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hollyr1999's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
3.0
I was really enjoying the book up until the last few chapters when the point of views became hard for me to follow. I looked up explanations of the ending which still leave me unsatisfied. Not my favorite way to end a book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Sexism
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
rainbowrnb's review against another edition
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Sexism, and Ableism
liseyp's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-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
3.0
An intriguing concept, but it didn’t fully suck me in.
Full disclosure - the main character in this has a son who has an autistic spectrum diagnosis and I found it really hard to read the way sections about him were written. The author has a son with ASD so he know of what he speaks, but what the book never talks about is that it’s called a spectrum for a reason. So, it ends up reinforcing stereotypes that suggests all people with autism are incapable of empathy or emotion.
There’s a point near the beginning where the narrator says “The mother of a child with autism knows her feelings for him will never be reciprocated. Her child will never say I love you…”. I almost threw the book down in disgust at that point, before knowing the author was writing from their experience. I imagined a parent terrified of a diagnosis reading that statement or someone who doesn’t know anyone with autism believing that’s an immutable fact for anyone with autism.
The book does improve and as we get to see more of the son, Danny, we do see that while the way he communicates and connects with other people is not typical for a child his age, he is capable of connecting with people. But, as the mother of a boy with an autistic spectrum disorder myself, a boy who gives the best hugs and frequently says I love you (particularly to his teenage sister because he enjoys how much it annoys her - teenagers!), I know that the image of people with autism all having very low or non-existent emotions or empathy is wrong and presenting the experience of one as the experience of all can be really damaging to understanding why it is a spectrum and that each person’s particular attributes and personality will be unique to them. Just like with neurotypical people.
Anyway, I fully admit that my own baggage on this may well have coloured my views of this book.
Taken on its own merits it’s a reasonable thriller. It runs on the edge of trying to be too clever, but mostly stays on the right side of being engaging.
Worth a read, just remember while the description of a boy with autism may be based on the author’s genuine experience, despite the way it’s presented here it is not the reality for everyone with autism.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault
Minor: Child abuse
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