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A review by booksandbraids
All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham
5.0
I was lucky enough to be able to attend the book tour for this book and listen to Stacey Willingham speak about what inspired her to write this book, her writing process, etc. It was really cool to then read the book afterwards and be able to pick out the various aspects of the book that she discussed during the tour.
She said that she likes to know “the twist” before she begins writing a book. For this one I thought I figured out the twist extremely early and was so proud of myself but also a little disappointed that it wouldn’t have the shock value I was hoping for. I was wrong though- I had figured out A twist but not THE twist. And wow was that an amazing ending. I couldn’t have asked for a better ending.
I am going to copy my commentary/notes from while reading below.
- 11% it makes me so sad how couples never manage to stay together after something like this. Just once I want to see them stay together and help each other get through the grief together. And why does the guy always move on so quickly?! It takes 9 months to make the child. A year is barely more than that and you have already moved on? It’s been giving you hope? Hope for what? A replacement child with a replacement wife? Fucking asshole.
- 19% if anyone is putting on a show, it is Ben. “It is our hope that wherever he is, he knows he is loved and that he will be brought back to us soon.” You already gave up hope! You have declared him dead! Who are you to stand up here in front of this crowd and say that you hope he will brought back soon, when just hours ago you were trying to convince your wife (or ex-wife since you abandoned her in her time of need) to give up hope and accept that he is dead and that it is over
- 20% I, of course, had to Google about this grieving dolphin to see if this was true. I don’t know why I felt the need to do that- I should know after listening to Stacey Willingham speak about this book and writing in general that obviously it would be true. There are a bunch of articles written about this happening in the summer of 2022- just half a year before this book was published in January 2023. I wonder if this was a last minute addition into the novel after she saw those articles?
- 32% can you blame her for feeling like the cashier guy needed to be looked into? He was on the sex offender list and drew kids to his line by handing out stickers. Handing out stickers is not a normal cashier thing to do. If you are on the sex offender list, even for something as innocent as peeing behind a building, why would you want to bring attention to yourself like that by paying special attention to kids?
- 37% her paranoia over the neighbors and desperation for this basically journalist to help, even going to far as to ask him to stay in her home makes me think of another book (or many other books?). I just can’t remember which specific book(s)
- 38% her sister saying that extremely creepy prayer before bed seems like a bit much? “now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the lord my soul to keep… if I should die before I wake, I pray the lord my soul to take”
- 39% how old is Waylon? When was he 23? Could his sister have been Ben’s first wife? Did something to happen to his first wife?
- 41% AH HA! The first wife died! Suicide? If it’s really a suicide, then there wouldn’t be an unsolved case, so she wouldn’t be Waylon’s sister. (Also, unrelated, but I just started reading another book where the dog is called Waylon so now I’m going to be thinking of a dog whenever his name is mentioned…)
- 49% he is essentially confessing his feelings for his mistress at his wife’s funeral?! Dear lord why did this woman actually marry him. That’s a red flag if I’ve ever seen one
- 50% ARE THEY REALLY KISSING AT THIS FUNERAL?! Omg. Wtf. This is awful. This is so terrible. I don’t know if I can support this book because of this single scene
- 61% why is this cop acting like it’s a crime that she wanted to take advantage of the fact that her son was sleeping in to get some work done? That’s like the definition of parenthood. Taking advantage of when the kids are asleep to get things done.
- I don’t think she killed her son. They would be too obvious. I think Ben did it. He never wanted a kid. He needed to get rid of the kid to get rid of the current wife. After all, he likely killed his first one, so why not kill this child?
- 70% you didn’t get a chance to introduce yourself properly? Is it considered proper to introduce yourself to the wife of the man you are fucking? Wtf is wrong with this couple. Wtf is wrong with this book.
- 79% We had talked about not selecting The Push as an official book club book because it might be a bit traumatic for the young mothers in the group… yet here we have another book that could also be traumatic for young mothers as our March selection 😅
- 82% AH HA! I KNEW IT! I knew Waylon was the brother of the first wife! I KNEW ITTTTT
- 91% I desperately want Ben to be guilty and proven guilty and go to jail just to say “I told you so” to his latest conquest
- 93% OMG THE MISTRESS DID IT?! Was she in cahoots with Ben?! THE TWIST! Stacey said there would be a twist at the book tour! I just thought I was smart and guessed it instantly! Don’t hurt her! If you hurt her you will never get your son back!
- HES IN A BETTER PLACE OH MY FUCKING GOD
- No don’t lunge! Don’t lunge!
- 94% AHHHHH 2 days later the suspense!
