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Killing God
Dawn Bundy is fifteen. She doesn't fit in and she couldn't care less. Dawn has other things on her mind. Her dad disappeared two years ago and it's all God's fault.
When Dawn's dad found God, it was the worst time ever. He thought he'd found the answer to everything. But that wasn't the end of it . . .
When Dawn's dad found God, it was the worst time ever. He thought he'd found the answer to everything. But that wasn't the end of it . . .
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
About the author
Kevin Brooks
65 books848 followersKevin Brooks was born in 1959 and grew up in Exeter, Devon, England. He studied Psychology and Philosophy at Birmingham, Aston University in 1980 and Cultural Studies in London in 1983. Kevin Brooks has been in a variety of jobs including: musician, gasoline station attendant, crematorium handyman, civil service clerk, hot dog vendor at the London Zoo, post office clerk, and railway ticket office clerk.
Kevin Brooks's writing career started with the publication of Martyn Pig in 2002 through The Chicken House which won the Branford Boase Award 2003 and was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal. He also wrote Lucas (2002) which was shortlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize and Booktrust Teenage Prize in 2003 also winning the North East Book Award in 2004.
In 2004 he published Kissing the Rain and Bloodline and I See You, Baby and Candy in 2005. In 2006 he published 3 books including: Johnny Delgado Series - Like Father, Like Son and Private Detective as well as The Road of the Dead; a standalone novel. In February 2008 he published the standalone book Black Rabbit Summer.
As a child, Kevin Brooks enjoyed reading detective novels. He writes most plots of the various books he has written around crime fiction. He likes mystery and suspence and enjoys putting both of those components into each and every story he writes in some shape or form.
Kevin Brooks's writing career started with the publication of Martyn Pig in 2002 through The Chicken House which won the Branford Boase Award 2003 and was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal. He also wrote Lucas (2002) which was shortlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize and Booktrust Teenage Prize in 2003 also winning the North East Book Award in 2004.
In 2004 he published Kissing the Rain and Bloodline and I See You, Baby and Candy in 2005. In 2006 he published 3 books including: Johnny Delgado Series - Like Father, Like Son and Private Detective as well as The Road of the Dead; a standalone novel. In February 2008 he published the standalone book Black Rabbit Summer.
As a child, Kevin Brooks enjoyed reading detective novels. He writes most plots of the various books he has written around crime fiction. He likes mystery and suspence and enjoys putting both of those components into each and every story he writes in some shape or form.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
November 20, 2022
This book made me think about trauma and its effects. Dawn Bundy, the fifteen year-old protagonist has a very unstable charisma due to past and present trauma. She is a very cautious person, with a very unprecedented (and depressing) perspective. ‘...as she touches my skin. I can’t help it…. DON’T TOUCH ME! I cower to the wall whimpering like a baby, it’s all I can do to stay on my feet.’ At this moment, a friendly pat on the back is abruptly remade to how Dawn sees it, a threat, a crisis, a reminder of that night - rape. Something she suffered through at the age of only 13. The author gives us an insight to see how people with PTSD live their lives, with a poisoned lense. What one person sees as a normal, appropriate gesture, the other might see as a personal violation. This “exaggeration” that victims make, heavily impacts their ability to make friends and have positive relationships with people. Because they have much more varied ideals of personal boundaries and triggers they will likely have mental health issues that take patience and support that many people won’t want to deal with.This, again we see with Dawn in Killing God. By reading this book we get to know a girl who is seen as different, unique or strange but what society tends to forget is that trauma is not an impossible illness, it is a cry for help. It's not something that is to be shoved in isolation, it is something that craves connection. This trauma that many face can only be helped if we reach out when they cannot. What we learn through this book is that these people - with monsters in their head and demons in their soul - are still people, and they aren’t just helpless little animals or strange aliens that make everything a ‘massive deal’. This trauma that many face can only be helped if we reach out when they cannot. They are some of the strongest people to walk this earth. The only way we will grow is if we educate ourselves and stop treating these victims as attention seekers or helpless animals. We need to relearn basic kindness.
June 13, 2011
Because I was sexually abused as a child, this book made me think about some past memories. I spent nights crying myself to sleep feeling aweful. This being said, reading Dawn is more like an adventure through the darkest corners of one's mind. The reader must be prepared for great writing, but also great hardship if any kind of abuse (especially sexual) is in his or her past.
October 12, 2019
Kevin Brooks is my favourite author and I have enjoyed every book of his I have read so far on my quest to read them all. Sadly, this one disappointed me :/ It felt like a kind of nothing-book. Not much happened, it was messed up and I just didn't really like the character or any of it in general.
November 19, 2010
Why do I keep reading books by Kevin Brooks when I always feel ticked off by the end? Could it be the covers, appealing as hard-Candy? Is it the promising cover-leaf descriptions? Am I Being a sucker for marketing? Every time I get done with one his titles, I feel a bit cheated and a bit muddled, as if I've taken a turn down Road Of The Dead-ends. When will it Killing God on me that I just don't like what he does? [This last sentence would work better if I could have easily inserted 'Dawn,' instead of the original, British title, "Killing God."]
