This is a hard book. I don't mean "hard" as in "difficult to follow," because it's not at all, but "hard" as in "it deals with some harsh subject matter and does not flinch." This book deals with the messy and sometimes contradictory and/or disturbing emotions and reactions that come from childhood sexual abuse. Luckily, Heim is a very skilled writer and he handles things in such a way that the events of the story and the reactions of the characters don't come across as shocking for the sake of being shocking, but merely as the heartbreakingly matter-of-fact consequences of what happened.

This is a very good book; it'll make you hurt.

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A gut-wrenching novel. Deals with pedophilia. Absoluely engrossing.

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This is an amazing riveting story about a life changing incident. No spoilers here, I will just say that it is so sad and yet cathartic, but ultimately gut wrenching. Excellent first novel; I will be sure to read his second. (It is already on my wish list!) I can't get this book out of my head.

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