition
5.0
Brilliant book. Every page is brilliant moving and heartbreaking.
I loved This book <3
I loved This book <3
ezrasupremacy's review against another edition
4.0
forgive me in advance if this review is incoherent.
wow. what a read. i started this because saying “tragic gays are my favourite thing to read about” is entirely accurate, and while i did expect to enjoy this book, i did not expect to be blown away the way i was.
genuinely the only reason why i didn’t finish this book in one or two days (still only took four sittings though) is because i was too emotionally drained by this book to finish it quickly.
i don’t generally like thrillers because 9/10 times they just feel formulaic and predictable, but this was so entirely different to what i expect to see when i pick up a thriller, that it actually managed to equally surprise and shock me.
the characters were genuinely amazing — everyone starts of feeling like a parody of a person, but as you get to know them you get to see behind the mask, so to speak, and see the human (or monster) behind the façade. throughout the entire story you equally feel for and with jonah and also hate him for what he’s done. and mace, God, i needed to mention him because his centrality to the plot aside, his end fucking gutted me, because i had simply not expected it, and i really really wish he would’ve gotten to move on, live a happier life — but it’s not unreasonable for his story to have ended this way, which makes it so devastating, to me at least.
now to the plot;
the way that the story opens is intense, and sets the picture perfectly for what’s to come — you know that richard is going to be doing bad things, and from very early on in jonah's relationship with him you get glimpses at just how bad of a person he is, but when his play is finally revealed i genuinely sat there, jaw dropped open, and needed a few minutes to process what i had just read. of course we know something bad will happen to jonah at richard's hands, but the way he is put into this position as well as what he is forced to endure afterwards just really got to me — and i don't often feel emotional about experiences i cannot relate to, so i was rather surprised by that.
another part of this story that was very interesting to me personally was jonah's relationship with religion. i didn't grow up as strictly religious as he did, but my family was catholic so i at least understand his situation a little, and as someone who has recently reconnected with his beliefs despite of his identity, my heart started to feel warm when jonah managed to reconnect, managed to heal a little, but then the red flags started to pop up, and God, i just wanted to scream at him to run in the same was mace had told him to run years before. adding the aspect of this figure of someone who, on the surface, seems like the perfect member of this religious group, who ended up again and again betraying jonah's trust in him, lastly in one of the worst ways possible, actually made me tear up (which i need to mention because that has only happened for like maybe 5 or so books before). i really liked how his apprehension towards his father's religious community in the very end was portrayed, scared to trust but willing to push yourself and try for the sake of healing.
i will certainly keep an eye out for any other books this author publishes.
wow. what a read. i started this because saying “tragic gays are my favourite thing to read about” is entirely accurate, and while i did expect to enjoy this book, i did not expect to be blown away the way i was.
genuinely the only reason why i didn’t finish this book in one or two days (still only took four sittings though) is because i was too emotionally drained by this book to finish it quickly.
i don’t generally like thrillers because 9/10 times they just feel formulaic and predictable, but this was so entirely different to what i expect to see when i pick up a thriller, that it actually managed to equally surprise and shock me.
the characters were genuinely amazing — everyone starts of feeling like a parody of a person, but as you get to know them you get to see behind the mask, so to speak, and see the human (or monster) behind the façade. throughout the entire story you equally feel for and with jonah and also hate him for what he’s done. and mace, God, i needed to mention him because his centrality to the plot aside, his end fucking gutted me, because i had simply not expected it, and i really really wish he would’ve gotten to move on, live a happier life — but it’s not unreasonable for his story to have ended this way, which makes it so devastating, to me at least.
now to the plot;
the way that the story opens is intense, and sets the picture perfectly for what’s to come — you know that richard is going to be doing bad things, and from very early on in jonah's relationship with him you get glimpses at just how bad of a person he is, but when his play is finally revealed i genuinely sat there, jaw dropped open, and needed a few minutes to process what i had just read. of course we know something bad will happen to jonah at richard's hands, but the way he is put into this position as well as what he is forced to endure afterwards just really got to me — and i don't often feel emotional about experiences i cannot relate to, so i was rather surprised by that.
another part of this story that was very interesting to me personally was jonah's relationship with religion. i didn't grow up as strictly religious as he did, but my family was catholic so i at least understand his situation a little, and as someone who has recently reconnected with his beliefs despite of his identity, my heart started to feel warm when jonah managed to reconnect, managed to heal a little, but then the red flags started to pop up, and God, i just wanted to scream at him to run in the same was mace had told him to run years before. adding the aspect of this figure of someone who, on the surface, seems like the perfect member of this religious group, who ended up again and again betraying jonah's trust in him, lastly in one of the worst ways possible, actually made me tear up (which i need to mention because that has only happened for like maybe 5 or so books before). i really liked how his apprehension towards his father's religious community in the very end was portrayed, scared to trust but willing to push yourself and try for the sake of healing.
i will certainly keep an eye out for any other books this author publishes.
calebmatthews's review against another edition
3.0
This book is very different in the end than it was in the beginning. It was interesting. None of the characters are really like-able. I might give the author another shot, but this was not my personal cup of tea.
ghoulbunny's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
arlingtonchamberofgay's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
In Yes, Daddy, Jonah dances the line between rags and riches, climbing the ladder of wealth the only way that many of us working class queers can: through our bodies. Parks-Ramage does a brilliant job conveying just how quickly survivors start reasoning away the abuse in an effort to stay sane and hold on to their life. The constant internal dialogue of “i’m doing this to survive” and “this isn’t fucking normal”, back and forth, over and over again, that damaging spiral of mental turmoil that just chips away at your mental health. He also explores the way that evangelical christianity is woven into our culture and often follows us long after we’ve left, even sometimes calling us back before falling out again.
As a trans, queer, sexual assault survivor with religious trauma and a plethora of daddy issues, this book got to me in a way I wasn’t fully expecting. But it brought words to the things that I’ve only ever kept to myself or told few friends. So thank you. Here’s to my fellow survivors. Let’s knock ‘em dead.
As a trans, queer, sexual assault survivor with religious trauma and a plethora of daddy issues, this book got to me in a way I wasn’t fully expecting. But it brought words to the things that I’ve only ever kept to myself or told few friends. So thank you. Here’s to my fellow survivors. Let’s knock ‘em dead.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Gaslighting, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Suicide, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Homophobia, Death, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, and Child abuse