43 pages • 1 hour read
Lionel ShriverA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver is an epistolary novel composed of letters that Eva Khatchadourian writes to her husband Franklin after their son Kevin commits a horrific crime at his school. The letters delve into Eva and Franklin's marriage, their decision to have children, and Kevin's increasingly disturbing behavior, exacerbating the already tenuous relationship between Eva and Kevin. The book addresses topics including school shootings, child abuse, violence, and rape.
Lionel Shriver's We Need To Talk About Kevin receives acclaim for its daring and introspective narrative, exploring complex themes of motherhood and culpability. While praised for its gripping prose and psychological depth, some readers find the subject matter distressing and the protagonist unsympathetic. Overall, it's a provocative and thought-provoking read.
A reader who enjoys We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver would be captivated by intense psychological thrillers that explore complex family dynamics and moral dilemmas. Fans of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold will appreciate the dark, introspective narrative and deeply flawed characters.
Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Mystery / Crime Fiction
Psychological Fiction
Natural World: Nurture v. Nature
Relationships: Mothers
Relationships: Daughters & Sons
Incarceration
Relationships
Grief / Death