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Tenderness
Eighteen-year-old Eric has just been released from juvenile detention for murdering his parents. Now he's looking for tenderness--tenderness he finds in killing girls. Fifteen-year-old Lori has run away from home again. Emotionally naive and sexually precocious, she is also looking for tenderness--tenderness that she finds in Eric. Will Lori and Eric be each other's salvation or destruction? An ALA Best Book for Young Adults.
242 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
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2199 people want to read
About the author
Robert Cormier
51 books634 followersRobert Edmund Cormier (January 17, 1925–November 2, 2000) was an American author, columnist and reporter, known for his deeply pessimistic, downbeat literature. His most popular works include I Am the Cheese, After the First Death, We All Fall Down and The Chocolate War, all of which have won awards. The Chocolate War was challenged in multiple libraries. His books often are concerned with themes such as abuse, mental illness, violence, revenge, betrayal and conspiracy. In most of his novels, the protagonists do not win.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 381 reviews
April 25, 2014
Hmmm, what to say about this dark and dreary book? It is a young adult novel but it's extremely dark. It features an eighteen year old serial killer who has been imprisoned for the past three years for murdering his parents. Eric was also a suspect in the murder of several young girls but his guilt was never proven. He's due to be released very soon and the officer who knows he's a serial killer is determined to make sure he doesn't hurt another girl.
The other character is Lori, a fifteen year old runaway with a disturbing habit of using her sexuality to get things she wants from men. She also has a tendency to get fixated on a man and once this happens nothing will stop her from finding him and kissing him on the mouth. It's the only way to end her obsession apparently. When she sees Eric on tv a new obsession begins.
Their lives collide and though I knew this couldn't possibly end well I kept reading anyway. The author doesn't leave you disappointed but he doesn't do what is expected either.
This was a rather depressing read about two young people suffering from some serious emotional problems. The writing seemed genuine enough and the motivation for both characters was well done but it's not something I'd read again. It was too dreary and too hopeless.
The other character is Lori, a fifteen year old runaway with a disturbing habit of using her sexuality to get things she wants from men. She also has a tendency to get fixated on a man and once this happens nothing will stop her from finding him and kissing him on the mouth. It's the only way to end her obsession apparently. When she sees Eric on tv a new obsession begins.
Their lives collide and though I knew this couldn't possibly end well I kept reading anyway. The author doesn't leave you disappointed but he doesn't do what is expected either.
This was a rather depressing read about two young people suffering from some serious emotional problems. The writing seemed genuine enough and the motivation for both characters was well done but it's not something I'd read again. It was too dreary and too hopeless.
November 27, 2007
A lot of people felt that this book was (and I quote) "creepy and disturbing". It was a bit creepy, you know, that "a glimpse of a serial killers mind" thing. But I think Robert Cormier did a great job portraying eric the eighteen-year old that just got out of juvenile detention for killing his mother and stepfather. He's looking for "tenderness"----that which he finds in caressing and killing beautiful girls. Enter Lori. Lori has run away from home and is also looking for tenderness---which she finds in Eric.
May 3, 2021
I've never finished a Robert Cormier book without experiencing a deeply reverberating sense of "Wow". The dark corners of the human heart that Robert Cormier explores with the breathtaking skill of a master artisan are enough to give chills to anyone. Revealing the potential horrors of a fiercely tortured soul has a way of affecting people that way.
Beneath and within the text of every page of Tenderness is the unmistakable pulse of real evil; sometimes clear, but mostly flowing just beneath the service like blood coursing through a vein. It's a story that digs into the darkest fears of every human being who ever lived, like the talons of a predator bird into a fearful animal, and it never, ever, ever lets go. If you think you've seen the dawn, then the darkness must be fast approaching...
The relationship between the two main characters in Tenderness, Eric Poole and Lori Cranston, is a thing of strange, unnatural, unexpected beauty, and Robert Cormier takes great effort to set up their first meeting for us in exactly the right way. What honest person can't understand the uncontrollable desires that rule Eric Poole, desires that have led him to become the worst of the worst, but still a person that we can closely relate to in spite of his terrible acts? As the book subtly implies at one point, Eric is like The Shadow, the degree of passion/evil that lurks in the hearts of all people, which even the collective unconscious tries to deny and forget about. On one level we feel the urge to vehemently condemn Eric, but deep down we know that part of him is also part of each one of us. What can we do about potential evil?
Lori is the one element withheld before the perfect storm can hit its climax, perhaps the one person on earth who, by an almost impossible mix of personality traits and quirks, can push the throbbing evil inside of Eric to its breaking point and without a single word force him to decide if there is something beyond the tenderness of the murders that he has committed, something that could supersede the other factors that have ruled his thinking for so long and make him do a U-turn just when his desires are at their peak.
Tenderness is a book that will creep you out, give you shivers and make you wonder about even the most ironclad personal assumptions that you have ever made. It hits you over the head like a club, stunning in the intricacy of its workings and the scope of its power. I would give it at least three stars.
Beneath and within the text of every page of Tenderness is the unmistakable pulse of real evil; sometimes clear, but mostly flowing just beneath the service like blood coursing through a vein. It's a story that digs into the darkest fears of every human being who ever lived, like the talons of a predator bird into a fearful animal, and it never, ever, ever lets go. If you think you've seen the dawn, then the darkness must be fast approaching...
The relationship between the two main characters in Tenderness, Eric Poole and Lori Cranston, is a thing of strange, unnatural, unexpected beauty, and Robert Cormier takes great effort to set up their first meeting for us in exactly the right way. What honest person can't understand the uncontrollable desires that rule Eric Poole, desires that have led him to become the worst of the worst, but still a person that we can closely relate to in spite of his terrible acts? As the book subtly implies at one point, Eric is like The Shadow, the degree of passion/evil that lurks in the hearts of all people, which even the collective unconscious tries to deny and forget about. On one level we feel the urge to vehemently condemn Eric, but deep down we know that part of him is also part of each one of us. What can we do about potential evil?