There are good moments in "Dawn," and if a reader can relate to the 'lumpy-ish,' outsider - the titular Dawn Bundy - then this might be worth a read. Dawn is NOT happy with God, nor with her absent father, nor with her drunk mother, and don't even suggest that she think about the BAD THING THAT DIDN"T EVEN HAPPEN. She loves her dogs, obsessively listens to The Jesus and Mary Chain. There are passing sapphic musings. At first, the book is strange and moody and disjointed, then it shifts into almost a teen problem novel, and then it ends like a cautious Tarantino flick. Or like a Kevin Brooks book, I suppose.
The best YA is fascinating, moving, transformative. Good YA is entertaining. Yet again, Kevin Brooks has failed me on all these levels. Others have described this as deep and disturbing, but that wasn't the "Dawn" I read.
There are good moments in "Dawn," and if a reader can relate to the 'lumpy-ish,' outsider - the titular Dawn Bundy - then this might be worth a read. Dawn is NOT happy with God, nor with her absent father, nor with her drunk mother, and don't even suggest that she think about the BAD THING THAT DIDN"T EVEN HAPPEN. She loves her dogs, obsessively listens to The Jesus and Mary Chain. There are passing sapphic musings. At first, the book is strange and moody and disjointed, then it shifts into almost a teen problem novel, and then it ends like a cautious Tarantino flick. Or like a Kevin Brooks book, I suppose.
The best YA is fascinating, moving, transformative. Good YA is entertaining. Yet again, Kevin Brooks has failed me on all these levels. Others have described this as deep and disturbing, but that wasn't the "Dawn" I read.
May 7, 2019
This book was decently good, it just got pretty repetetive and boring after the first 100 pages.
Overall would recommend if you have the patience and dont get bored quickly, otherwhise i'd recommend staying away from reading this book.
Overall would recommend if you have the patience and dont get bored quickly, otherwhise i'd recommend staying away from reading this book.
April 5, 2016
I really enjoyed this book even if it was majorly depressing and nothing like the novels I would normally read.
It tells the story of Dawn, a 15 year old who has every right to hate God even if she doesn't believe He exists. Two years previously Dawn's father becomes a born again Christian, after that he is obsessed with God and Christ and this then ruins Dawn's life.
It was heart aching and terrifying to see how something can change somebody's personality. It was real. Really real. The trauma Dawn experienced is clear throughout the book. I loved the way it was portrayed.
Characters: 8/10
Language: 9/10
Description in the novel: 8/10
Action: 7/10
Plot: 8/10
Enjoyment: 7/10
Overall: 8/10
A solid 4 stars.
It tells the story of Dawn, a 15 year old who has every right to hate God even if she doesn't believe He exists. Two years previously Dawn's father becomes a born again Christian, after that he is obsessed with God and Christ and this then ruins Dawn's life.
It was heart aching and terrifying to see how something can change somebody's personality. It was real. Really real. The trauma Dawn experienced is clear throughout the book. I loved the way it was portrayed.
Characters: 8/10
Language: 9/10
Description in the novel: 8/10
Action: 7/10
Plot: 8/10
Enjoyment: 7/10
Overall: 8/10
A solid 4 stars.
January 6, 2017
Dieses Buch war wie man so schön sagt "One hell of a ride"!
Der Schreibstil war interessant und hat dem Buch das Gewisse Etwas verliehen. Dawn war ein authentischer Charakter und das was mit ihr passiert ist hab ich mir von Anfang an gedacht, nur alles was danach kam war eindeutig unerwartet! Tolles Buch!
Der Schreibstil war interessant und hat dem Buch das Gewisse Etwas verliehen. Dawn war ein authentischer Charakter und das was mit ihr passiert ist hab ich mir von Anfang an gedacht, nur alles was danach kam war eindeutig unerwartet! Tolles Buch!
August 30, 2010
I really enjoyed this book; obviously it was written for people younger than myself but I think the younger me would have given it 4 or 5 stars. The narrator is a believable teenage girl and the story is good, with a lot of action at the end.
February 3, 2017
i've read this book a thousand times and i still love it very very much
Read
October 13, 2022i just randomly remembered this book and how much i liked it
May 31, 2017
I gave this book 3 stars out of 5 because overall it was okay. I liked this book because it was like a mystery when Dawn's dad (main character) disappears and she's left with her mom. Dawn is kinda anti-socialist and doesn't have many friends. I liked this book because it was greatly detail but the book constantly talks about random things that doesn't really have to do with the plot of the book. I really do recommend this book.
February 19, 2019
Language - PG-13 (68 swears, 16 "f"), Sexual Content - PG; Violence - PG
Dawn has one goal in life: to kill God. Dawn also has one problem with her goal: how do you kill something that doesn't exist?
