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rkrudd's review
challenging
dark
sad
tense
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
3.0
This book is pretty intense, but it's a really fast read as well.
It's broken into two pieces mostly, but there are so many different aspects to the pieces.
We start off in the youngest sons POV who slowly explains to us his life in a bunker-type house that he's at an age that's really too young to understand why he lives there. He knows that he loves his family, and that his family is there and he has everything he could ever need. The writing style when we are reading from his POV is really smooth and easy to propel yourself through the story. We don't find out why they are there until halfway through the book when the POV and narrative changes to 3rd person for the entire family. The rest of this story is filled with a lot of hate and darkness, and relates back to this young kid trying to find lightness in it all.
I can't say that I would recommend this book to anyone. Mostly because I think the over-all message of the story is really lost. You could argue it's about finding the positive amongst so much negative, but I agree with some of the reviews calling out the parents in this situation, and the abuse that takes place. Although we are meant to think the father is actually just acting for the love of his family, the pendulum swing between how he treats his sons vs. how he treats his daughters is alarming, despite the hate in her heart. I'm not trying to justify what she did, however there is a lot of misguidance in general.
It's broken into two pieces mostly, but there are so many different aspects to the pieces.
We start off in the youngest sons POV who slowly explains to us his life in a bunker-type house that he's at an age that's really too young to understand why he lives there. He knows that he loves his family, and that his family is there and he has everything he could ever need. The writing style when we are reading from his POV is really smooth and easy to propel yourself through the story. We don't find out why they are there until halfway through the book when the POV and narrative changes to 3rd person for the entire family. The rest of this story is filled with a lot of hate and darkness, and relates back to this young kid trying to find lightness in it all.
I can't say that I would recommend this book to anyone. Mostly because I think the over-all message of the story is really lost. You could argue it's about finding the positive amongst so much negative, but I agree with some of the reviews calling out the parents in this situation, and the abuse that takes place. Although we are meant to think the father is actually just acting for the love of his family, the pendulum swing between how he treats his sons vs. how he treats his daughters is alarming, despite the hate in her heart. I'm not trying to justify what she did, however there is a lot of misguidance in general.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit
Moderate: Child abuse, Blood, Rape, Incest, and Grief
Minor: Abortion, Self harm, and Suicide attempt
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