Now, two years later, it is time for her to come to terms with Kevin’s horrific rampage, all in a series of startlingly direct correspondences with her estranged husband, Franklin.Ī piercing, unforgettable, and penetrating exploration of violence and responsibility, a book that the Boston Globe describes as “impossible to put down,” is a stunning examination of how tragedy affects a town, a marriage, and a family. Did her internalized dislike for her own son shape him into the killer he’s become? How much is her fault? We Need to Talk about Kevin Lionel Shriver Serpents Tail, 2010 - Fiction - 477 pages 209 Reviews Reviews arent verified, but Google checks for and removes fake content when its identified This. A book initially rejected by publishers in the wake of 9/11 due to its violent content, Kevin is a dark and disturbing story that not only remains current because of the tragic persistence of school shootings in America, but also because of it tackles the idea of failed motherhood. But Eva was always uneasy with the sacrifices and social demotion of motherhood. Neither nature nor nurture exclusively shapes a child's character. If you expect a straightforward thriller, you’ll definitely be disappointed.

Kevin is a deep psychological dive and cultural commentary, like all of her books. And certainly not the mother of a boy who murdered seven of his fellow high school students, a cafeteria worker, and a much–adored teacher in a school shooting two days before his sixteenth birthday. But its popularity means that people get sold on it having very different expectations of what the book is about. Reilly, this resonant story of a mother’s unsettling quest to understand her teenage son’s deadly violence, her own ambivalence toward motherhood, and the explosive link between them remains terrifyingly prescient.Įva never really wanted to be a mother.

The inspiration for the film starring Tilda Swinton and John C.

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