September 2014 Group Read: We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver

[Kasia]

I started reading it this weekend, not bad but obviously ominous.

[Wayne's]

I'm about 2/3 through and it's a clever idea but thus far the writer doesn't do very much with it. Unless there is something special in store I am a little puzzled as to why this book has such a reputation.One big plus of this group is I will finish the book which if i were reading it by myself I would have put it aside.

[Sean]

Just finished. As a father of teen boys and a younger daughter this book touch on some of my deepest fears. I know what its like to listen to the news everytime it deals with another teenager that just couldn't deal with life anymore. My kids tell me about all the "lock down" drills they are now doing in school. While reading this book I found myself waking up in the middle of the night just to check on my kids. I knew they were safe in their beds, but you never know if this is the last time that you are going to see them. Really glad I read this book. But will never read it again. It took me down pathways I never want to go down again. I'm going to give it 5* only because it was able to touch on emotions that very seldom is a book able to do.

[Nickronomicon]

Ok, finally finished. I with you Wayne - if it weren't for the group I would have given up on this one. The ending (view spoiler)[ I guessed either Franklin was dead, killed by Kevin or that this was a posthumous suicide note from Eva (hide spoiler)] I did like the way it ended though, and makes for some interesting discussions as to whose "fault" it was.
Glad I read it, but didn't really like it. Going to read a Lovecraft to cleanse my palate then see what's next. Having a hard time deciding what to read next lately. Thanks for the encouragement to keep reading.

[Angelo]

THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS...!

I found this an incredibly difficult book to get into, mainly because I just found the main character so unlikeable. It genuinely took me almost a third of the book to start warming to her, and even then I still found her quite unpleasant.

(view spoiler)[ At around the halfway point I guessed that her husband was probably dead, and that Kevin most likely killed him, although the actual ending - and the extent of the horror of it - was quite a shock to me. (hide spoiler)]

I have to agree with Nick above - I too am glad I read it, but didn't really like it.

I suppose it did make me think about parenting, nature vs nurture, etc, so in that respect it was quite thought-provoking. I've also had quite a lot of discussions about these issues with others, with this book as a kind of starting point. I don't think I would read it again, but it did make me think.

And it also makes me wonder about ever having kids...

;-)

[Kasia]

^ you can use spoiler tags

[Monica]

I think you just spoiled it for me...I saw some words..damn

[Reese]

I really struggled with getting through this book. I don't want to spoil anything here, so I'll just say I did post my review of it already, just not on here. Found it interesting, just struggled with getting through it.

[Angelo]

Sorry Monica...

I don't know how to use spoiler tags but will find out and edit the post so nobody else sees.

Apologies again...

[Angelo]

Ok,have found and added the spoiler tags.

Sorry again Monica, I hope I didn't ruin the book for you.

[Kasia]

Tressa wrote: "Kasia wrote: "I got this book when I saw that it won, read a few pages and didn't like it or feel much for it but reading all the comments here is making me want to just jump in and read it, great ..."

I am reading it and loving it, thank you Tressa, I'm actually going through all the comments and I admire your honesty in all the comments! Especially with you being a mom and since I love you to bits and pieces :P I appreciate all your comments :)

25% in

[Krystal]

The write struck me as a woman who never had kids imagining how awful motherhood would be. Before I had a child I would have imagined motherhood being and feeling much the same. I couldn't identify with the mother's character. Even so the book is memorable and comes up in conversation from time to time.

[Monica]

Angelo wrote: "Ok,have found and added the spoiler tags.

Sorry again Monica, I hope I didn't ruin the book for you."

Don't worry I'll deal with it. Maybe it was nothing, I will find out :)

[Missy]

The problem I'm having is believing that someone would write such long lengthy letters that read like a chapter of a book.

[Wayne's]

Missy wrote: "The problem I'm having is believing that someone would write such long lengthy letters that read like a chapter of a book."
Verisimilitude is lacking.

[Sean]

It will make more sense when you finish the book, Missy.

[Missy]

I hope so because right now I can't wrap my head around it

[Tressa]

Kasia wrote: "I am reading it and loving it, thank you Tressa, I'm actually going through all the comments and I admire your honesty in all the comments! Especially with you being a mom and since I love you to bits and pieces :P I appreciate all your comments :)..."

Thanks for the sweet words. Love you right back. :-)

[Monica]

I finished it too, a little late. I really enjoyed it and think it will be one of my favovrites. Despite the spoiler, I hadn't understand what was going to happen at the end (view spoiler)[ it was bad, Celia had no fault. I'm glad Franklyn finally understood who his soon really was even if it was too late. (hide spoiler)] I hated Franklyn, more than I hated Kevin. Didn't hate Eva at all.

[Sean]

I found myself feeling sorry for Kevin. IMO both parents were self involved. Hard to tell if the initial rejection Eva felt from Kevin was real or all in her head as often is the case with post partum depression. And based upon the ending you can tell all of Kevin's anger was pointed at Eva.

[Missy]

The only person I felt sorry for was Celia. She never stood a chance and while I understand Eva's desire to have someone in the family to bond with I can't understand why you would let that desire place an innocent being in the hands of someone like Kevin. I felt it was selfish and irresponsible but I guess that just shows the depth of Eva's selfishness since she got pregnant on purpose.

[Tressa]

I agree, Missy. I cringe thinking about Missy's birth into that dangerous situation. What was Eva thinking?

[Missy]

Herself! I wouldn't have introduced a pet in a household with someone like Kevin much less a human being.

[Monica]

Snuffles could say something about that.

[Missy]

Poor snuffles

[Lisa]

I found this book to be disturbing so can't say i 'enjoyed' reading it . One thing that did bother me was the father , how many excuses can you make for your child , how could he not see the warning signs

[Sean]

Unfortunately we see it everyday on the news, Lisa. All too often parents mistake their kid's shoulder blades for angel's wings. Denial is a powerful thing.

[Lisa]

Very true , what do u think to the way that the mother was treated after what Kevin did . I think this applies to all of these crimes . Should the parents be held accountable ? Thoughts

[Robert]

Lisa wrote: "Very true , what do u think to the way that the mother was treated after what Kevin did . I think this applies to all of these crimes . Should the parents be held accountable ? Thoughts"

I'm just not sure there's a "one size fits all" answer to that. I'd sure like to think that if my child had the capacity for that sort of thing, I would see it and do something about it, but as the parent of 2 teenagers, I know how they value privacy, and you walk a fine line between respecting that and still keeping an eye on what they are doing and the choices they are making.

So I guess for me it all boils down to whether there were clear signs that something like that was likely, and whether the parents did anything about it. If they did all they could, and it still happens, I don't think they can be held acountable. If they truly just turn a blind eye and leave the kid to do whatever he wants, then yeah, they should be. But of course it's difficult to draw legal boundaries when you're dealing with subjective determinations. How much is "enough"?

That's what makes this sort of book fascinating - it makes you think, and even after thinking long and hard, you can still be no closer to an answer than you were when you started. :-)

[Monica]

I loved your last sentence, very true.. and I agree.

[Sean]

That's a tough question, Lisa. At what point (age) does the individual take responsibility of their own actions. That question is even harder when you consider every state (USA), country, religion, and culture have set a different age of accountability. For those of us with multiple children know that every child has their own unique personality despite how we choose to raise them. The "evil" twin for example.