we need to talk about kevin lionel shriver book review

Did he do what he did, solely to punish Eva? Was Eva his main Target? This is one of the most disturbing and shocking yet thought-provoking books I have read: ' I thought at the time that I couldn't be horrified anymore, or wounded.

Could she have done more? Could she have prevented these atrocities that she knew deep down would inevitably unfold? It’s a superb novel, seeing these events from the perspective of the killer’s mother, who is victim herself of her son’s actions - and probably the most important victim in Kevin’s eyes. I think Shriver’s book is a compassionate and realistic account of the torment and guilt of a mother who holds herself responsible for the actions of her child.

We see how one grieving mother brings a civil case against Eva on the grounds of 'Parental Negligence.' They blame Eva for creating this 'Monster.' We are witnessing the anguish of a mother, who herself has lost her child too (and much more) but with the added unspeakable and intolerant burden of being the mother of a perpetrator who has caused the unbearable heartbreak to so many people. However, in this book, Shriver has flipped the coin. We unfortunately hear of incidences of school shootings and we devote our heartfelt sympathies for the victims and their families. Shriver displays the cold-hearted character of a psychopath expertly in the character of Kevin right from birth to mid-teens. Shriver explores the manipulative and unspoken war that is waged by Kevin, cleverly and covertly against his mother - to the extent that Eva sometimes begins to doubt herself. She tries to raise awareness of the problems that were blatantly obvious to her and only her. The outpourings of a mother’s anguish and guilt resonate with the reader, especially if the reader is a parent.Įva is a woman trapped by her manipulative and psychopathic son, who claims to everyone else that he is misunderstood by his vindictive mother. Her frustrations come across clearly that Franklin does not take her concerns seriously. In the case of We Need to Talk About Kevin, Shriver uses the format of a unique correspondence of letters to her husband, Franklin, explaining and justifying her misgivings about Kevin from a very early age but which have fallen on deaf ears. 'Could I have done something differently?' 'Could I have prevented my child from doing this?' 'Did I not love him enough?' These are some of the fundamental questions that a parent asks themselves at some time or another on the parenting journey.

We need to talk about kevin lionel shriver book review