I thought this book was really boring. There wasn't any action until the last 50 pages or so and it was just a story of a depressed girl and her depressed mom. Both those factors made Dawn really hard to read.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/
Dawn has one goal in life: to kill God. Dawn also has one problem with her goal: how do you kill something that doesn't exist?
I thought this book was really boring. There wasn't any action until the last 50 pages or so and it was just a story of a depressed girl and her depressed mom. Both those factors made Dawn really hard to read.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/
January 2, 2018
I love Brooks' writing. The sass from Dawn throughout the story was on point and I found myself laughing out loud throughout the whole book... well, until the ending. Which was not what I expected. The story took an unique turn and for a 13y.o to be dealing with all that, it felt a bit much.
I still loved it.
It has some trigger points though so reader be wary.
I still loved it.
It has some trigger points though so reader be wary.
October 20, 2020
It's a funny and entertaining story, but sometimes a little bit dull and long-winded. I think it's more a book for girls. A lot of parts are understandable when you are a teen too, so that's quite funny.
May 7, 2017
a different writing style. Some of life's larger questions being raised in an interesting manner. raising awareness of the struggles of Dawn's of our world
May 20, 2023
Ich musste das Buch für die Schule lesen und es ist das einzige, was in den 12 Jahren wirklich hängen geblieben ist. Es beschreibt die Suche nach der Schuld in Fällen von Missbrauch sehr gut.
June 18, 2022
This books speaks about how alcahol can completely ruin somobodies life as well as all the people around them, "I made myself live with it...every day...with nothing to take the pain away.. and that's killed me more than dying every could.
your not drinking anymore?
Not since I left"
This book irradiates the dangers of drug/alchahol abuse with quotes like that everywhere, here i'll get another one.
"He won't even call out goodbye to me
He wont do anything." This quote talkes about the dangers of addiction, and how once this character became addicted and then stopped, after that he lost any reason to live except for not hurting people, which is why (refer to the first quote listed) they kept going, This book is 233 pages of drink respobibly , it's not like this book is too out there either (hopefully what i'm about to do is allowed), more than 6 percent of adults in the us have an alchahol addiction, this book was made to tell a story with these messages woven in
your not drinking anymore?
Not since I left"
This book irradiates the dangers of drug/alchahol abuse with quotes like that everywhere, here i'll get another one.
"He won't even call out goodbye to me
He wont do anything." This quote talkes about the dangers of addiction, and how once this character became addicted and then stopped, after that he lost any reason to live except for not hurting people, which is why (refer to the first quote listed) they kept going, This book is 233 pages of drink respobibly , it's not like this book is too out there either (hopefully what i'm about to do is allowed), more than 6 percent of adults in the us have an alchahol addiction, this book was made to tell a story with these messages woven in
April 26, 2015
>>Diese Rezension und viele mehr findet ihr auch hier: http://wort-welten.blogspot.de/
Dawn könnte ein ganz gewöhnlicher Teenager sein. Sie könnte. Dass sie es nur auf ihre Art ist und nicht ganz in das Bild eines Teenagers passt, das die Allgemeinheit erwartet, hat sie Gott zu verdanken. Zumindest ist es das, was sie glauben will. Denn zu sagen, dass ihr eigener Vater sie vergewaltigt hat, weil er von jetzt auf gleich regelrecht besessen von Gott und der Bibel war, würde all das irgendwie wahr machen. Und das will Dawn eigentlich nicht.
Da ist es doch viel einfacher und weniger schmerzlich, die Tage mit ihren beiden Dackeln Mary und Jesus und der Musik ihrer Lieblingsband The Jesus and Mary Chain zu verbringen. Und damit, in der Bibel nach Antworten zu suchen. Nach Antworten und einem Weg, Gott zu töten. Während Dawns Mutter im Nebenzimmer ihren Kummer und Schmerz in Alkohol ertränkt …
Ich kann wirklich nicht oft genug erwähnen, wie sehr ich die Bücher von Kevin Brooks einfach liebe. Er schreibt ohne jedwede Rücksicht, packt das Problem direkt beim Schopfe und deutete drohend darauf, so dass niemand mehr wegschauen oder die Augen davor verschließen kann.
Bei Killing God handelt es sich nun schon um das sechste Buch, das ich von diesem Autor gelesen habe – und wieder einmal hat er mich keinesfalls enttäuscht. Die Themen, die er in diesem Buch zur Sprache gebracht hat – Gewalt in der Familie, Alkoholismus, sexuelle Gewalt gegenüber Kindern, Vergewaltigung – sind so klar um rissen, dass es fast schmerzt, das Buch zu lesen.
Man will Dawn einfach nur die Hand geben und ihr sagen, dass alles gut wird, dass sie keine Angst mehr haben muss. Doch selbst wenn das möglich wäre, würde das nichts ändern. Denn Dawn befindet sich in einer Zwickmühle, die schlimmer nicht sein könnte. Denn einerseits hasst sie ihren Vater dafür, was er ihr angetan hat. Auf der anderen Seite liebt sie ihn aber auch für das, was er einmal war – ihr Vater, der vor jener Nacht immer für sie da gewesen ist.
