Today's suggestion is Lionel Shriver's We Need To Talk About Kevin. This is a book that I simply could not put down. I know -- people say that about a lot of books. I mean it. Simply riveting. What's it about, you say? Well...
Ostensibly, it is about a young boy who commits murder at his high school. Ugh, you're probably thinking, I don't want to read about a Columbine-like incident. But this book is really about so much more. It is written by the mother of this boy as a letter to her estranged husband and recounts the years leading up to their son's horrific crime. What it truly concerns is motherhood -- whether desired or not -- parent/child relationships, the nature of evil, how parenthood changes a marriage, for both good and bad, and how do you continue loving someone who conceives of and goes through with a unimaginable crime. It is gorgeous. No, it is not an easy read. Layered, provocative, challenging, it also contains insights about human nature that are profound, beautiful and disturbing.
When reading I frequently keep a pen or pencil with me to underline sentences I particularly love. I want to underline this entire novel! It is on my top ten list of all time favorite reads. Sublime. Go buy it.
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