Lori is the one element withheld before the perfect storm can hit its climax, perhaps the one person on earth who, by an almost impossible mix of personality traits and quirks, can push the throbbing evil inside of Eric to its breaking point and without a single word force him to decide if there is something beyond the tenderness of the murders that he has committed, something that could supersede the other factors that have ruled his thinking for so long and make him do a U-turn just when his desires are at their peak.
Tenderness is a book that will creep you out, give you shivers and make you wonder about even the most ironclad personal assumptions that you have ever made. It hits you over the head like a club, stunning in the intricacy of its workings and the scope of its power. I would give it at least three stars.
August 24, 2012
Tenderness might well be the pinnacle of YA Noir with Robert Cormier holding court as its master. An amazing work, it's the story of a lovesick teen runaway who stalks an unrepentant teenage serial killer with dreamboat looks after he's sprung from juvie. Ironically they met several years previously when she caught him nuzzling a girl who was about to be his next kill.
Cormier's work is extremely dark and complex. You don't need to be a pimple popper to dig this genius murder story, in fact, calling Cormier a YA writer is a lot like calling Cornell Woolrich a crime writer.
Cormier's work is extremely dark and complex. You don't need to be a pimple popper to dig this genius murder story, in fact, calling Cormier a YA writer is a lot like calling Cornell Woolrich a crime writer.
March 9, 2016
Disturbing.
Tenderness is the story of two emotionally stilted young adults: Lori, a fifteen-year-old runaway with an unhealthy fixation with finding what she calls "tenderness" and Eric, an eighteen-year-old who has just been released from a "facility" he was in for three years for murdering his mother and stepfather. Lori, whose body matured far faster than her emotions, has left home temporarily because her mother's most recent live-in boyfriend has gotten a little too close for comfort. Not Lori's comfort--she doesn't really mind, as she finds his touch "tender", but she is worried that it will upset her mother if she finds out. She leaves home to find her current obsession, Throb, a music idol who will be playing a concert in a nearby town. When a surprise kiss from Throb turns out to be a disappointment, she finds a new object to fixate on: recently released Eric, who just so happens to be staying at his aunt's house in the same town. Lori recognizes Eric as a boy who had been nice to her once three years earlier, and decides she must see him again.
From Eric's point of view, we find that the murders he was convicted for were neither his first nor his most meaningful victims. Eric is a serial killer, having started with small animals and graduating rather soon to human victims. He found "tenderness" with three girls before moving on to his mother and her husband. Even while still in the "facility" he begins to fixate on a girl he sees there, who he calls "the senorita". He plans to meet with her once he is released, and she indicates that she is more than willing to meet with him too.
Eric and Lori's paths soon intersect, and readers view their disturbing relationship through both participants' eyes. Lori admits her obsession, slowly comes to realize what Eric really is, and soon tells him that she loves him and would never betray him to anyone. Eric, for his part, does appear to feel something for Lori, though it is not at all a healthy, real concern for her as a person for in his mind he never refers to her as anything but "the girl". They spend time together, and readers are kept in constant suspense about what Eric will do next--just how safe can Lori possibly be with him? The ending is surprising, and leaves one contemplating the nature of true justice.
Tenderness is the story of two emotionally stilted young adults: Lori, a fifteen-year-old runaway with an unhealthy fixation with finding what she calls "tenderness" and Eric, an eighteen-year-old who has just been released from a "facility" he was in for three years for murdering his mother and stepfather. Lori, whose body matured far faster than her emotions, has left home temporarily because her mother's most recent live-in boyfriend has gotten a little too close for comfort. Not Lori's comfort--she doesn't really mind, as she finds his touch "tender", but she is worried that it will upset her mother if she finds out. She leaves home to find her current obsession, Throb, a music idol who will be playing a concert in a nearby town. When a surprise kiss from Throb turns out to be a disappointment, she finds a new object to fixate on: recently released Eric, who just so happens to be staying at his aunt's house in the same town. Lori recognizes Eric as a boy who had been nice to her once three years earlier, and decides she must see him again.
From Eric's point of view, we find that the murders he was convicted for were neither his first nor his most meaningful victims. Eric is a serial killer, having started with small animals and graduating rather soon to human victims. He found "tenderness" with three girls before moving on to his mother and her husband. Even while still in the "facility" he begins to fixate on a girl he sees there, who he calls "the senorita". He plans to meet with her once he is released, and she indicates that she is more than willing to meet with him too.
Eric and Lori's paths soon intersect, and readers view their disturbing relationship through both participants' eyes. Lori admits her obsession, slowly comes to realize what Eric really is, and soon tells him that she loves him and would never betray him to anyone. Eric, for his part, does appear to feel something for Lori, though it is not at all a healthy, real concern for her as a person for in his mind he never refers to her as anything but "the girl". They spend time together, and readers are kept in constant suspense about what Eric will do next--just how safe can Lori possibly be with him? The ending is surprising, and leaves one contemplating the nature of true justice.
January 11, 2011
Robert Cormier is my favorite author.
Lori Cranston is a teenager, too young for her body, who is looking for real love. Eric Poole is a psycopath, too smart for his own good, who is looking for the perfect intimacy. In a strange twist of fate, their intertwined search for what they each call tenderness brings them to each other. It looks like each could be just what the other needs. But will their relationship bring healing...or destruction?
This is a novel about love, lust, and how similar the two seem at first. This story is set up as a tragic love story: Robert Cormier's Romeo and Juliet. Tenderness shares the focus problem that After the First Death has, since neither character can definitively be called the protagonist over the other. However, the choice of "who is the main character" is more straightforward (2 characters, as opposed to After the First Death's 3), so the focus is still clearer in Tenderness. This book also uses the element of surprise in its climax (a tactic shared by After the First Death, and The Rag and Bone Shop); you reach a point in the novel that seems to be the climax, you pass it, and then it hits you.
Note: As mentioned earlier, this is one of the 4 Cormier books that has been adapted for film; I haven't seen all of the other movies, but this one looks to be most faithful movie adaptation of a Cormier novel (The Chocolate War amd I am the Cheese both have key changes to the end of the story, and The Bumblebee Flies Anyway is changed radically). This movie (starring Russel Crowe) is not very fancy or well-known, but it is, in my opinion, very good. Be sure to take a look.