Ein Teufelskreis, den Dawn vermutlich leider Gottes mit allzu vielen anderen in ihrer Lage teilt. Von daher ist dieses Buch wieder einmal sehr mutig von Brooks. Dass er jedem Kapitel des Buches den Titel eines Songs von The Jesus and Mary Chain gegeben hat, macht das Buch überdies zu einem kleinen bittersüßen Kunstwerk, wobei die Zitate aus besagten Songs geradezu perfekt zu den Kapiteln passen. Ein großartiges Buch.
Dass der Titel jedoch in den Vereinigten Staaten von Killing God in Dawn geändert werden musste, wirkt auf mich fast wie ein Klebeband über einen Mund, der von Dingen spricht, die man gerne todschweigen möchte. Um von der Religionsfreiheit gar nicht erst anzufangen. Nennt mich eine Anti-Christin, wenn euch danach ist. Aber so etwas ist nicht in Ordnung. Nicht einmal im prüden Amerika.
Dawn könnte ein ganz gewöhnlicher Teenager sein. Sie könnte. Dass sie es nur auf ihre Art ist und nicht ganz in das Bild eines Teenagers passt, das die Allgemeinheit erwartet, hat sie Gott zu verdanken. Zumindest ist es das, was sie glauben will. Denn zu sagen, dass ihr eigener Vater sie vergewaltigt hat, weil er von jetzt auf gleich regelrecht besessen von Gott und der Bibel war, würde all das irgendwie wahr machen. Und das will Dawn eigentlich nicht.
Da ist es doch viel einfacher und weniger schmerzlich, die Tage mit ihren beiden Dackeln Mary und Jesus und der Musik ihrer Lieblingsband The Jesus and Mary Chain zu verbringen. Und damit, in der Bibel nach Antworten zu suchen. Nach Antworten und einem Weg, Gott zu töten. Während Dawns Mutter im Nebenzimmer ihren Kummer und Schmerz in Alkohol ertränkt …
Ich kann wirklich nicht oft genug erwähnen, wie sehr ich die Bücher von Kevin Brooks einfach liebe. Er schreibt ohne jedwede Rücksicht, packt das Problem direkt beim Schopfe und deutete drohend darauf, so dass niemand mehr wegschauen oder die Augen davor verschließen kann.
Bei Killing God handelt es sich nun schon um das sechste Buch, das ich von diesem Autor gelesen habe – und wieder einmal hat er mich keinesfalls enttäuscht. Die Themen, die er in diesem Buch zur Sprache gebracht hat – Gewalt in der Familie, Alkoholismus, sexuelle Gewalt gegenüber Kindern, Vergewaltigung – sind so klar um rissen, dass es fast schmerzt, das Buch zu lesen.
Man will Dawn einfach nur die Hand geben und ihr sagen, dass alles gut wird, dass sie keine Angst mehr haben muss. Doch selbst wenn das möglich wäre, würde das nichts ändern. Denn Dawn befindet sich in einer Zwickmühle, die schlimmer nicht sein könnte. Denn einerseits hasst sie ihren Vater dafür, was er ihr angetan hat. Auf der anderen Seite liebt sie ihn aber auch für das, was er einmal war – ihr Vater, der vor jener Nacht immer für sie da gewesen ist.
Ein Teufelskreis, den Dawn vermutlich leider Gottes mit allzu vielen anderen in ihrer Lage teilt. Von daher ist dieses Buch wieder einmal sehr mutig von Brooks. Dass er jedem Kapitel des Buches den Titel eines Songs von The Jesus and Mary Chain gegeben hat, macht das Buch überdies zu einem kleinen bittersüßen Kunstwerk, wobei die Zitate aus besagten Songs geradezu perfekt zu den Kapiteln passen. Ein großartiges Buch.
Dass der Titel jedoch in den Vereinigten Staaten von Killing God in Dawn geändert werden musste, wirkt auf mich fast wie ein Klebeband über einen Mund, der von Dingen spricht, die man gerne todschweigen möchte. Um von der Religionsfreiheit gar nicht erst anzufangen. Nennt mich eine Anti-Christin, wenn euch danach ist. Aber so etwas ist nicht in Ordnung. Nicht einmal im prüden Amerika.
May 2, 2010
At first I didn’t like this story and I almost didn’t finish it. The reason being is that I thought it was going to be another book that ripped on organized religion and its agenda was to prove there was no God. But because that was so in my face, and me being a huge Brooks fan, I knew he had a twist in the end that I would be pleased with. So I stuck it out and finished in hopes I was right.
Though ‘Dawn’ wasn’t my favorite of the Kevin Brooks books I thought it was nicely done. It was complete with a deep plot and an unforgettable sin resolved.
Dawn isn’t skinny or pretty and most times she goes through her day at school without a single soul talking to her. She hides under baggy clothes and disappears to all those around her. She loves her parents, her two dogs and her ipod. When her father is converted to Christianity he changes from a cool father into a man who is devoted to his new faith while his family doesn’t seem as important anymore. When her father’s past sins catch up with him, he becomes a hypocrite and turns into a person out of control. Guilt finds Dawn’s father and instead of trying to make things right, he runs and leaves his wife and daughter broken and confused.
