Skip to main content

We need to talk about Kevin

This is a book about a high-school murder by a teenager.

Sounds familiar? Well, it's actually quite different.



'We need to talk about Kevin' is written in the form of letters from a wife to her absent husband. Their son is in jail serving time for killing seven of his classmates, a teacher and a cafeteria worker.

The book is from Eva's point of view starting from the time of his birth to the actual incident. Eva tries to find out what went wrong. Was it the fact that she never wanted to have Kevin in the first place? Or was he just born with a mean evil streak? Or did he somehow learn this? Or was this all just to get his mother's attention?

The book asks the biggest question --- the nature v/s nurture debate.

It also makes you question Kevin's motives. It makes you wonder about him --- he's such a dark character. Why did he do it? He was never bullied. Was he just born this way? It makes you question what is required of parents. It makes you question whether Eva's point of view is the actual truth.

It doesn't answer all of these.
However, it does have a sense of emptiness and leaves a void.

The book is good and well written. However, I would like to caution anyone who is feeling a bit low --- this book will make you depressed. I felt very empty and depressed after reading it.

On that note,

Until next time,

Cheers!!!

Labels:

Comments

Akansha Agrawal said…
Hmm... sounds like something people would connect with... esp with the scenario we are seeing right now!

I would probably not want to read it though...
March 13, 2009 at 10:10 AM
Legal Alien said…
I saw this at angus & robertson and was thinking about buying it. Seems really good...
June 25, 2009 at 11:41 PM
Post a Comment

Also read

Learning from Gardening

While composing status messages, just for fun, I simply jot down anything random that comes to my mind at the moment. Here is the latest FB message i posted few seconds ago. Tushar Mangl learns a lot from his gardening routine. Even when his plants die, he simply feels bad and then goes about to plan for new plants. Mostly because an empty space does not look that good. That is life for you. People will always go away from your life, at one point or another. But you cannot always leave the places vacan t. New plants have to be placed. Optimism has to exist for new flowers to bloom, new leaves to grow. Now, FB only gives me 422 characters to say my point. But my dear blogger, a companion of several years gives me much better platform to elaborate my thoughts. You see, in a flower bed I maintain near stairs of my house I had planted bougainvillea plants on either sides of the bed. As fate would have it, and given my nature of getting too attached to livi...
4 comments
Read more

A suggestion to break the loop of guilt, isolation, and emotional burnout?

Caught in a guilt spiral, isolating quietly, and wondering why rest doesn’t heal you? You’re not lazy—you’re carrying layers of unprocessed emotion and spiritual exhaustion. This is your invitation to pause, reflect, and reset. Let’s explore why you still feel stuck despite good intentions, and discover rituals, reflections, and real reconnection to help you come home to yourself. First Published on 20/06/2008 14:30 Second edition Published on 04/07/2025 12:51 Why do you keep spiraling despite good intentions? Let me ask you this. Have you ever written out a self-care plan so perfectly, maybe in a brand-new notebook—drink more water, meditate, go to therapy—and yet by day three you’re numbly binge-scrolling, wondering what’s broken now ? Yeah. Same. We don’t spiral because we’re undisciplined or lazy. We spiral because the emotional weight we’re carrying goes deeper than we admit. It's not about a missed workout or failing to reply to that one text. It's the inner tug-of...
2 comments
Read more

Cutting people off isn’t strength—It is a trauma response

Your ability to cut people off and self-isolate is not a skill you should be proud of—It is a trauma response Cutting people off and self-isolating may feel like a protective shield, but it is often rooted in unresolved or unhealed trauma and an inability to depend on others. While these behaviors seem like self-preservation, they end up reinforcing isolation and blocking meaningful connections. Confronting these patterns, seeking therapy, and nurturing supportive relationships can help break this unhealthy cycle. Plus, a simple act like planting a jasmine plant can symbolise the start of your journey towards emotional healing. Why do we cut people off and isolate? If you’re someone who prides themselves on “cutting people off” or keeping a tight circle, you might believe it’s a skill—a way to protect yourself from betrayal, hurt, or unnecessary drama. I get it. I’ve been there, too. But here’s the thing: this ability to isolate yourself is not as empowering as it may seem. In fact, i...
Post a Comment
Read more