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midici's review against another edition
5.0
I just finished my third read of this book. This book is one of the ones that never seems the same upon on re-reading. The first time I was entranced. The book contains a palpable dread, a slow unrelenting buildup of pressure towards the final chapters in which Kevin's massacre is detailed. Knowing the basic facts before that point does nothing to lessen the suspense.
"I'm determined to accept due responsibility for every wayward thought, every petulance, every selfish moment, not in order to gather all the blame to myself but to admit this is my fault and that is my fault but there, there, precisely there is where I draw a line and on the other side, that, that, Franklin, that is not."
Despite Eva's best efforts at a clear recollection of her battle with Kevin, nothing is that simple, or clear.
On my first read, despite knowing that Eva is an unreliable narrator, I empathised with her. Her uncertainty about events, the uneasy way she and Kevin go from outright war against each other to temporary cessation of hostilities, it was fascinating and heartbreaking. She has more faults than maybe any other character I've ever read about, and she blatantly faces these faults head on, for the most part. She is aware that it is a failing on her part that she dislikes her son so much and cannot hide it, not from her husband or Kevin himself. But she is convinced - and makes a fairly valid argument for this - that she knew her son far better than her husband Frank ever did. If she ever went too far one way, occasionally blaming him for things he did not do, she felt that their interactions were more honest. The violence, the insults, the sniping at each other were unpleasant but she revisits these instances trying to map out how much is her fault and what isn't. Like any true relationship spanning the whole of Kevin's life thus far, there were moments when the two of them understood each other perfectly, and were completely in sync.
On my second read through, the text seemed even more impenetrable. Did Kevin really lie about his drama teacher? Was he the perpetrator of Celia's accident, or her saviour? How much antagonism and sadism was real and how much was Eva simply imagining? It seemed impossible to say.
This time I moved all the way over the other side, giving Kevin some benefit of the doubt. He's still responsible for his own actions but how would growing up knowing your mother hated you impact someone? Eva sees his 'disguise' around Frank as simply a mask he uses for convenience - but it could also be a desperate attempt to ensure the one parent who does care about him doesn't see any flaws and give up on him the way Eva does. Eva sees him as purposefully trying to anger her simply because he can in most cases, but maybe that was the only way he felt he got her attention and her focus. He's still manipulative and lacking in empathy and prone to thinking of himself as superior - all of which is seems to pick up from Eva who is very manipulative towards Franklin, lacking in empathy towards she doesn't care about and considers herself in some ways better than others. Trying to see Kevin's side through Eva is difficult, but completely changes the motivations as the story plays out.
The story is the sort of dark family tragedy that doesn't normally get written. There's stories of people dealing with abusive parents and complicated father/son, mother/daughter relationships but We Need to Talk about Kevin sticks out for the inverse relationship between Eva and Kevin. It's not loving, but it's too simplistic to say they hated each other and leave it there. They had a strange loyalty to each other that neither seemed able to escape, even if Kevin did seem to try.
"This is all I know. That on the 11th of April, 1983, unto me a son was born, and I felt nothing...Since that moment we have fought each other with an unrelenting ferocity that I can almost admire."
The story is epistolary, one of the few books I have read in that style. The writing is so full of the character of Eva, the dialogue, the language the way she connects past and present events seems entirely realistic. It's an extremely well written book, and at its heart, there is a story that needs to be read. Because people need to talk about Kevin.
"I'm determined to accept due responsibility for every wayward thought, every petulance, every selfish moment, not in order to gather all the blame to myself but to admit this is my fault and that is my fault but there, there, precisely there is where I draw a line and on the other side, that, that, Franklin, that is not."
Despite Eva's best efforts at a clear recollection of her battle with Kevin, nothing is that simple, or clear.
On my first read, despite knowing that Eva is an unreliable narrator, I empathised with her. Her uncertainty about events, the uneasy way she and Kevin go from outright war against each other to temporary cessation of hostilities, it was fascinating and heartbreaking. She has more faults than maybe any other character I've ever read about, and she blatantly faces these faults head on, for the most part. She is aware that it is a failing on her part that she dislikes her son so much and cannot hide it, not from her husband or Kevin himself. But she is convinced - and makes a fairly valid argument for this - that she knew her son far better than her husband Frank ever did. If she ever went too far one way, occasionally blaming him for things he did not do, she felt that their interactions were more honest. The violence, the insults, the sniping at each other were unpleasant but she revisits these instances trying to map out how much is her fault and what isn't. Like any true relationship spanning the whole of Kevin's life thus far, there were moments when the two of them understood each other perfectly, and were completely in sync.
On my second read through, the text seemed even more impenetrable. Did Kevin really lie about his drama teacher? Was he the perpetrator of Celia's accident, or her saviour? How much antagonism and sadism was real and how much was Eva simply imagining? It seemed impossible to say.
This time I moved all the way over the other side, giving Kevin some benefit of the doubt. He's still responsible for his own actions but how would growing up knowing your mother hated you impact someone? Eva sees his 'disguise' around Frank as simply a mask he uses for convenience - but it could also be a desperate attempt to ensure the one parent who does care about him doesn't see any flaws and give up on him the way Eva does. Eva sees him as purposefully trying to anger her simply because he can in most cases, but maybe that was the only way he felt he got her attention and her focus. He's still manipulative and lacking in empathy and prone to thinking of himself as superior - all of which is seems to pick up from Eva who is very manipulative towards Franklin, lacking in empathy towards she doesn't care about and considers herself in some ways better than others. Trying to see Kevin's side through Eva is difficult, but completely changes the motivations as the story plays out.
The story is the sort of dark family tragedy that doesn't normally get written. There's stories of people dealing with abusive parents and complicated father/son, mother/daughter relationships but We Need to Talk about Kevin sticks out for the inverse relationship between Eva and Kevin. It's not loving, but it's too simplistic to say they hated each other and leave it there. They had a strange loyalty to each other that neither seemed able to escape, even if Kevin did seem to try.
"This is all I know. That on the 11th of April, 1983, unto me a son was born, and I felt nothing...Since that moment we have fought each other with an unrelenting ferocity that I can almost admire."
The story is epistolary, one of the few books I have read in that style. The writing is so full of the character of Eva, the dialogue, the language the way she connects past and present events seems entirely realistic. It's an extremely well written book, and at its heart, there is a story that needs to be read. Because people need to talk about Kevin.
irishbutrfli's review against another edition
Not very realistic. People don’t really talk how she does and the interactions with the son are disturbing.
carlosdanger's review against another edition
Technically, I did not finish this book. Could not get past the first few pages
adam75241's review against another edition
5.0
Dark, frightening, and eerily relatable, with such beautiful, beautiful prose. This is a book that will stay with me for a long time.
j3rkin's review against another edition
5.0
I had managed to avoid all spoilers about this book, and hadn’t seen the movie so I was able to fully appreciate this story. All I can say is wow. So much to unpack. I finished this in a day, I was hooked. Can’t wait to see how the movie measures up!
heather34's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Murder, Gun violence, Child abuse, and Mass/school shootings
caldridge's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
annie_brewer's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Read via audiobook (Orion Publishing Group Limited)
. Delivered through letters, Eva's tone alludes to indifference and
The nuances within Kevin and Eva's relationship are expertly crafted, rendering the relationship constantly at risk of obliteration. Teetering between obliteration and mutual respect
. Delivered through letters, Eva's tone alludes to indifference and
The nuances within Kevin and Eva's relationship are expertly crafted, rendering the relationship constantly at risk of obliteration. Teetering between obliteration and mutual respect
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Mass/school shootings, and Murder
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome - Unspecified but implied.