Dawn has no one to blame but the god her father has embraced. If there is a God how could he allow these things to happen? If there is a God why didn’t he step in and save her from her father? If there is a God why does she feel the way she does? Why has she been forgotten? Why would God change her father into a monster? Isn’t God supposed to change people for the good? Dawn has decided to prove there is no God but in her quest, she discovers that men will always be men and everyone, whether they are religious or not, have their agency. Sometimes, mistakes are made and sometimes those who make the mistakes have remorse and sometimes they don’t.
Asking for forgiveness is hard, but forgiving is even harder. I believe it releases you from being trapped under another’s control. So the question is this…If there isn’t a God, why is that so important for us to forgive and ask to be forgiven? In the end I believe Dawn found God, (in her own way), she needed to forgive her father and by doing this it saved her. She now will be able to focus on her mother and help her to do the same.
Though ‘Dawn’ wasn’t my favorite of the Kevin Brooks books I thought it was nicely done. It was complete with a deep plot and an unforgettable sin resolved.
Dawn isn’t skinny or pretty and most times she goes through her day at school without a single soul talking to her. She hides under baggy clothes and disappears to all those around her. She loves her parents, her two dogs and her ipod. When her father is converted to Christianity he changes from a cool father into a man who is devoted to his new faith while his family doesn’t seem as important anymore. When her father’s past sins catch up with him, he becomes a hypocrite and turns into a person out of control. Guilt finds Dawn’s father and instead of trying to make things right, he runs and leaves his wife and daughter broken and confused.
Dawn has no one to blame but the god her father has embraced. If there is a God how could he allow these things to happen? If there is a God why didn’t he step in and save her from her father? If there is a God why does she feel the way she does? Why has she been forgotten? Why would God change her father into a monster? Isn’t God supposed to change people for the good? Dawn has decided to prove there is no God but in her quest, she discovers that men will always be men and everyone, whether they are religious or not, have their agency. Sometimes, mistakes are made and sometimes those who make the mistakes have remorse and sometimes they don’t.
Asking for forgiveness is hard, but forgiving is even harder. I believe it releases you from being trapped under another’s control. So the question is this…If there isn’t a God, why is that so important for us to forgive and ask to be forgiven? In the end I believe Dawn found God, (in her own way), she needed to forgive her father and by doing this it saved her. She now will be able to focus on her mother and help her to do the same.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2012
Killing God, by Kevin Brooks is about a fifteen-year-old girl called Dawn Bundy. She lives with her mother in an ordinary house in a town in England. Dawn tends to not care of she is attractive or not, and mainly stays alone in her room with her two dogs Mary and Jesus. These consequences happened because her dad left by loving too much drugs, alcohol and mostly God. Now she hates God.
The reason why I picked up this book from the library was because the author was Kevin Brooks. Having to read his book iBoy, I really enjoyed the way he wrote his books and the way he described his characters. This is a example of how he uses his specific technique of writing. “Your life. (And the way you are) Your ghost. (Sends the shivers to my hand) And then something moves. And just for a moment you think (You’re going to fall you’re going to fall down dead)” (page 196) As you can see his sentences include pauses which creates tension and makes the reader keep on reading and wanting to know what would happen. My most favourite scene was when Dawn killed her father and was waiting for a person, while wishing the policemen would not come to the front door. “Everything stops (Forever) when I see the two policemen standing on the doorstep in front of me. Time stops, the world stops… nothing moves, nothing makes a sound. The moment is frozen.” (Page 228) The reason why I liked this was because I found Kevin Brooks description for this shocking moment being well made and imaginable. If I were in this situation, I would possibly be frozen. Time would be frozen.
As I read two books by Kevin Brooks, I really liked the fact that he writes sentences with tension, and makes this book really exciting. The first time I saw the title of the book, I thought it would be a anti religious book. However, as I read on, I realized it meant that she was annoyed because her father was dying because of him getting addicted to drugs, Drinking and God.
The reason why I picked up this book from the library was because the author was Kevin Brooks. Having to read his book iBoy, I really enjoyed the way he wrote his books and the way he described his characters. This is a example of how he uses his specific technique of writing. “Your life. (And the way you are) Your ghost. (Sends the shivers to my hand) And then something moves. And just for a moment you think (You’re going to fall you’re going to fall down dead)” (page 196) As you can see his sentences include pauses which creates tension and makes the reader keep on reading and wanting to know what would happen. My most favourite scene was when Dawn killed her father and was waiting for a person, while wishing the policemen would not come to the front door. “Everything stops (Forever) when I see the two policemen standing on the doorstep in front of me. Time stops, the world stops… nothing moves, nothing makes a sound. The moment is frozen.” (Page 228) The reason why I liked this was because I found Kevin Brooks description for this shocking moment being well made and imaginable. If I were in this situation, I would possibly be frozen. Time would be frozen.
