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stayathomereader's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Vomit, and Animal death
jonathanlynch's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
3.5
*Trigger content warnings for rape, sexual/physical abuse, conversion therapy, pedophilia, and suicide.*
When I first heard about Yes, Daddy, I was intrigued because the summary reminded me of Ryan Murphy's mini-series, Hollywood. Specifically the abusive relationship between Rock Hudson and his agent. On that front, I was not disappointed at all. It's exactly about that, echoing a very real and dark reality many young people in the entertainment industry continue to face today.
In the age of the Me Too Movement, we are more aware than ever of the toxic power structures our institutions are founded on. Typically and not surprisingly, power-hungry white men abuse the power they are given to oppress and abuse others. The presence of this theme is undeniable in this book and trust me when I say, it gets heavy. There were many moments throughout reading this that I had to set my book down to remember to breathe and continually run my hand through my hair (it's a nervous habit).
Parks-Ramage is a promising debut author and this being his first novel, I am thoroughly impressed. He created a nuanced protagonist in struggling writer Jonah, who was no where near perfect, but someone you could root for and empathize with. He also created an all too convincing villain in successful playwright Richard, who, on top of being an evil pig, was the king of gaslighting and manipulation to the extent that even I felt gaslighted and manipulated.
Trauma played a pivotal role in this book. I'll be the first to admit that I sometimes think authors give their characters too much to handle. Especially queer characters. I saw this in A Little Life and more recently for me, Cleanness. This book does not escape from that, but this felt more purposeful and had something important to say. Jonah held his umbrella high to try to protect himself from the many forms of trauma he experienced throughout his young life. His Evangelical upbringing was triggering for me in a way I was not expecting. I don't doubt any queer person who reads this book will feel triggered at one point or another.
***I do want to emphasize the current trend in queer lit where gay protagonists perpetually suffer and are set up for destructive behaviors and decision making. Every queer person has a story to tell and a lot of the time, trauma is going to be a part of that story because of the way society enforces its code on all of us. However, I would like to see authors portray more healthy queer adult love stories every now and then... but that's neither here nor there.***
I also appreciated that the author highlighted the media's faults and weaknesses toward the end of this book and the type of toxicity that can exist on social media in reaction to some very hard and complicated themes. I wish that was a bigger part of it.
Most of the book was written as a quasi autobiography, or a letter written to someone else. There was a moment the plot teetered on the cusp of horror and it felt like I was descending into a queer version of a Jordan Peele film. Though that moment was short lived, it was the part of the book that had me flipping through its pages the fastest.
At times, rushed with clunky dialogue, at other times, extremely unputdownable. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to see what comes next from this author.
Thank you to the publishers, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, for sending me an ARC through a Goodreads giveaway !
When I first heard about Yes, Daddy, I was intrigued because the summary reminded me of Ryan Murphy's mini-series, Hollywood. Specifically the abusive relationship between Rock Hudson and his agent. On that front, I was not disappointed at all. It's exactly about that, echoing a very real and dark reality many young people in the entertainment industry continue to face today.
In the age of the Me Too Movement, we are more aware than ever of the toxic power structures our institutions are founded on. Typically and not surprisingly, power-hungry white men abuse the power they are given to oppress and abuse others. The presence of this theme is undeniable in this book and trust me when I say, it gets heavy. There were many moments throughout reading this that I had to set my book down to remember to breathe and continually run my hand through my hair (it's a nervous habit).
Parks-Ramage is a promising debut author and this being his first novel, I am thoroughly impressed. He created a nuanced protagonist in struggling writer Jonah, who was no where near perfect, but someone you could root for and empathize with. He also created an all too convincing villain in successful playwright Richard, who, on top of being an evil pig, was the king of gaslighting and manipulation to the extent that even I felt gaslighted and manipulated.
Trauma played a pivotal role in this book. I'll be the first to admit that I sometimes think authors give their characters too much to handle. Especially queer characters. I saw this in A Little Life and more recently for me, Cleanness. This book does not escape from that, but this felt more purposeful and had something important to say. Jonah held his umbrella high to try to protect himself from the many forms of trauma he experienced throughout his young life. His Evangelical upbringing was triggering for me in a way I was not expecting. I don't doubt any queer person who reads this book will feel triggered at one point or another.
***I do want to emphasize the current trend in queer lit where gay protagonists perpetually suffer and are set up for destructive behaviors and decision making. Every queer person has a story to tell and a lot of the time, trauma is going to be a part of that story because of the way society enforces its code on all of us. However, I would like to see authors portray more healthy queer adult love stories every now and then... but that's neither here nor there.***
I also appreciated that the author highlighted the media's faults and weaknesses toward the end of this book and the type of toxicity that can exist on social media in reaction to some very hard and complicated themes. I wish that was a bigger part of it.
Most of the book was written as a quasi autobiography, or a letter written to someone else. There was a moment the plot teetered on the cusp of horror and it felt like I was descending into a queer version of a Jordan Peele film. Though that moment was short lived, it was the part of the book that had me flipping through its pages the fastest.
At times, rushed with clunky dialogue, at other times, extremely unputdownable. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to see what comes next from this author.
Thank you to the publishers, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, for sending me an ARC through a Goodreads giveaway !
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Incest and Suicide
pageturningaj's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
First I would like to give a BIG THANK YOU to the author Jonathan Parks-Ramage for sending me a copy of his book! I would also like to thank NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt as well for approving me after I had received my copy.
CW/TW: This book features scenes of sexual assault, conversion therapy, abuse, drug use, and suicide. I would advise against reading if any of those topics are triggering.
Snapshot: Jonah Keller is a young aspiring writer living in New York struggling to make ends meet. When he has the great idea to “set up” a meeting with Richard Shriver, the devilishly handsome, successful playwright Jonah wishes to be with. A very tumultuous relationship ensues and things go south very quickly for Jonah.
Thoughts: Whoa, this book was very raw and DARK. It was way heavier and filled with more emotions than the fun book cover portrays. I flew through this book and read it in 8 hours. That is not something I usually do with a book, but I could not set this one down. I was rooting for Jonah the whole way through his sad story.
It’s a somber reality, but this book really dove headfirst into the world of powerful men getting what they want from unsuspecting victims. It was at times, uncomfortable and explicit but important in the age of the #metoo movement, especially in the LGBTQ+ community. In his debut novel, Jonathan Parks-Ramage brings to the table what a lot of other authors fail to bring. This book will stay with me for a long time for its no-nonsense topic and writing. The story is an attention grabber and it definitely captivated me from the moment I started reading it. Bravo Jonathan, you’ve got me hooked and I can’t wait to see what you come out with next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicide, and Sexual assault
whatsjessreading's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Suicide
Minor: Vomit and Grief
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