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A review by lady_wira
Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill
4.0
This book is set up in the slums of Montreal and follows the life of Baby, when it starts Baby is 12 years old, with a deceased mom and left with a heroin-addicted father, Jules.
Baby the protagonist of the book narrates her life in hindsight. She is vividly reliving her childhood which is major trauma after trauma. Being a heroin addict, Jules fails to take care of Baby and she ends up in foster care. During this period, she craves stability, having present parents, a home, and love.
In foster care, she bonds with fellow children and has some resemblance of normalcy. Jules goes to rehab and soon as he’s out gets Baby back. The addiction resumes, as is the demon of most addicts, he falls off the wagon again, when he is arrested Baby goes to live with their neighbour, a mother of two, Johnny (18) and Felix (14). Johnny is inappropriate with baby, when Jules is released, he again attempts to give Baby ‘stability’. Sick cycle carousel!
As the book progresses, Jules is no longer an addict, but he is mean. Baby, in search of solace, joins a community centre which didn’t sit well with Jules, and he makes her quit. Lonely and alone, Baby forms a friendship with Theo. She missed all the red flags, she only sought love, and Theo looked like it, only, Theo was abusive.
At 13, broken, beaten down, addicted to heroin and alone. Baby falls for the advance of the town pimp Alphonse. She moves in with him. He defiles her, prostitutes her and takes all her income. Baby becomes resentful and still in search of a ‘home’ she starts dating Xavier her schoolmate. One time, Alphonse catches her sleeping with Xavier in a hotel room, he beats her up, takes her drugs and shoots them up. He dies of an overdose. Baby reunites with Jules, and together they take off to live with Jule’s cousin in the country.
This is a story of childhood trauma, the impact of drug abuse on the family unit, effects of early pregnancies and subsequently early parenthood. The rot in society- taking advantage of the innocent amongst us and exploiting them- as well as the role of community in shielding and protecting those most vulnerable.
I teared up more than once while reading lullabies for little criminals, it can be gory and painful to read, but it forces the reader to see what society is/ has become.
Excerpts:
“From the way that people have always talked about your heart being broken, it sort of seemed to be a one-time thing. Mine seemed to break all the time.”
“Becoming a child again is what is impossible. That’s what you have a legitimate reason to be upset over. Childhood is the most valuable thing that’s taken away from you in life if you think about it.”
“Lonely children probably wrote the Bible.”
“The smallest a family can be is two members, and that was Jules and me.”
Baby narrating her story makes this book read like an expose, like a behind the scenes and paints the gruelling picture of abuse meted out to children.
Baby the protagonist of the book narrates her life in hindsight. She is vividly reliving her childhood which is major trauma after trauma. Being a heroin addict, Jules fails to take care of Baby and she ends up in foster care. During this period, she craves stability, having present parents, a home, and love.
In foster care, she bonds with fellow children and has some resemblance of normalcy. Jules goes to rehab and soon as he’s out gets Baby back. The addiction resumes, as is the demon of most addicts, he falls off the wagon again, when he is arrested Baby goes to live with their neighbour, a mother of two, Johnny (18) and Felix (14). Johnny is inappropriate with baby, when Jules is released, he again attempts to give Baby ‘stability’. Sick cycle carousel!
As the book progresses, Jules is no longer an addict, but he is mean. Baby, in search of solace, joins a community centre which didn’t sit well with Jules, and he makes her quit. Lonely and alone, Baby forms a friendship with Theo. She missed all the red flags, she only sought love, and Theo looked like it, only, Theo was abusive.
At 13, broken, beaten down, addicted to heroin and alone. Baby falls for the advance of the town pimp Alphonse. She moves in with him. He defiles her, prostitutes her and takes all her income. Baby becomes resentful and still in search of a ‘home’ she starts dating Xavier her schoolmate. One time, Alphonse catches her sleeping with Xavier in a hotel room, he beats her up, takes her drugs and shoots them up. He dies of an overdose. Baby reunites with Jules, and together they take off to live with Jule’s cousin in the country.
This is a story of childhood trauma, the impact of drug abuse on the family unit, effects of early pregnancies and subsequently early parenthood. The rot in society- taking advantage of the innocent amongst us and exploiting them- as well as the role of community in shielding and protecting those most vulnerable.
I teared up more than once while reading lullabies for little criminals, it can be gory and painful to read, but it forces the reader to see what society is/ has become.
Excerpts:
“From the way that people have always talked about your heart being broken, it sort of seemed to be a one-time thing. Mine seemed to break all the time.”
“Becoming a child again is what is impossible. That’s what you have a legitimate reason to be upset over. Childhood is the most valuable thing that’s taken away from you in life if you think about it.”
“Lonely children probably wrote the Bible.”
“The smallest a family can be is two members, and that was Jules and me.”
Baby narrating her story makes this book read like an expose, like a behind the scenes and paints the gruelling picture of abuse meted out to children.