The reason is clear from the start – 14 year
old Kevin has murdered several of his school colleagues in a Columbine-like
attack. Much less clear is why and how.
The back story is related through a series
of unanswered letters written by his mother Eva, to the estranged father, between
her fortnightly visits to the Claverack Juvenile Correctional Facility. Through these letters Eva examines her
relationship with her son from conception to and beyond that fateful Thursday.
Is it her fault, what did she do wrong or
fail to do right? What can happen to the
husband and wife relationship when a child is added to the family, and how does
this then affect the child? Did they
create a monster or was there an evil that would not be denied?
Eva’s letters are well written, precise,
almost forensic. Events are related
dispassionately, the understatement making them all the more horrific. There is a voyeuristic appeal that keeps the
reader engaged as Kevin’s devilment develops and is revealed incident by harrowing
incident. Indeed one of the motivations
mooted for Columbine killings is the notoriety they generate, fuelled by public
interest, even fascination, with them. The theory is tacitly supported by the
reader’s investment of time and money in the book.
Considering that Kevin’s fate is known from
the start the final chapters are surprisingly tense and revealing and left this
reader both emotionally drained and intellectually satisfied.
Overall this is an excellent book that explores
uncomfortable issues with controlled emotion, within a well-constructed
storyline, that teases the reader steadily through its 400 plus pages.
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