Welcome to Litsy!

I read this book because I‘d read a more recent novel by the same author for book club, and couldn‘t understand the author of the later book could be so highly acclaimed. The answer: this book and her more recent novel are like chalk and cheese. We Need to Talk About Kevin is stunning, a brilliant, disturbing novel.

#12BooksOf2025

Having been disappointed with one of Shriver‘s more recent novels, I went into this somewhat trepidatiously, but I have been pleasantly surprised. This is an excellent book that poses the question “nature or nurture” in a quite brutal fashion. Was Kevin born a killer, or was his mother‘s attitude towards him the problem?
Shriver‘s female lead characters all seem to be of a type, and all unlikeable.

Book 38/60, Page 12,653 #Read2025 @DieAReader

1. I guess I would say I live in suburbia, but it's still pretty rural. Nature and wilderness are where my heart belongs.
2. We Need to Talk About Kevin is set in suburbia.
#Two4Tuesday @TheSpineView

1. Not my first name. My middle name is Wayne, and I'm named after my uncle on my uncle on my mother's side.
2. The obvious choice...We Need To Talk About Kevin
#Two4Tuesday @TheSpineView
Wanna play? @audraelizabeth @Buechersuechtling @ReadingIsMyHobby @Onceuponatime @TheBookDream @Daisey @Bookishlie @Sharpeipup @Cuilin @ReadingFeedsTheSoul @Lucy_Anywhere @Onepageatatime88 @SpiderGoddess

We Need To Talk About Kevin is a truly chilling read. Not horror-movie jump-scare scary, but can‘t-look-away feel-it-in-your-bones unnerving. I found myself totally gripped by it, even though the ending was a foregone conclusion. I “just-one-more-chapter”ed myself past bed-time more than once. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/we-need-to-talk-about-kevin-lionel-shriver/

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 This book was very slow but I‘m glad I hung in there since I‘ve been curious about it for years. The mother/narrator is unlikeable but to me she was somehow sympathetic and relatable. Even though the book is 20 years old now, the subject matter is unfortunately timely, and questions what if any of it was the mother‘s fault.

Who is to blame when a child does the unthinkable? And how does a mother live with the guilt of what he did when she knows she didn‘t do anything about the warning signs? I still think about this book all the time. I read it before becoming a parent and maybe feel differently about some of the characters now that I have two children of my own. #scarathlondailyprompts #guilt #teamslaughter

No, no, no, no, no. I loathed everything about this book! I am not sure if I was supposed to empathize with the mother, but I did NOT! I hated the writing style, I hated the unrealistic depiction of a school “shooter,“ and I hated all of the characters. It baffles me how this book won an award of any kind. I think this may have been the worst book I ever read! Don't say I didn't warn you...

This was not at all what I was expecting. However I pulled me in and made me have feelings that a book has not done for a while.

Beautiful writing. I think the way it invites empathy to a character who could easily be shrugged off as unlikable is impressive. There‘s a perfect balance of detail, so that you can imagine yourself there without being bored. It‘s a captivating story of tragedy and the aftermath for those left alive, and even though I‘ve now read it twice, I‘ll probably read it again one day. And I‘m not one to reread often.

I see this book come up in discussions on Reddit at least once a week as “the most disturbing book they‘ve ever read”. It was hard to get through. Rather slow at times, horrifying, yet like a train wreck you can‘t look away. I wouldn‘t say it‘s the most disturbing thing I‘ve ever read but it‘s very psychologically disturbing and will stick with you for awhile. It will really make you think and would be perfect for a book club. So sad, especially⬇️

My December #doublespin - this was a very challenging read. Eva‘s letters to her husband trace their relationship and that with their son, who has committed a horrible act of violence in his high school. Eva has struggled with her feelings toward motherhood…and her feelings toward Kevin. Maybe not a great choice for the holiday season, but am glad I read it. 3.5 ⭐️

When your #currentread drops your former neighborhood supermarket! Fun Fact: my parents met while working at another Grand Union in Great Neck, NY.

This was disturbingly good. I regret waiting so long to read this one. 5 stars for sure. Despite this not being a holiday book, I managed 22 words for #WGWordsearch for 220 points. Christmas was actually used on three occasions.

#WinterGames2021 #TeamGameSleighers @StayCurious

My current listen, a library hold that became available. A very interesting listen so far, I'm about 65% through.