As I read two books by Kevin Brooks, I really liked the fact that he writes sentences with tension, and makes this book really exciting. The first time I saw the title of the book, I thought it would be a anti religious book. However, as I read on, I realized it meant that she was annoyed because her father was dying because of him getting addicted to drugs, Drinking and God.
November 6, 2012
Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com
Dawn Bundy has set out to kill God. She is not exactly sure how to go about it, but she is sure it's the only answer.
Two years ago her father disappeared. It's not that it was a terrible loss. He was a drunken drug addict and pretty worthless as far as she could tell. However, since he disappeared her mother has fallen apart. She spends her time in front of the TV usually drunk and zoned out on her antidepressant meds.
Dawn goes to school and then comes home to hang out. She spends her free time listening to music and snuggling up with her two dogs. Their life isn't perfect, but thanks to her father, she and her mother have money. He left behind a duffel bag full of money. The gun also left inside the bag suggests the money was from some drug deal, but whatever the case, they have used it wisely as they wait for his possible return.
Dawn describes herself as having another Dawn trapped in a cave inside her mind. That other Dawn is hiding from something she doesn't want to remember. Even though Dawn tries to carry on and push aside her memories, they eventually catch up with her and pull the inner Dawn out into the light of day.
Author Kevin Brooks exhibits his unique talent to get inside the psyche of his characters. Through Dawn, readers will live her fears and frustrations as she deals with her alcoholic mother and repressed memories of her absent father. As the layers of her character are peeled away, her story becomes deeper and darker. Readers will feel her desperation, yet sense the underlying hope that drives her.
Fans of Kevin Brooks will want to check out his latest.
Dawn Bundy has set out to kill God. She is not exactly sure how to go about it, but she is sure it's the only answer.
Two years ago her father disappeared. It's not that it was a terrible loss. He was a drunken drug addict and pretty worthless as far as she could tell. However, since he disappeared her mother has fallen apart. She spends her time in front of the TV usually drunk and zoned out on her antidepressant meds.
Dawn goes to school and then comes home to hang out. She spends her free time listening to music and snuggling up with her two dogs. Their life isn't perfect, but thanks to her father, she and her mother have money. He left behind a duffel bag full of money. The gun also left inside the bag suggests the money was from some drug deal, but whatever the case, they have used it wisely as they wait for his possible return.
Dawn describes herself as having another Dawn trapped in a cave inside her mind. That other Dawn is hiding from something she doesn't want to remember. Even though Dawn tries to carry on and push aside her memories, they eventually catch up with her and pull the inner Dawn out into the light of day.
Author Kevin Brooks exhibits his unique talent to get inside the psyche of his characters. Through Dawn, readers will live her fears and frustrations as she deals with her alcoholic mother and repressed memories of her absent father. As the layers of her character are peeled away, her story becomes deeper and darker. Readers will feel her desperation, yet sense the underlying hope that drives her.
Fans of Kevin Brooks will want to check out his latest.
January 11, 2010
I hate to be so critical but I don't think there was a single thing I liked about Dawn. I really can't think of one thing right now. It just wasn't a book for me, I guess.
Dawn is the story of a fifteen-year-old girl named Dawn Bundy. She lives with her mother because her father disappeared over two years ago. Ever since then Dawn just hangs out by herself or with her two dogs, Jesus and Mary. She doesn't know why her dad disappeared but she does know that he wasn't the same dad anymore and that it was God's fault. So she decides to kill God.
Well, I can tell you right now that that kind of turned me off the book. I'm not into reading about religion and this one had quite a bit of it, even if it was just her reasons why she was against it. I didn't see how thsi was linked to the plot.
Another thing I couldn't get past was Dawn. She didn't have a personality and I couldn't bring myself to like her. She didn't try to make friends or change the situation she was in. She accepted that that was how things were going to be and lived like that.
The plot was pretty much non-existent until the very end of the book. Dawn just went about her life until at the end of the book something actually happened. I didn't like what happened or the way the book ended. It was weird.
Overall, Dawn is not something I would recommend. It wasn't very well written and it was disturbing to me. I hope Kevin Brooks other books are better than this one.
Dawn is the story of a fifteen-year-old girl named Dawn Bundy. She lives with her mother because her father disappeared over two years ago. Ever since then Dawn just hangs out by herself or with her two dogs, Jesus and Mary. She doesn't know why her dad disappeared but she does know that he wasn't the same dad anymore and that it was God's fault. So she decides to kill God.
Well, I can tell you right now that that kind of turned me off the book. I'm not into reading about religion and this one had quite a bit of it, even if it was just her reasons why she was against it. I didn't see how thsi was linked to the plot.
Another thing I couldn't get past was Dawn. She didn't have a personality and I couldn't bring myself to like her. She didn't try to make friends or change the situation she was in. She accepted that that was how things were going to be and lived like that.
The plot was pretty much non-existent until the very end of the book. Dawn just went about her life until at the end of the book something actually happened. I didn't like what happened or the way the book ended. It was weird.