- THE LIFELESS BODY OMG YOU KILLED HER!!! And you are cut! There will be blood evidence! HOW IS THIS GOING TO RESOLVE NICELY!
- 95% Bitch you got so lucky
- 96% YOU FRAMED HIM?! Bitch you didn’t get lucky, YOU ARE A GENIUS!!!! 🙌
- 97% OMG AND HE WAS INVOLVED!!! So. Fucking. Good.
- 98% even the conclusion with the old man is brilliant!
She said that she likes to know “the twist” before she begins writing a book.
I am going to copy my commentary/notes from while reading below.
- 19% if anyone is putting on a show, it is Ben. “It is our hope that wherever he is, he knows he is loved and that he will be brought back to us soon.” You already gave up hope! You have declared him dead! Who are you to stand up here in front of this crowd and say that you hope he will brought back soon, when just hours ago you were trying to convince your wife (or ex-wife since you abandoned her in her time of need) to give up hope and accept that he is dead and that it is over
- 20% I, of course, had to Google about this grieving dolphin to see if this was true. I don’t know why I felt the need to do that- I should know after listening to Stacey Willingham speak about this book and writing in general that obviously it would be true. There are a bunch of articles written about this happening in the summer of 2022- just half a year before this book was published in January 2023. I wonder if this was a last minute addition into the novel after she saw those articles?
- 32% can you blame her for feeling like the cashier guy needed to be looked into? He was on the sex offender list and drew kids to his line by handing out stickers. Handing out stickers is not a normal cashier thing to do. If you are on the sex offender list, even for something as innocent as peeing behind a building, why would you want to bring attention to yourself like that by paying special attention to kids?
- 37% her paranoia over the neighbors and desperation for this basically journalist to help, even going to far as to ask him to stay in her home makes me think of another book (or many other books?). I just can’t remember which specific book(s)
- 38% her sister saying that extremely creepy prayer before bed seems like a bit much? “now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the lord my soul to keep… if I should die before I wake, I pray the lord my soul to take”
- 39% how old is Waylon? When was he 23? Could his sister have been Ben’s first wife? Did something to happen to his first wife?
- 41% AH HA! The first wife died! Suicide? If it’s really a suicide, then there wouldn’t be an unsolved case, so she wouldn’t be Waylon’s sister. (Also, unrelated, but I just started reading another book where the dog is called Waylon so now I’m going to be thinking of a dog whenever his name is mentioned…)
- 49% he is essentially confessing his feelings for his mistress at his wife’s funeral?! Dear lord why did this woman actually marry him. That’s a red flag if I’ve ever seen one
- 50% ARE THEY REALLY KISSING AT THIS FUNERAL?! Omg. Wtf. This is awful. This is so terrible. I don’t know if I can support this book because of this single scene
- 61% why is this cop acting like it’s a crime that she wanted to take advantage of the fact that her son was sleeping in to get some work done? That’s like the definition of parenthood. Taking advantage of when the kids are asleep to get things done.
- I don’t think she killed her son. They would be too obvious. I think Ben did it. He never wanted a kid. He needed to get rid of the kid to get rid of the current wife. After all, he likely killed his first one, so why not kill this child?
- 70% you didn’t get a chance to introduce yourself properly? Is it considered proper to introduce yourself to the wife of the man you are fucking? Wtf is wrong with this couple. Wtf is wrong with this book.
- 79% We had talked about not selecting The Push as an official book club book because it might be a bit traumatic for the young mothers in the group… yet here we have another book that could also be traumatic for young mothers as our March selection 😅
- 82% AH HA! I KNEW IT! I knew Waylon was the brother of the first wife! I KNEW ITTTTT
- 91% I desperately want Ben to be guilty and proven guilty and go to jail just to say “I told you so” to his latest conquest
- 93% OMG THE MISTRESS DID IT?! Was she in cahoots with Ben?! THE TWIST! Stacey said there would be a twist at the book tour! I just thought I was smart and guessed it instantly! Don’t hurt her! If you hurt her you will never get your son back!
- HES IN A BETTER PLACE OH MY FUCKING GOD
- No don’t lunge! Don’t lunge!
- 94% AHHHHH 2 days later the suspense!
- THE LIFELESS BODY OMG YOU KILLED HER!!! And you are cut! There will be blood evidence! HOW IS THIS GOING TO RESOLVE NICELY!
- 95% Bitch you got so lucky
- 96% YOU FRAMED HIM?! Bitch you didn’t get lucky, YOU ARE A GENIUS!!!! 🙌
- 97% OMG AND HE WAS INVOLVED!!! So. Fucking. Good.
- 98% even the conclusion with the old man is brilliant!