Has anyone read We Need To Talk About Kevin?

[Christine]

Has anyone read this book. If so, what's your opinion of it?

[Vivienne]

A stunning book. I've actually read it twice, both times for a reading group and in each case it was also well received by group members.

[Kristie]

This was on my TBR forever. It was pretty awesome, I gave it four stars. I liked that it looked at the subject from a different perspective.

[Petra X]

I read it. I gave it 4-stars and did a very short review here

It was a very fast read. The book is better than the film by far. It's the sort of book open to a lot of personal interpretation and if yours differs from the directors, as mine did, you aren't going to like the film too much.

[Daynaplease]

I only saw the movie.

[Vivienne]

The film cerrtainly didn't impress me the way the book did though I would say that it would be a difficult adaptation

[Carol]

Everyone I know loved it, and when I dipped into it I was pretty sure I would too, but when I got a copy somehow the writing didn't draw me in. Maybe I'll try again sometime.

[Petra X]

I felt it was very much a nature v nurture argument and one that was interesting because given the availabilty of guns and the number of school shootings in the US, without a properly-conducted study the book at least began a conversation on the causes of these tragedies.

[Kelly (Kuy)]

I bought it and have attempted it a few times but can't seem to get into it.

[Alissa]

I downloaded a sample but wasn't able to get into it. I've heard good things about it - maybe I'll give it another shot

[MichelleCH]

I just bought it at a book sale, a friend here on Goodreads read it and thought it was well done. It's neat to see everyone's reactions posted here...I most likely won't get to it until next year.

[Kathleen]

I liked the themes it dealt with as it was the first book in that genre for me. I found the father character very frustrating and who most contributed to the inertia of getting help for the family. The second book I read in a similar theme was the one by Jodie Piccoult I think, and it was called Thirteen Minutes (or similar). The style of this book really appealed to me-it worked backwards in time. It definitely, in my mind, did a fantastic job of giving the story from everyone's perspective. Has anyone read it and how would they compare it to 'Kevin'? I got the Piccoult book for a $1 from a stall and wasn't expecting anything and perhaps that was why I was pleasantly surprised-nil expectations!

[Vivienne]

It's called 'Nineteen Minutes'. I read it not long after 'Kevin' and found it a warmer, more personal novel especially as it gave voice as Picoult always does to a group of narrative voices rather than one unrealiable narrator.

I didn't feel it was the masterpiece that 'Kevin' was but that it still conveyed a powerful message.

[Lovelyn]

We Need To Talk About Kevin should be on my to-read list, but I keep forgetting to put it there. I heard about it after my husband mentioned it to me. He apparently knows the author's husband and said I should check out the book. I saw the trailers for the film and it didn't interest me, but since everyone is saying the book is much better I'll definitely read it.