Overall, Dawn is not something I would recommend. It wasn't very well written and it was disturbing to me. I hope Kevin Brooks other books are better than this one.
April 16, 2022
Have selten so viel gefühlt bei einem Buch.
Es war so außergewöhnlich besonders schön, einfach durchgeheult.
Man hat über das Geschehen und die Charaktere nachgedacht und nicht einfach weitergelesen.
Mich hat es sehr oft geschockt und überwältigt zurückgelassen, hätte gerne immer weiter gelesen.
And pls-
The daddy issues are real🫀🗡
REREAD IT
Es war so außergewöhnlich besonders schön, einfach durchgeheult.
Man hat über das Geschehen und die Charaktere nachgedacht und nicht einfach weitergelesen.
Mich hat es sehr oft geschockt und überwältigt zurückgelassen, hätte gerne immer weiter gelesen.
And pls-
The daddy issues are real🫀🗡
REREAD IT
February 23, 2010
I read the US version, entitled Dawn. I don't think they changed anything else though.
All in all, this was a disappointing effort from Kevin Brooks after the compelling Black Rabbit Summer. I had high hopes for this one because of the sample chapter I read online, as well as the descriptions of mystery and magical realism (I failed to see any, really) on the front flap. I still think this novel had some great moments. My favorite part is where Dawn paints all the alphabet letters on the snail shells like Scrabble tiles, as well as the mysterious "message" that follows. I guess maybe that was magical realism.
In any case, the rape-incest "mystery" was spoiled for me already because of the subject headings the book is filed under. I have no idea why Brooks had to be quite so secretive about it anyway. I know Dawn was burying the memory, but there are plenty of ways to let the reader in on it still. As usual with his novels, I was getting completely false vibes, like with the two girls that kept coming to her house, I really thought they were getting her drunk to rape her and have a threesome, which turned out not to be the case. The climactic ending, however, recalls both Martyn Pig and Candy. As good as Brooks is at what he does, I'm hoping to see something a little different from him next time.
Grade: B
All in all, this was a disappointing effort from Kevin Brooks after the compelling Black Rabbit Summer. I had high hopes for this one because of the sample chapter I read online, as well as the descriptions of mystery and magical realism (I failed to see any, really) on the front flap. I still think this novel had some great moments. My favorite part is where Dawn paints all the alphabet letters on the snail shells like Scrabble tiles, as well as the mysterious "message" that follows. I guess maybe that was magical realism.
In any case, the rape-incest "mystery" was spoiled for me already because of the subject headings the book is filed under. I have no idea why Brooks had to be quite so secretive about it anyway. I know Dawn was burying the memory, but there are plenty of ways to let the reader in on it still. As usual with his novels, I was getting completely false vibes, like with the two girls that kept coming to her house, I really thought they were getting her drunk to rape her and have a threesome, which turned out not to be the case. The climactic ending, however, recalls both Martyn Pig and Candy. As good as Brooks is at what he does, I'm hoping to see something a little different from him next time.
Grade: B
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2011
I don't know what to say about this book.
1) Brooks NAILS the voice. Perfectly. However (and this sounds horrible considering all the stuff she went through), I couldn't say if I liked Dawn and I wasn't sure that I really liked any of the characters. That's not to say that I don't like books with characters who do horrible things or aren't particularly sympathetic. However, this book needed sympathetic characters to power the plotline - even the main character(s) were underdeveloped and uninteresting.
2) The 'twist' is kind of predictable and a little by the numbers.
3) The repetition irritated me at some points, although I get why it was necessary. The basic plotline wasn't enough to sustain a novel but, still, the other arcs felt underdeveloped (Mel and Taylor especially!) and didn't go anywhere, especially in light of ending. (Which I won't spoil here, except to say that I wasn't sure if I liked it or not. It was a cop-out, but it kept me turning the pages faster and faster.)
4) The idea of killing God? BLAH. It felt like a cheap gimmick, a hook put in to hook you but with no forethought or development. It just annoyed me by the end of the book, and it was rapidly dropped. Very, very weird.
2.5 stars. Well-written, very fast moving, but not recommended.
1) Brooks NAILS the voice. Perfectly. However (and this sounds horrible considering all the stuff she went through), I couldn't say if I liked Dawn and I wasn't sure that I really liked any of the characters. That's not to say that I don't like books with characters who do horrible things or aren't particularly sympathetic. However, this book needed sympathetic characters to power the plotline - even the main character(s) were underdeveloped and uninteresting.
2) The 'twist' is kind of predictable and a little by the numbers.
3) The repetition irritated me at some points, although I get why it was necessary. The basic plotline wasn't enough to sustain a novel but, still, the other arcs felt underdeveloped (Mel and Taylor especially!) and didn't go anywhere, especially in light of ending. (Which I won't spoil here, except to say that I wasn't sure if I liked it or not. It was a cop-out, but it kept me turning the pages faster and faster.)