#WinterGames2021 #TeamGameSleighers @StayCurious #LittenListen #BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks #WrapItUpReadathon @keys_on_fire #AVeryMerryReadathon @TheSpineView #BlackwellsBookshelfReadathon @Emilymdxn #Wintercosy @PuddleJumper #AVeryMerryBingo @Jadams1776 #Adventathon @ozma.of.oz

1. Not currently. Have been in 2 in the past.
2. The tagged book resulted in quite a spirited discussion about parenting and nature vs. nurture.
3. I prefer a debate. Although when we discussed the tagged book, one club member got so freaked out by it because it made her worry that she might be making the “wrong” parenting choices and turning her kids into sociopaths. She never came back to the club meetings again. 😬
#sundayfunday

Damn, this smart, intense psychological thriller is thought provoking. Caught the excellent film version of “We Need To Talk About Kevin.” last night. The flawed mother of a troubled boy gets gaslighted by her husband and the pediatrician. She can‘t bond with her son, or keep him safe. A mother‘s worst fears come to violence and then…. She lives with the cost. Trigger warning: school killings. #thriller #recommend #TeamSlaughter #Scarathlon2021

Been MIA around here because my phone has been on the fritz. Finally got this app to work again. So happy about that! The start of Autumn always has me reading two types of books - food memoirs and something on the scary side. Currently listening to Save Me the Plums but am fascinated by We Need to Talk About Kevin. I have wanted to read this one for years. Am glad I finally get to cross this one off my TBR list.

#two4tuesday @TheSpineView

📚 I prefer thrillers and mysteries.
📚📚 I don‘t read a lot of horror. Tagged book wasn‘t scary, per se, but it was very disturbing and I was scared for some of the characters (that‘s not necessarily an endorsement of the book - it was not a favorite).

Thanks for the tag @DarkMina ! ❤️📚

Between a So-So and a Pick for me. I feel like it took me forever to get through this one. It wasn‘t bad, but the subject matter is heavy, and the narrator, Eva, is top-shelf pretentious. I kinda felt like I needed a dictionary nearby to look up words as I went along. 🤦🏻‍♀️ But, it was a good book that held my attention and I was not expecting the twist at the end.

#bookspinbingo
#pop21 - a book that‘s won the Women‘s Prize for Fiction

I wanted to give up on this book in the first 100 pages, but I‘m a book finisher (although sometimes I really wonder why - what, with “too many books, too little time” and all). Kevin is a school shooter. His mother relives the years leading up to the day that changed it all through letters written to her estranged husband. The subject matter is disturbing and I found the writing pretentious, but that may have been intentional. The final pages ⬇️

It has been a super busy week and I‘ve had no time to read. I‘ve managed to read every day, but not for more than 10 minutes. I didn‘t even get my #bookspin list completed for March. 😔 I am doing my best to take today off, and I WILL finish this book today!

Grrr. It‘s used in dialogue, but it still rankles me. Especially when this author has worn out her thesaurus penning this novel and otherwise uses complex sentence structure.

From the same page: ...I had learned to give the country grudging credit for at least being a spirited, improvisational sort of place that, despite its veneer of conformity, cultivated and impressive profusion of outright lunatics.

(Blacked out racist, offensive words.)

I really wanted to finish this book in February but it‘s quite a difficult read. The subject matter is just so disturbing, and there isn‘t single character that is likable. I won‘t get any reading done if he doesn‘t get out of my spot. 😉🥰

#rainysundaymorningvibes #rainyday #dogsoflitsy

Hard time getting into this one. The author wore out her thesaurus writing it, and I‘m finding it hard to feel any sympathy for this pretentious MC. I do like the epistolary style. I looked at a few other reviews and I‘m glad it‘s not just me. I‘m going to keep at it...although I am sure that I‘ve figured out one of the twists. Were it not for #fabulousfebruary I wouldn‘t be this far along, but I‘m not going to meet my goal because this is a slog.

This book has been on my TBR forever! I really wanted to read it with my book club, but one member has already read it and we have a rule that none of us can have read the book. I‘ve heard good things! Diving in now because it‘s on my #bookspinbingo card. ❤️📚

I still need to read a few more hours to meet my #FabulousFebruary goal, so I will be spending them with this book. 🙂 @Andrew65

This book was a gut punch , watching the movie is as well .Started my free trial of the Criterion Channel. Can you be over subscribed in a pandemic?

This novel, sent to me by a #BookCrossing friend, was one scary and disturbing book! At times, I didn't want to continue but I couldn't put it down either.

I managed to finish 5 books for #DashingDecember, so it was a successful event for me. Thanks for hosting, @Andrew65!

#ShutdownReadathon @Squidget

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ What a book!!! Eva takes us on a journey of life with Kevin after her son has done what no parent can imagine. Eva writes letters to her husband Franklin which explain to us about Kevin‘s birth, upbringing, the incident and afterward. Such a heart wrenching read.

