My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What an emotionally intense and riveting read. "Only Child" grabs your attention from the very first page, with the narrator, 6 year old Zach, in a closet in his classroom with other students and his teacher during a school shooting. The intensity of the beginning never really leaves, simply changes, throughout the book. At the beginning, the intensity is fear, as portrayed through Zach's descriptions and a reader's worldly knowledge. When it is determined that Zach's brother, Andy, has been killed, the intensity shifts to the pain, grief, confusion, and anger with which his parents have to contend.
What I found remarkable throughout the book is the narrative voice of Zach; it never felt out of place, too mature for a 6 year old. The narrative is cleverly constructed by the author to utilize Zach overhearing conversations to move things forward, but his thoughts, his understanding, have all the pure and uncomplicated nature of a 6 year old's worldview.
The book is well written, and reads quick. That said, because of the intensity of the emotion, its not necessarily an easy book to read; or at least, not easy to read and avoid emotional responses. When characters do things that are seemingly inexplicable, or irrational, its easily tied to the tragedy, even if a reader notes the irrationality of it. But because the tragedy is such a easily accessible and likely correct explanation, the pain of the characters is also easily accessible for the readers.
Creative storytelling that delivers the intensity appropriate to the subject matter of the novel. Highly recommend (with the caveat that it is a gut wrenching read at times).
No comments:
Post a Comment