I finally finished "Kevin"

I know it has been awhile. I have had a lot going on, and sadly, I have neglected my blog.
I am going to try to update at least once a week for the time being.

I finally finished We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver. It only took me so long because I have been so busy. So, here it is...

Raw honesty. That is what makes this book so great. If you are looking for a happy ending, you really don't want to read this book. It would be nice if life always had happy endings, but it doesn't, and that is one of the reasons I revere this book. It "tells it like it is."

The protagonist, the mother of Kevin, is portrayed as cold and distant. But she is honest. She expresses the kinds of thoughts many mothers probably have, but are too afraid to admit. She is able to see her son for who he really is, which I believe is all he ever wanted.

The father is a pushover, and in my opinion, a sorry excuse for a parent. Even sorrier, is the fact that he reminds me of many of the parents I encounter today. He is constantly making excuses for his son's transgressions. In his eyes, his son can do no wrong. Even when his son mutilates his own sister, Franklin defends him and chooses to blame others. It's always his wife's fault, the teacher's fault, or the other kid's fault. An all too familiar refrain in today's society.

As Kevin progresses from a disturbed child to a homicidal sociopath, Franklin continues to live in his own childhood-fantasy-world where fathers and sons play catch in the yard, and heart to heart talks solve all problems. By refusing to see his son's problems, he is neglecting his parental responsibility to try and help him. I personally wonder if the ending would have been different had Franklin had taken off his blinders, acted like a real parent, and disciplined his child instead of making excuses for him.

In the end, the mother was the hero. Yes, she had flaws, but she was undoubtedly the better parent. She always saw the truth and fought to open her husband's eyes. But she was fighting a losing battle. And despite all that Kevin put her through, I believe she always loved him. She couldn't bond with him, she despised the things he did, she didn't understand him, and she really didn't even like him. Still, she loved him.

In We Need to Talk About Kevin, Lionel Shriver takes a courageous look at a disturbing trend in American society - the school shooting. By telling the story through the eyes of a mother she offers her readers a unique perspective. We have all seen the news coverage of shootings such as these. The reporters ask, "Who were the victims? Who was the killer and why did he do it?" Lionel Shriver takes a different angle and asks, "Who are the parents? How do they feel? What role did they play?"