Lori Cranston is a teenager, too young for her body, who is looking for real love. Eric Poole is a psycopath, too smart for his own good, who is looking for the perfect intimacy. In a strange twist of fate, their intertwined search for what they each call tenderness brings them to each other. It looks like each could be just what the other needs. But will their relationship bring healing...or destruction?
This is a novel about love, lust, and how similar the two seem at first. This story is set up as a tragic love story: Robert Cormier's Romeo and Juliet. Tenderness shares the focus problem that After the First Death has, since neither character can definitively be called the protagonist over the other. However, the choice of "who is the main character" is more straightforward (2 characters, as opposed to After the First Death's 3), so the focus is still clearer in Tenderness. This book also uses the element of surprise in its climax (a tactic shared by After the First Death, and The Rag and Bone Shop); you reach a point in the novel that seems to be the climax, you pass it, and then it hits you.
Note: As mentioned earlier, this is one of the 4 Cormier books that has been adapted for film; I haven't seen all of the other movies, but this one looks to be most faithful movie adaptation of a Cormier novel (The Chocolate War amd I am the Cheese both have key changes to the end of the story, and The Bumblebee Flies Anyway is changed radically). This movie (starring Russel Crowe) is not very fancy or well-known, but it is, in my opinion, very good. Be sure to take a look.
May 6, 2013
Tenderness, by Robert Cormier, was close to the best book I've ever read. I enjoyed reading it because it was almost like reading the journal, and personal stories of multiple people. The book felt so real to me. The genres mixed between mystery, romance, and suspense. Every page felt like a deep, emotional poem. "Call my name from the grave of your rotting love. A hole in my mouth to match the hole in my heart, through which your love howls." I hear these words and think of sadness, maybe loneliness. But the words were put so well into the text that it really made me think deep about how some people feel and it touched my heart in a way I can't explain. I loved reading every second of this book because there was a twist in every chapter. I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen after turning just one page. Everything was put into perfect detail. The characters, the places, the emotion. It was all clear enough to imagine the whole story as if it were happening to me. A teenage girl falls for a famous boy who has just recently been released from juvenile detention. She runs away from home and hitch-hikes for days just to find him to acquire the tenderness she seeks from him. The whole time I read this story, I constantly wondered how it was going to end or what would happen next. All in all, it was an amazing book and I would definitely recommend it to anyone. I would also love to read it again.
December 10, 2009
My honest reaction to this book?
I will never, ever think of Twilight the same way again. Especially not after I figured out that Twilight is, essentially, Tenderness and M.T. Anderson's Thirsty mixed with a romance novel and a conveniently happy ending.
Cormier's ability to explore "fixation" fascinated--and disturbed--me (especially in the context of Twilight, but enough on that). Teens aren't the only ones who are, to use the cliche, blinded by love. Sometimes people overlook frightening things in the name of love.
I think I enjoyed this book, once I went home, had a big bowl of chocolate ice cream to help myself feel better, and thought about. The novel was wonderfully thought-provoking . . . though I'm not sure I'm brave enough to pick it up again.
I will never, ever think of Twilight the same way again. Especially not after I figured out that Twilight is, essentially, Tenderness and M.T. Anderson's Thirsty mixed with a romance novel and a conveniently happy ending.
Cormier's ability to explore "fixation" fascinated--and disturbed--me (especially in the context of Twilight, but enough on that). Teens aren't the only ones who are, to use the cliche, blinded by love. Sometimes people overlook frightening things in the name of love.
I think I enjoyed this book, once I went home, had a big bowl of chocolate ice cream to help myself feel better, and thought about. The novel was wonderfully thought-provoking . . . though I'm not sure I'm brave enough to pick it up again.
December 28, 2024
This short YA novel puts the reader inside the mind of a psychopath, Eric Poole, who killed his parents and three other girls, as well as a sociopath, Lori, who is attracted to Eric and who also has a very weak moral compass. Fate introduces them, and it seems to be destiny that reunites them when Eric is released from juvenile detention.
In a way, Eric is more relatable than Lori. We have encountered people like him in "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and "American Psycho." We know what to expect. He kills. He needs to keep killing. And he does. But Lori is an intriguing character who does CRAZY things. She is childlike with a poor sense of self-preservation, and her actions seem both whimsical and calculated. She seems to know the difference between right and wrong, but she's willing to embrace wrong.
If you're looking for a chilling teen psychopath novel, give "Tenderness" a look. You'll be disturbed.
In a way, Eric is more relatable than Lori. We have encountered people like him in "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and "American Psycho." We know what to expect. He kills. He needs to keep killing. And he does. But Lori is an intriguing character who does CRAZY things. She is childlike with a poor sense of self-preservation, and her actions seem both whimsical and calculated. She seems to know the difference between right and wrong, but she's willing to embrace wrong.
If you're looking for a chilling teen psychopath novel, give "Tenderness" a look. You'll be disturbed.
June 4, 2010
At 18 years old, Eric is finally being released from a juvenile detention center, where he's been since he was charged with killing his parents three years ago. Lori, who met Eric when she was young, has a tendency to become obsessed with different boys and won't stop until she's kissed them. After seeing Eric's face on the news, she decides that he is her new obsession and runs away from home to find him. In the meantime, a police detective is watching Eric's every move, aware that Eric didn't just kill his parents, but a number of teenage girls as well. Now the detective wants to find proof and stop him before it happens again.
This was kind of an odd book. I don't know what I thought about it. I didn't really like any of the characters, but at the same time, I did care what happened to them. And I really wanted Eric to be able to change, even though I didn't believe he would. I thought the end was sad, but I never saw it coming.
This was kind of an odd book. I don't know what I thought about it. I didn't really like any of the characters, but at the same time, I did care what happened to them. And I really wanted Eric to be able to change, even though I didn't believe he would. I thought the end was sad, but I never saw it coming.
March 14, 2011
I feel like this book was a huge let down the beginning stated out boreding just talking about how once Lori saw a guy she had to kiss em or something and how she was in love with random\creepy people. Eric is just a freakin nut-job that likes to kill girls and for like the first half of the book all it says is how he is werid and creey and talkeds about how hes in jail and why. so basicly these kids are both wack jobs and Lori sorta stalkd Eric so she can say how they were ment to be and they are in love and she hops in his van in the middle of the night and they just take of together but of course she is not erics type and he plans on killing he rin the middle of the night but things dont always turn out what they plann all the time but over all i enjoyed this book.
