“I was horrified and could see how terrible things were going to happen, yet I couldn't stop reading. One of the best books I've read. I still think about it from time to time.....and that is probably the highest praise I can give to author. ”
“Distubing topic but AMAZING character development ---- VERY thought provoking and discussable. Great book club selection.”
“I started the book twice, and had to put it away... it was too tough to deal with someone who's life is such a miserable litany, even given the context.. given that the protagonist is supposedly a brave entrepreneur I can't understand how she gave up and didn't fight back at all.... then some weird fancy caught me and i read the book... backwards! That just rocked... the book is a brilliant work read backwards.. one section at a time, chapter by chapter.. bit by bit the whole thing unfolds and you see who did what, why, when and how. The linear version is too hard to read... so my reco is - read the first 2 chapters for a little context and then start backwards.”
“I couldn't put this book down. Great writing. If the author has never been a mother, she sure has a lot of the feelings right. I think Eva is depicted as many young mothers feel: scared, hopeful, but trying so hard that whatever might be that natural isn't given a chance. This book shows there are things you can't begin to control/handle as parents, and this is one extreme example. All children are different, as are parents, and all need different things from each other. The fact that we can't always express what we want or need is very painful for all concerned, but even when the need is expressed it's not always possible to meet it. When you're in the situation, sometimes you cannot see the obvious. Even if you see it, others in the same situation may not--and then you just feel crazy or trapped. You may be doing your very best to do the right thing, but you're also human as a parent. This book ended in the only way it could have. Very sad.”
“This book was so shocking but it had to be read. It left me feeling "grubby" but I couldnt put it down .Every parent should read this. I heard it dramatised on the radio recently-compelling. ”
“Two points here:1- FICTION.Some readers criticized Shriver for writing about something she didn't know about-- ie, motherhood.I think that perhaps, as the subject was so sensitive, at this stage such a book could ONLY have been written by someone who is not a parent,and as fiction.What do you think?2- American society.There have now been two school killings on the American model in Europe-- one in Germany, and one in Finland. In both cases the attacker was 18 and was a member of gun club (the only way of getting a gun legally in many European countries).So there is a concern, and an interest in the novel: "We need to talk about Kevin" has been translated into several languages and I know quite a few people in France who have read it.”
“scary story but amazing writing...”
“The book club's favourite. Perservere with the unlikeable voice, it's worth it. ”
“It takes you buy the shoulder and gives you good shake up... Can anyone ever be blamed for anything at all...? Or by the same token, can any of us escape blame for everything around us?”