4) The idea of killing God? BLAH. It felt like a cheap gimmick, a hook put in to hook you but with no forethought or development. It just annoyed me by the end of the book, and it was rapidly dropped. Very, very weird.
2.5 stars. Well-written, very fast moving, but not recommended.
February 17, 2012
Dawn lives an odd life. She has no friends to speak of, wears old, shabby clothes, but has the largest television and computer set up of anyone in her class. She helps her mom by cleaning the house and purchasing groceries, using money she finds in a duffel bag under a floorboard in her mom's room. And they never talk about where the money came from or why her dad left suddenly two years ago, until two of Dawn's "friends" from school come to her house, curious about her flat-screen TV. Suddenly, it seems that Dawn's life could be in danger.
I admired Dawn's ability to stand up under all of the pressures she was dealing with, and also to handle school in spite of the memories of abuse she was trying to suppress. She and her mom had a wonderful, courageous, Custer-esque last stand at the end of the book. The plot was pretty obvious, and the "friends" from school were so obviously not genuine, that I finished this book more to say I'd finished it than to actually discover that I was right about the ending. Nonetheless, it was a good read, and a fast one.
I admired Dawn's ability to stand up under all of the pressures she was dealing with, and also to handle school in spite of the memories of abuse she was trying to suppress. She and her mom had a wonderful, courageous, Custer-esque last stand at the end of the book. The plot was pretty obvious, and the "friends" from school were so obviously not genuine, that I finished this book more to say I'd finished it than to actually discover that I was right about the ending. Nonetheless, it was a good read, and a fast one.
January 30, 2010
Dawn is a gritty, kind of harsh, but very realistic look at the life of an ordinary girl whose life has gone off the rails a bit. Dawn's father has been gone for 2 years, after a long decline into drugs and alcohol. Her mother has shut down and spends her days drinking and watching the TV with glazed eyes. They've been surviving on disability payments and the duffel bag of cash they found under the bed after Dad disappeared.
Dawn keeps very much to herself, focusing on her dogs (Jesus and Mary), the music she loves (The Jesus and Mary Chain), and a dark secret she keeps tucked away, until the day two popular, tough girls from school take a sudden interest in her and the secrets she's been keeping begin to unravel.
This is not for younger readers. The story deals with abuse of several different types and may be upsetting, but the strength of the writing, and of the main character, make Dawn a worthwhile read.
Dawn keeps very much to herself, focusing on her dogs (Jesus and Mary), the music she loves (The Jesus and Mary Chain), and a dark secret she keeps tucked away, until the day two popular, tough girls from school take a sudden interest in her and the secrets she's been keeping begin to unravel.
This is not for younger readers. The story deals with abuse of several different types and may be upsetting, but the strength of the writing, and of the main character, make Dawn a worthwhile read.
December 23, 2010
I kinda guessed what happened to her when she was thirteen and she started to mention that her dad was drunk a lot.
So, I guess the book was alright. It was pretty dark in comparison to other books. The main character, Dawn, is a fifteen year old girl who lives with her mother and take cares of herself. She is known as the loner-lesbian girl even though she doesn not know if she is one(fore she has enever found any guys attractive). She reads the Bible a lot knowing that God is not real and decides that she wants to kill him.
Anyway, I'm not going to say anything else so...
I have to say, this book could be confusing at times but in the end, everything fit together perfectly and everything made mroe sense for some reason.
I recommend this book to people who like dark reads and have pretty mcuh nothing to do 'cause I pretty much had nothing to do so I read this book. Aren't I such a loser? Anyway, see ya next time on whenever during whatever....
So, I guess the book was alright. It was pretty dark in comparison to other books. The main character, Dawn, is a fifteen year old girl who lives with her mother and take cares of herself. She is known as the loner-lesbian girl even though she doesn not know if she is one(fore she has enever found any guys attractive). She reads the Bible a lot knowing that God is not real and decides that she wants to kill him.
Anyway, I'm not going to say anything else so...
I have to say, this book could be confusing at times but in the end, everything fit together perfectly and everything made mroe sense for some reason.
I recommend this book to people who like dark reads and have pretty mcuh nothing to do 'cause I pretty much had nothing to do so I read this book. Aren't I such a loser? Anyway, see ya next time on whenever during whatever....
October 24, 2011
Loved it! I stopped reading books by several other English authors because I couldn't get into the heads of the main teen characters and understand their world. Unlike those, this is in clear English rather than dialect. The voice of Dawn really held my attention. Even though there are things going on like drugs and alcohol addiction I felt separated from it by seeing everything through her eyes and relating to her coping mechanism. Since I don't smoke or drink I find it disgusting but she was observing the weaknesses of those around her and yet loving them. She was also able to shut out any feelings related to other people that were treating her badly. There are a couple of scenes with some 'badass' girls in them that made me want to shout 'Dawn, get away from them!' There is a whole psychological aspect to the book that is fascinating and very believable to me.
It is not a happily ever after book by any means. "There is no Reason 4", but there is....
It is not a happily ever after book by any means. "There is no Reason 4", but there is....
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