February 5, 2009
at first this book is kinda boring but the end is fuckin unexpected it is really really good
August 2, 2010
This book was originally reviewed on my blog, Books from Bleh to Basically Amazing.
Have you ever found yourself rooting for the bad guy? Knowing that the character deserves every bad thing coming his way, but hoping that, somehow, things will work out better in the end? I don't know that I had ever truly experienced that before reading this book. I generally prefer (ahem-totally love) reading books where the bad guy totally gets his comeuppance. I'm all about hard-core justice for my villains. Mercy?! *Scoff,* What's that. Don't you know what he's done?!
Reading this book changed that. This is the first time (or at least the only time that comes immediately to mind) where I have truly felt bad for our bad guy. Other times when the bad guy is pitiable or shown mercy, it is because they aren't really all that bad, merely misunderstood. Eric Poole may be misunderstood. That's a distinct possibility. But, there is no denying the fact that he is bad. He's a sociopath. When we meet Eric, he's been in a Juvenile Facility for the last three years for the cold-blooded murder of his mother and step-father. Or course, it was justified because of the 'severe abuse' Eric has been living with, so the state tries him as a juvenile instead of an adult, which means he will be released after he turns 18 and his record will be expunged. No one knows about the three young girls Eric murdered, or so he thinks.
If I had to sum up my thoughts/feelings/idea of this novel in one sentence, it would be revolve around the quote that begins that novel and that I used as the title for this post (To know the pain of too much tenderness"- Kahlil Gibran) One generally equates tenderness with only positive things. It brings to mind images of gentleness, kindness and love. But, what about the idea of too much tenderness? Is that possible? Apparently. Lori and Eric are searching for that tender emotion. Almost every action is driven by this desire to experience tenderness. They are always seeking it, they look for and find it in all the wrong places and they never grasp it for long. It creates intense dysfunctions within each character.
Eric kills young girls to find it and Lori subjects herself to all manner of unwanted and unwelcome sexual advances to feel it. Their paths cross and Lori decides that Eric is the one who can give her what she seeks. She goes with him, knowing that he murdered his mother and step-father (but he was so abused!) and later discovers that the murmurs about Eric killing young girls is also true. But, Eric is tender with her. She loves him. She informs Eric that she will stand by him, ignoring his past and assisting him in the future if he will simply remain tender with her. And how can he refuse that, especially once he begins to care for her, as much as he is capable of caring for anyone.
If we only heard from Lori's perspective, it would be incredibly easy to hate Eric and despise him for the crazed cold-blooded killer he is. But, he isn't, is he? I still don't know. We also hear from Eric. While Eric never demonstrates any remorse for what he's done, he too merely desires a little tenderness in his life. Before his mother remarried, she and Eric had a very close relationship. The man she married and Eric do not get along at all. Eric despises him and he thinks Eric is rather in the way. Eric seeks compassion and tenderness from these girls and finds that the only way he truly feels able to experience it is upon their deaths. However evil that is, I can't hate him for it. He seems genuinely puzzled when the main detective on the case calls him a monster and surprisingly, I found myself agreeing.
By the end of the novel, he seems genuinely concerned for Lori's welfare. He takes care of her, makes her feel special and begins to show her what she has been searching for. And there is no doubt that by the end, he truly cares for her. Although abrupt and a bit jarring, the ending suited the story perfectly. It was tragic, but it was the only way to end the story and be true to each character. I won't spoil it for you, but I will say that I ended up heartbroken for each of our main characters. None of them really received their happy ending.
This is a book that will stay with me for a long time, and one that will influence my thoughts as well. I can't imagine someone with such a low image and perception of themselves that they would be willing to subject themselves to what Lori willingly puts herself through before and after meeting Eric. What would drive an attractive young woman to such lengths and who is to blame for not teaching this girl that she has value all on her own. This is a story that will both warm and break your heart and one that will linger in your thoughts long after you've turned the last page.
Have you ever found yourself rooting for the bad guy? Knowing that the character deserves every bad thing coming his way, but hoping that, somehow, things will work out better in the end? I don't know that I had ever truly experienced that before reading this book. I generally prefer (ahem-totally love) reading books where the bad guy totally gets his comeuppance. I'm all about hard-core justice for my villains. Mercy?! *Scoff,* What's that. Don't you know what he's done?!
Reading this book changed that. This is the first time (or at least the only time that comes immediately to mind) where I have truly felt bad for our bad guy. Other times when the bad guy is pitiable or shown mercy, it is because they aren't really all that bad, merely misunderstood. Eric Poole may be misunderstood. That's a distinct possibility. But, there is no denying the fact that he is bad. He's a sociopath. When we meet Eric, he's been in a Juvenile Facility for the last three years for the cold-blooded murder of his mother and step-father. Or course, it was justified because of the 'severe abuse' Eric has been living with, so the state tries him as a juvenile instead of an adult, which means he will be released after he turns 18 and his record will be expunged. No one knows about the three young girls Eric murdered, or so he thinks.
If I had to sum up my thoughts/feelings/idea of this novel in one sentence, it would be revolve around the quote that begins that novel and that I used as the title for this post (To know the pain of too much tenderness"- Kahlil Gibran) One generally equates tenderness with only positive things. It brings to mind images of gentleness, kindness and love. But, what about the idea of too much tenderness? Is that possible? Apparently. Lori and Eric are searching for that tender emotion. Almost every action is driven by this desire to experience tenderness. They are always seeking it, they look for and find it in all the wrong places and they never grasp it for long. It creates intense dysfunctions within each character.
Eric kills young girls to find it and Lori subjects herself to all manner of unwanted and unwelcome sexual advances to feel it. Their paths cross and Lori decides that Eric is the one who can give her what she seeks. She goes with him, knowing that he murdered his mother and step-father (but he was so abused!) and later discovers that the murmurs about Eric killing young girls is also true. But, Eric is tender with her. She loves him. She informs Eric that she will stand by him, ignoring his past and assisting him in the future if he will simply remain tender with her. And how can he refuse that, especially once he begins to care for her, as much as he is capable of caring for anyone.
