Carol Katarsky answers “Did anyone else think some things in this...”

Debbie asked this question about Unspeakable Things:

Did anyone else think some things in this book didn't make sense? Cass's comment about eating the strawberries? (Was the necklace already there, maybe she would have seen it?) If the Dad never made it up the stairs, where/how was he abusing Sephie? Why did the Mom always leave the girls alone? Sorry, some stuff just didn't work for me.

Carol Katarsky I agree some of the loose ends were left a little TOO loose. My take: Toward the end, she mentions that the bed in the workshop looks "slept in." I fi…moreI agree some of the loose ends were left a little TOO loose. My take: Toward the end, she mentions that the bed in the workshop looks "slept in." I figure that's where Sephe has been abused. Too risky to do it in the house. Cass's fear is that he's going to come up the stairs to get her and bring her to the workshop.

It seems clear to me that the mom was choosing to ignore what was in front of her eyes. She gets off easy in the book, although I could see that being true to life -- a survivor of abuse may lay primary blame on the perpetrator.

The strawberries comment and the line about "the last all three of us would be together alive" seem like she threw them in just to be dramatic but once you finish the book they don't actually make sense. (less)

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