So what did everyone think?

I must admit I really struggled to get into it at first. I even contemplated giving it all up and then slowly it started to grab me and then once he was born that was it I was hooked. I finished it ages ago!

Its not something I would have picked up and read I dont think but Im really glad I did!

Ooh yes, this discussion is today isn't it. I finished next month's yesterday, so I'll be confused now.

I love WNTTAK - even reading it second time round, my brain doesn't really read it as fiction. I obviously read it from a fairly different perspective second time round, and couldn't help wondering if she'd had "I told you so" put on his headstone. ;)

First time of reading it, I was far more sympathetic to Eva, but reading it second time around I couldn't help feeling a little more sympathy towards Kevin, although I guess that should be the opposite way round really.

I do have an issue with people in life who blame their trangressions on their upbringing - plenty of people have a bad start to life, but manage to be decent people. I wonder if comes down to the fact that some people are born with such tendencies, and some people have a poor start in life, and then sometimes both of these elements collide and that's when it all goes horribly wrong?

M.

I have to confess something! :rolleyes:

Half way through the book, I started looking up Kevin Khator(whateveritis!) because I thought this was a real story! Its written so well and its all so believable.

Felt stupid once I realised it was fiction lol (and yes I know it says it on the front!):rolleyes:

That's what makes it such a good read, totally believable!

Yes, the 'Orange Prize for Fiction' bit on the front should have given me a clue too, but it still hasn't sunk in.

M.

I read the book originally about 2 months ago & I also struggled to begin with but had heard such great reviews I persevered & am glad I did! 

I agree you M about not liking people who blame their upbringing for their behaviour, K was given everything a child could have wanted by his parents but I think that that was his personality (not a gd one) & no amount of love etc was going to change that.  Didn't agree with the birth of the 2nd child - you could see all the problems that it was going to bring right from the outset & that it would end in tears (how it did end really shocked me, I wasn't prepared for that at all!)

Still leaves me thinking why did he do it? But I guess even he doesn't know that...strange!

I think if I had been Eva I wouldn't have let the relationship with her husband, basically not believing her get that far.  Not being a parent myself, but obviously no parent would accuse their son of doing those things unless there was a good amount of evidence to prove it (which towards the end there certainly was), he just didn't seem to want to 'look outside the box', not a healthy parental relationship at all!!

All in all though a good read & certainly an eye opener!  Looking 4wrd to reading other people's reviews!

What's the book for next month?

Ghost girl cant remember who its by though. Its a white cover with red writing.

Torey Hayden

My copy is now on Green Metropolis at £3.75 if anyone's looking ... ;)

already sold mine ner, ner, :D

Do you think he WAS given everything a child could want though? Yes, there were instances of Eva playing with him, but the fact that they were reported as individual circumstances makes you wonder how much of an 'effort' they were. It does seem as if Kevin was an extremely intelligent child who knew how to work his parents, switching quite knowingly from one persona to another - or again, was this just Eva's perception.

Any why does she still continue to visit him? Is it guilt and she's punishing herself, or is there love there after all? I couldn't help thinking that they will eventually end up with a far better relationship than they ever had before, as they are both now able to be completely honest with each other - what is there left to lose, after all?

M.

It does seem to me she had some terrible bonding issues (post natal depression?) but I personally do think she made a genuine attempt to bond with him in the early stages but didn't follow this through to when it really counted...but can you imagine having a child at Kevin's age still in nappies, nightmare!  I get the impression that had K been a girl there would never have been a book, maybe she didn't like boys deep down!!!  Do agree with you though, K was far too intelligent & used it to his defence, very well....the age of his crime sums it all up on that issue! Clever boy, wonder what a pyschiatrist would make of him???

I don't know how she could carry on visiting him after his final act, I personally don't think I would want anything to do with him, put that part of my life behind me & start a fresh..definitely part of punishing herself though & possibly showing K she will never give up on him.  Would be interested in reading the next chapter of their lives, maybe if K ever gets released?? But then again I never want a good book to end...

Maybe by visiting him she is punishing him because he says he hates her anyway and how many people want to be visited by someone they hate?

Nah I don't think she was punishing him, maybe punishing herself??

But maybe he's the only link she has left to the husband and daughter?

M.

Well...what a book!  In my opinion, Kevin was born 'with a screw missing' but the subsequent events weren't helped by Eva being such a rotten mother!  I cannot agree with one poster (Can't remember who said it) saying that Kevin had everything when he was a child because in my opinion, he did not have the one thing he needed and that was a mother's love!  If she had loved him, she would have disciplined him and it could well have 'straightened him out', having said that, the Dad seemed too overindulgent and the boy became totally undisciplined! Some of his behaviour was so totally unacceptable in the home that he should have been given a good metaphorical 'slap'.......  The end didn't ring true either with Eva visiting Kevin and saying that she did so because she still 'loved her son' (this could be accounted for by the fact that the author has no children and doesn't ever want any apparently!)...no mother would have wanted anything to do with such a monster!  I found that I didn't like Eva at all, she seemed a thoroughly selfish person and should never have had kids!  Excellent choice of book for the Book Club! I am looking forward to starting "Ghost Girl" now!!

Tracey, Lily and Gemma.........Do you think we were the only four who read it?  :)

Possibly, it is a hard book to read & as I've said I came close to giving up, so maybe thats what the others have done???

Looks that way. We'll just keep going, others will join in as we go, I'm sure.

Suppose it would be useful to post a 'book for April' post, I'll do that now.

M.

I almost gave up :rolleyes: Glad I didnt though. My book has gone to Glasgow! Sold it on green metropolis! I finished it about 2 weeks ago so I started another small easy to read book and now I want to finish that to start on ghost girl! My poor OH never sees me!! lol

Im glad we've had more interest this month. Lets hope we have lots of people talking about it!