If we only heard from Lori's perspective, it would be incredibly easy to hate Eric and despise him for the crazed cold-blooded killer he is. But, he isn't, is he? I still don't know. We also hear from Eric. While Eric never demonstrates any remorse for what he's done, he too merely desires a little tenderness in his life. Before his mother remarried, she and Eric had a very close relationship. The man she married and Eric do not get along at all. Eric despises him and he thinks Eric is rather in the way. Eric seeks compassion and tenderness from these girls and finds that the only way he truly feels able to experience it is upon their deaths. However evil that is, I can't hate him for it. He seems genuinely puzzled when the main detective on the case calls him a monster and surprisingly, I found myself agreeing.
By the end of the novel, he seems genuinely concerned for Lori's welfare. He takes care of her, makes her feel special and begins to show her what she has been searching for. And there is no doubt that by the end, he truly cares for her. Although abrupt and a bit jarring, the ending suited the story perfectly. It was tragic, but it was the only way to end the story and be true to each character. I won't spoil it for you, but I will say that I ended up heartbroken for each of our main characters. None of them really received their happy ending.
This is a book that will stay with me for a long time, and one that will influence my thoughts as well. I can't imagine someone with such a low image and perception of themselves that they would be willing to subject themselves to what Lori willingly puts herself through before and after meeting Eric. What would drive an attractive young woman to such lengths and who is to blame for not teaching this girl that she has value all on her own. This is a story that will both warm and break your heart and one that will linger in your thoughts long after you've turned the last page.
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May 15, 2014This book is about an eighteen-year old kid (Eric Poole) who was sent to juvenile detention for the murder of his mother, step-father and two young girls. He is listed as a serial killer, and a sociopath. His tenderness frenzy started when he was a young boy. His crave for tenderness started with small animals, but he has moved on to killing young beautiful girls and still feels sexual pleasure even after they are dead. The book is also about a fifteen year old girl, Lori who also craves tenderness. She constantly deals with wanted and unwanted attention from men. Eric is released from juvenile hall on his eighteenth birthday. Before he is released he met a girl named Maria. He was attracted to her and they exchanged numbers. Lori sees the broadcast of his release and that's when her fixation with him starts. They finally meet face to face when he finds her in the back of his car. He takes her shopping and they go to dinner. When they were finished, Lori fell asleep at the motel. Eric tried to kill her but was stopped by a new kind of tenderness, love. He almost felt as if he was meant to protect her. She woke and realized what he was trying to do. Even though he almost killed her she wanted to stay. Eric still had a fixation with Maria and had a longing to kill her. Eric and Lori went to a carnival to meet her so that he could kill her. Lori stopped him because she said it was a trap. He listened to her and they left. Turns out, she was right the cops were on to him. A few weeks later they went canoeing. Lori kept standing up without her life jacket. Lori fell out of the boat, and hit her head. Lori drowned and the cops came and found Eric with a dead girl. His new love was gone and now is being put in jail for life. I would recommend this book to people.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2009
bleak literature/psychological thriller(ish)
I'd bump it up to three and a half stars. This book follows the collision of the worlds of two dysfunctional teenagers, one of whom is a serial killer just released from juvenile detention for killing his parents, the other a seriously insecure runaway girl. The concepts in this book were so alien to me—I mean, not many people can (thankfully) relate to the psychopathology of a serial killer—and it was that exploration of Eric's mentality that kept me reading. It was a little disturbing when, by the end, I found myself sympathizing with Eric. Scary. This book made me reexamine my definition of humanity and made me think that maybe some seemingly black and white situations aren't as easy to figure out as we might think.
The writing in this book is just brilliant. Taking such an intense topic and writing for teenagers, Cormier does an expert job of creating the characters and crafting the story. He's not ever graphically explicit in the murders (no actual murder even takes place within the timeframe of the book—you just see flashbacks), and with such a serious, sensitive, and intense subject, a book like this wouldn't succeed without exceptional writing.
I think there are young adults who could handle this book, but clearly, some could not. I'm conflicted about how to feel about this book as a young adult book. I'd like to give teenagers credit when it comes to dealing with intense literature, but I also think many students wouldn't react well to this book. Oh the quandary. . . .
I'd bump it up to three and a half stars. This book follows the collision of the worlds of two dysfunctional teenagers, one of whom is a serial killer just released from juvenile detention for killing his parents, the other a seriously insecure runaway girl. The concepts in this book were so alien to me—I mean, not many people can (thankfully) relate to the psychopathology of a serial killer—and it was that exploration of Eric's mentality that kept me reading. It was a little disturbing when, by the end, I found myself sympathizing with Eric. Scary. This book made me reexamine my definition of humanity and made me think that maybe some seemingly black and white situations aren't as easy to figure out as we might think.
The writing in this book is just brilliant. Taking such an intense topic and writing for teenagers, Cormier does an expert job of creating the characters and crafting the story. He's not ever graphically explicit in the murders (no actual murder even takes place within the timeframe of the book—you just see flashbacks), and with such a serious, sensitive, and intense subject, a book like this wouldn't succeed without exceptional writing.
I think there are young adults who could handle this book, but clearly, some could not. I'm conflicted about how to feel about this book as a young adult book. I'd like to give teenagers credit when it comes to dealing with intense literature, but I also think many students wouldn't react well to this book. Oh the quandary. . . .
March 5, 2009
I am a sick, sick person and loved, loved, loved this book! I have a soft spot for loveable serial killers, and Eric is one. I loved the multiple points of view, especially how detached Eric and the lieutenant were but how Lori was in first person. I loved how to Eric, Lori was always "the girl" and how she was special to him, regardless of how strange it was. I pitied all the main characters for their sheer humanity (and a little lackthereof). I admit, with about an hour of the 5 discs left to listen to, I read more about it on-line and accidentally read a spoiler. If I hadn't, I probably would have cried like a baby at the end.
Definitely for older readers, with references to sexual assault (and necrophilia?). I found myself tying it in my mind to McNamee's Acceleration, although that one is anti-killer.