Okay, looking for both help and motivation!!! LOL, I'm only on page 14, I feel stupid because of all the $5 words in $15 sentences... like, the SAT wasn't this daunting to read. I feel like I did when I started Ulysses... am I absolutely supposed to think Eva is a totally pretentious douche? Should I keep going, knowing she's this over the top? Does the perspective change from her letter writing? 😖😫😤

Getting used to sitting in my car for school pickup as we were always busers... I wanted to leave the limited space for parents who needed it. 😁 I'm having a bit of trouble with the beginning of this but that might be because it's on the heels of a middle grade book... I'm sure I'll settle in and I'm sure it will be worth it!

#3books #thathavebeenmadeintomovies where I love both book and movie!💕🍿

-Kevin is one of my fave books, but the adaptation is cast so well. Lynne Ramsey who directed and adapted the screenplay is so talented!
- Call me by your name (movie) is so visually beautiful that I even prefer the tie-in cover (which never happens!😂)
- I always find Jeremy Irons creepy, but it works for Damage. The chemistry he has with the gorgeous Juliet Binoche is 🔥

A smart and terrifying book. I was impressed, for a book that seemed to lay everything down so frankly, that it managed twists and reveals in the last few chapters so well, and the epistolary format to her estranged husband is perfect for delivering them. It‘s an incredible, macabre and interesting novel that‘s going to stick with me for a long time

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ WOW. This was a tough yet really good read. It is so dark and yet speaks so much truth (in my opinion). I agreed with so much of what Eva felt, but I was so frustrated with her pretentiousness and frivolity as a younger woman before getting pregnant. I hate that “turn the page” thought because it‘s such an irresponsible reason for having a child. I recommend this one for people who like dark reads. This was my #doublespin for April

I'm currently listening to We Need to Talk About Kevin. I loved the movie but am having trouble getting through the first parts of the book. Do I bail or does it pick up?

#7books7days Day 2
Books that have left a deep impression on me.

@CarolynM @Rissreads

Would you like to have a go at this challenge @Joanne1 ?

?: https://bit.ly/2yr8ET0

#7Tage7Buecher – 3
Wir zeigen hier 7 Bücher, die uns immer Kopf bleiben werden, weil sie uns so berührt haben, uns verändert haben.
Ohne weitere Kommentare!

#7days7books
We present here 7 books that will always remain in our minds, because they touched us so much, changed us.
No further comments!

I‘d like @Come-read-with-me to join the party.

I'm shaken, even though I already saw the movie and knew what was coming. This is the most unusual mother-son bonding story you'll ever read. I watched the movie a while ago but as far as I can remember it was a very faithful rendering of the book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

This has been on my TBR for ages. I hope seeing the movie first won't spoil it too much 🤞

#audiobook #audible

Brilliantly dark.

This book was over-written, but, once I got used to the author's style, I enjoyed it (if that's even appropriate considering the content). It follows the aftermath of a school massacre through the point of view of the perpetrator's mother, who always knew her son wasn't quite "right". Fascinating with a great twist in the last few pages.

#weneedtotalkaboutkevin #lionelshriver

This book would have been five stars for me if the beginning wasn‘t as drawn out. 100 pages less and I would have loved it. There was a lot of irrelevant info which made the pace of the book very slow up until the last quarter of it. I also didn‘t love the letter writing style but appreciated it at the end. I absolutely loved the creepiness of the book and the twist at the end.

I realize this book and the movie based on it were popular, but I went in knowing almost nothing about it. Despite being a very difficult, gritty, horrifying epistolary filled with extremely unlikable characters, it‘s so well written and completely absorbing that I had to do book/audio combo. I suspected the ending all along, but still found myself in a mind-blown ‘holy shit‘ state having finished it. 🤯

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Current situation: slightly dog-chewed book (giant puppy is still in his demon phase) and peppermint cocoa that I wish I could squeeze a little more whipped cream into. 😂

My #ThankfullyReading weekend is off to an excellent start, so I blogged about it:

http://sprainedbrain.blog/2019/11/28/thankfullyreading-kickoff/

So far this is kind of boring. I‘m only 8% in but I‘m gonna need it to pick soon or it‘s going on the DNF shelf.

1) Monopoly
2) Italy or Ireland
3) 112/85
4) Lilac Girls
5) Favorite Christmas read?

#friyayintro @howjessreads

The school bus has been late everyday since they started last week but I‘ll take the time to read my book 📚📚

Break time 📚 2am #thirdshift

I finished this a couple weeks ago—a re-read for my book club. It was every bit as harrowing, and the characters were just as unlikable, just as fascinating as I found them before. Knowing the plot points in advance, I found myself scrutinizing certain characters more closely and re-evaluating my interpretations of fault/blame. SO much to discuss—looking forward to book club tomorrow!!

My favorite reading spot! I'm glad to finally be done with this book. I didn't hate it and it was an interesting take from the mother'a side. For me, it just drug on too long. I wanted to get to that last written letter to see what happened that day. A lot of emotions ....