Definitely for older readers, with references to sexual assault (and necrophilia?). I found myself tying it in my mind to McNamee's Acceleration, although that one is anti-killer.
March 27, 2008
Creepy, weird, upsetting... but in a good way. The two main characters are losers, weirdos, and freaks. The boy is a serial killer who has just been let out of prison and is stalking his next victim and the girl is schizophrenic/OCD/nymphomaniac. But it's good! The characters are written in such a way that they're believable, lovable, and attractive, but in the same way that a puppy with two heads is believable, lovable, and attractive. This is masterful writing on a difficult subject. My students seem to like it, too, which is a good sign.
September 11, 2016
Such a dark story of the mind of a serial killer although I sympathized with the character (weird I know), also I saw the movie before and I was expecting a different ending it wasn't
June 4, 2021
Âgé de 18 ans, Eric est remis en liberté après avoir tué sa mère et son beau-père. Sa remise en liberté lui donne envie de tendresse, qu’il obtient en tuant des jeunes filles. Lori, 15 ans, s’est enfui de chez elle et est également à la recherche de tendresse, qu’elle croit pouvoir trouver avec Eric.
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Ce roman était ADDICTIF! À chaque changement de narrateur, je me demandais si Eric allait céder à ses pulsions et faire disparaître Lori ou si Lori allait réussir à amadouer Eric. Alors que leurs histoires passées nous sont révélées par petites bribes, on en apprend plus sur la complexité de ces deux personnages marginaux! J’ai trouvé que la fin était parfaite! Elle nous surprend mais permet de clore le roman d’une bonne façon!
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Le livre est également disponible en français sous le titre « De la tendresse. Il a également été mis en film en 2009 sous le titre « Traqués » ou « Tenderness »
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Ce roman était ADDICTIF! À chaque changement de narrateur, je me demandais si Eric allait céder à ses pulsions et faire disparaître Lori ou si Lori allait réussir à amadouer Eric. Alors que leurs histoires passées nous sont révélées par petites bribes, on en apprend plus sur la complexité de ces deux personnages marginaux! J’ai trouvé que la fin était parfaite! Elle nous surprend mais permet de clore le roman d’une bonne façon!
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Le livre est également disponible en français sous le titre « De la tendresse. Il a également été mis en film en 2009 sous le titre « Traqués » ou « Tenderness »
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October 6, 2023
i cant stop thinking ab this book so it gets bumped from a 3 to a 4 🫡
June 2, 2008
Yikes.
Essentially, this novel breaks down to three main characters: Lori, the sexually aggressive runaway, Eric, the teenaged serial killer, and Det. Proctor, the overeager detective looking to reconcile failures in his past.
Each of the characters is broken, and by broken, I mean that they are mentally damaged, very much so.
Lori's been sexually abused by her mother's string of abusive boyfriends (I'm inferring that; nothing is said straight out), and defiantly uses sex as a weapon and as a means to an end.
Eric was molested by his mom (again, inference) and has become obsessed with recreating that tenderness with girls who look like her. Well. But he kills them first.
Det. Proctor could not undisputedly discover the identity of a serial killer in Oregon, though he suspected it was a cleancut helpful teenage boy who gave away his deviancy with a triumphant smile only Proctor could see. Proctor moved across the country only to get involved in a similar case, fifteen-year-old Eric, who murdered his mom and stepfather, claiming he was physically abused by them.
Because of this claim, Eric is allowed to stay at a juvenile facility until his eighteenth birthday, when he will be released, his records will be sealed, and he will be free to kill again.
It's shortly after his release that Lori meets up with Eric, seeking him out; she says she is "fixated" on him. He, in turn, wants nothing to do with her, but the two are drawn together by their brokenness; when they're together, Lori isn't sexually aggressive, and Eric actually starts to awaken emotionally, to feel tenderness with her that has nothing to do with the release he felt when he murdered his five victims.
The book is disturbing but captivating. I don't read a lot of true crime books, so I don't often "go into the mind of the killer," or whatever. The additional factor of the murderer's age--HE COULD BE IN MY CLASSROOM--is pretty frightening, as is his coldness and objectivity; he is the classic sociapathic archetype, and he is SCARY.
I'm not quite sold on Eric's sexual abuse as a root for his behavior--that might not be what the author intended anyway; perhaps that just awakened some sort of latent tendency toward violence, or maybe he is just innately evil.
I'll tell you what's pretty gross, is that I started to feel a little empathy for him, for his eternal search for tenderness, even if it meant he had to kill to find it. Ultimately, obviously, I don't condone his behavior or find anything justifiable in it, but for just a minute, there was a tiny spark of relatability to him, like he was thisclose to salvation, and I was even rooting for him a little bit, and that scared me--being on the bad guy's side, I mean. Who does that make me?
*The following is teacher stuff for me to remember*
Not a read-aloud book, and not a lit circle book, but one I would recommend to MODERATELY WELL-ADJUSTED teenagers who won't use this as a murder textbook.
However, if the book affected ME this deeply, and made ME think some pretty big thoughts, it could serve to open a discussion with students, to help them start thinking about culpability, nature v. nurture, consequences of actions, etc.
Essentially, this novel breaks down to three main characters: Lori, the sexually aggressive runaway, Eric, the teenaged serial killer, and Det. Proctor, the overeager detective looking to reconcile failures in his past.
Each of the characters is broken, and by broken, I mean that they are mentally damaged, very much so.
Lori's been sexually abused by her mother's string of abusive boyfriends (I'm inferring that; nothing is said straight out), and defiantly uses sex as a weapon and as a means to an end.
Eric was molested by his mom (again, inference) and has become obsessed with recreating that tenderness with girls who look like her. Well. But he kills them first.
Det. Proctor could not undisputedly discover the identity of a serial killer in Oregon, though he suspected it was a cleancut helpful teenage boy who gave away his deviancy with a triumphant smile only Proctor could see. Proctor moved across the country only to get involved in a similar case, fifteen-year-old Eric, who murdered his mom and stepfather, claiming he was physically abused by them.
Because of this claim, Eric is allowed to stay at a juvenile facility until his eighteenth birthday, when he will be released, his records will be sealed, and he will be free to kill again.
It's shortly after his release that Lori meets up with Eric, seeking him out; she says she is "fixated" on him. He, in turn, wants nothing to do with her, but the two are drawn together by their brokenness; when they're together, Lori isn't sexually aggressive, and Eric actually starts to awaken emotionally, to feel tenderness with her that has nothing to do with the release he felt when he murdered his five victims.
The book is disturbing but captivating. I don't read a lot of true crime books, so I don't often "go into the mind of the killer," or whatever. The additional factor of the murderer's age--HE COULD BE IN MY CLASSROOM--is pretty frightening, as is his coldness and objectivity; he is the classic sociapathic archetype, and he is SCARY.
I'm not quite sold on Eric's sexual abuse as a root for his behavior--that might not be what the author intended anyway; perhaps that just awakened some sort of latent tendency toward violence, or maybe he is just innately evil.
I'll tell you what's pretty gross, is that I started to feel a little empathy for him, for his eternal search for tenderness, even if it meant he had to kill to find it. Ultimately, obviously, I don't condone his behavior or find anything justifiable in it, but for just a minute, there was a tiny spark of relatability to him, like he was thisclose to salvation, and I was even rooting for him a little bit, and that scared me--being on the bad guy's side, I mean. Who does that make me?
*The following is teacher stuff for me to remember*
Not a read-aloud book, and not a lit circle book, but one I would recommend to MODERATELY WELL-ADJUSTED teenagers who won't use this as a murder textbook.
However, if the book affected ME this deeply, and made ME think some pretty big thoughts, it could serve to open a discussion with students, to help them start thinking about culpability, nature v. nurture, consequences of actions, etc.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 29, 2009
Genre: Fiction/Serial Killing/Love
After spending three years in the Juvenile correction facility for the murder of his mother and stepfather, Eric Poole is finally released. He moves in with his aunt for awhile until the press calm down and find something else to report on in the newspapers. One particular day he looks outside the house to find a blonde girl in the branches of the willow tree in the front yard. He eventually remembers he met her several years ago by the train tracks. He met her just after he had murdered one of three other girls her killed, all of them with beautiful black hair and tan skin. Eric was a serial killer and used his charm to lure beautiful girls to do what he wanted and then killed them to enjoy a moment of "tenderness" with their dead bodies. The girl, Lori, hides in Eric's car when he finally leaves his aunt's house and travels in search of a dark haired fellow inmate from the prison named "the Senorita." Eric spends time with her, buying her presents and food until he realizes she knows that he killed the girl the day by the train tracks. He tries to kill her in her sleep but she wakes up when the pillow to smother her is still in the air. Eric then knows he cannot kill her. Eric meets the Senorita at a carnival and it turns out to be a trap set by the police to catch him in the act of killing again. Lori discovers the trap and warns him before he does anything. The two then continue travelling and spending time together as Lori experiences the tenderness she has never felt from anyone. While out canoeing, Lori falls in the lake and drowns despite Eric's attempts to save her. He is charged with murder for her death and locked in prison, even though the Leutenient in charge of Eric's case knows that he probably didn't murder her because she was not his type. He is kept in prison anyways.
This book was astonishing for it's originality. Although the subject matter is disturbing and depressing, at the same time, it is eye opening to see into the mind of a killer and try to comprehend the emotions they feel when killing. I would be careful in deciding who I recommend this book to but it is definitely worth reading for it's pure originality and uniqueness.
After spending three years in the Juvenile correction facility for the murder of his mother and stepfather, Eric Poole is finally released. He moves in with his aunt for awhile until the press calm down and find something else to report on in the newspapers. One particular day he looks outside the house to find a blonde girl in the branches of the willow tree in the front yard. He eventually remembers he met her several years ago by the train tracks. He met her just after he had murdered one of three other girls her killed, all of them with beautiful black hair and tan skin. Eric was a serial killer and used his charm to lure beautiful girls to do what he wanted and then killed them to enjoy a moment of "tenderness" with their dead bodies. The girl, Lori, hides in Eric's car when he finally leaves his aunt's house and travels in search of a dark haired fellow inmate from the prison named "the Senorita." Eric spends time with her, buying her presents and food until he realizes she knows that he killed the girl the day by the train tracks. He tries to kill her in her sleep but she wakes up when the pillow to smother her is still in the air. Eric then knows he cannot kill her. Eric meets the Senorita at a carnival and it turns out to be a trap set by the police to catch him in the act of killing again. Lori discovers the trap and warns him before he does anything. The two then continue travelling and spending time together as Lori experiences the tenderness she has never felt from anyone. While out canoeing, Lori falls in the lake and drowns despite Eric's attempts to save her. He is charged with murder for her death and locked in prison, even though the Leutenient in charge of Eric's case knows that he probably didn't murder her because she was not his type. He is kept in prison anyways.
This book was astonishing for it's originality. Although the subject matter is disturbing and depressing, at the same time, it is eye opening to see into the mind of a killer and try to comprehend the emotions they feel when killing. I would be careful in deciding who I recommend this book to but it is definitely worth reading for it's pure originality and uniqueness.
January 26, 2016
I'd give this book a 4 out of 5 stars for this review. I really loved the idea this book demonstrated the story by switching points of views, from Lori's situations to Eric Poole's, from being a runaway girl with mixed emotions, to a psychopath serial killer who is released into the public. These perspectives are very different but also are similar at a whole other level.
Given Eric Poole's situation, he reacts in such a mysterious way that is very confusing. By playing his sentence out and refusing to get into trouble, to only hide and plan in his aunts house really raises suspicion on what he plans to do exactly, and Lori's role in that planning is quite incredible.
When Lori goes out and runs away from her mom and stepdad, it was to get away from the sexual feelings she had towards her step father, feeling it was wrong to her mom. In response to that, she runs away to meet a celebrity who peaked her mixed feelings. After the hunt for him was over, Lori came across Eric on the news, being reminded instantly of a very important moment in the story.
How the two met to become such a influence and basis for the story was started by an interaction they had after one of five murders committed by Eric Poole, in which Eric was fond of Lori. From this point on, Lori was eager to see him. Once Eric Poole was able to escape the facility he was held at to his aunt's house which was broadcast-ed on TV almost everyday, it was a very interesting for him to go out and confront her.
The way the author alternates between both the perspectives and how they progress throughout the story makes the book all the more mysterious and curious of finding out what happens to both of them.
Given Eric Poole's situation, he reacts in such a mysterious way that is very confusing. By playing his sentence out and refusing to get into trouble, to only hide and plan in his aunts house really raises suspicion on what he plans to do exactly, and Lori's role in that planning is quite incredible.
When Lori goes out and runs away from her mom and stepdad, it was to get away from the sexual feelings she had towards her step father, feeling it was wrong to her mom. In response to that, she runs away to meet a celebrity who peaked her mixed feelings. After the hunt for him was over, Lori came across Eric on the news, being reminded instantly of a very important moment in the story.
How the two met to become such a influence and basis for the story was started by an interaction they had after one of five murders committed by Eric Poole, in which Eric was fond of Lori. From this point on, Lori was eager to see him. Once Eric Poole was able to escape the facility he was held at to his aunt's house which was broadcast-ed on TV almost everyday, it was a very interesting for him to go out and confront her.
The way the author alternates between both the perspectives and how they progress throughout the story makes the book all the more mysterious and curious of finding out what happens to both of them.
August 19, 2013
Lori is a fifteen-year-old runaway, who uses sex as a way to obtain money and other things. Eric is an eighteen-year-old being released from prison for murdering his mother and stepfather. Lori sees him on tv and wants to meet him. Both are looking for TENDERNESS. Eric is also suspected of being a serial killer of young girls. Just reading the blurb, you know this can't end well.
TENDERNESS is a bleak, dark tale of two very disturbed adolescents. One of the most troubling factors is that they don't realized how sadly woeful they are. Cormier writes with flawless perfection as he draws the reader into the story, forcing you to keep reading long after you should be sleeping or doing something else.
What kept me from rating this higher was the at times graphic violence. I'm not a prude, I can take sex and violence in YA books, but I draw the line at descriptions of killing kittens.
TENDERNESS is not a feel good story, but it is compelling.
TENDERNESS is a bleak, dark tale of two very disturbed adolescents. One of the most troubling factors is that they don't realized how sadly woeful they are. Cormier writes with flawless perfection as he draws the reader into the story, forcing you to keep reading long after you should be sleeping or doing something else.
What kept me from rating this higher was the at times graphic violence. I'm not a prude, I can take sex and violence in YA books, but I draw the line at descriptions of killing kittens.
TENDERNESS is not a feel good story, but it is compelling.
December 10, 2015
One day, a beautiful girl Lori who receives wanted and unwanted sexual attention on a daily basis feels the urge to kiss Eric Poole, a teenage murderer. This symptom usually goes away once she kisses the guy she is fixated on, and in order to fulfill this desire, she approaches Eric. She is initially scared of Eric, but comes to love him. Eric also seems to feel something for her, but she is not his "type." He finds tenderness in killing beautiful brunette girls. This story of a girl who has a problem on fixating on a guy, and a sociopathic boy finding fulfillment in killing girls is a chilling and disturbing story that explores the dark side of humanity. I personally liked this book because it was so magnificently woven in order to show the psychology of the mentally unstable teenagers; it is realistic and believable. I wouldn't recommend this to people who are disturbed by this kind of psychological subject, but I don't think it will really harm anyone to read it.
July 7, 2010
Another book I was so undecided on how to rate. I loved the book and also absolutely hated it. It was written very well, the characters were interesting, the plot was a subject not touched by most authors and it leaves you with a dark creepy feel. When I started the book I was rooting for Eric, hoping he would maybe get therapy and fall in love with Lori.
I am also torn because I wish he did get 'better' and was able to meatally heal, but he also deserved what was coming by what he did in his past.
Part of me wished I didn't read this book because now it is gnawing on a small part of my brain. I really did enjoy it, it's just dark, a bit creepy and has a suprise twist at the end.
If you are familiar with Robert Cormier's work, it's a great book.
I am also torn because I wish he did get 'better' and was able to meatally heal, but he also deserved what was coming by what he did in his past.
Part of me wished I didn't read this book because now it is gnawing on a small part of my brain. I really did enjoy it, it's just dark, a bit creepy and has a suprise twist at the end.
If you are familiar with Robert Cormier's work, it's a great book.
December 2, 2008
I don't know what it is about Robert Cormier, but I keep picking up his books even though I don't like his writing style. They're just growing on me. This one has a little too much cliche going on (the runaway who stalks the serial killer--maybe not a big cliche but it's not a surprise at all) and the ending, which is pretty much like all his other books with its messages of Life Isn't Fair and Cormier's Protagonists Never Win.
Not a bad read, a bit of creepy but not a whole lot, in part because there's not much mystery here: we know who these characters are and what their stories are, unlike I Am the Cheese.
Not a bad read, a bit of creepy but not a whole lot, in part because there's not much mystery here: we know who these characters are and what their stories are, unlike I Am the Cheese.
September 10, 2015
I read this when I was 15 or thereabouts. Eric is a serial killer. Yet he meets one girl he doesn't want to kill (or resists killing at least), and it's for her death, he gets sent to adult prison. Poetic justice, they call it. He murdered six or seven women, got away with it, but for the one girl he didn't (he actually tried to save her!), he's put away forever. Without fail, I think about this story every year. My favourite Robert Cromier book.
July 24, 2017
Basically, I only finished this book because it was so much shorter than most. Had it been longer, I would have DNF it.
I didn't one star this because of the topic, I'm a big girl. I one started it because it was b o r i n g. Plain and simple.
Lori is awful. She's dumb and clueless and that's all I can tell you without spoilers. And Eric is the knock-off junior high version of Joe from YOU.
I didn't even like the writing.
*sigh* Yet another YA that I didn't like.
I didn't one star this because of the topic, I'm a big girl. I one started it because it was b o r i n g. Plain and simple.
Lori is awful. She's dumb and clueless and that's all I can tell you without spoilers. And Eric is the knock-off junior high version of Joe from YOU.
I didn't even like the writing.
*sigh* Yet another YA that I didn't like.
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