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Oct 25, 2016eappelbaum rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
SPOILER ALERT I liked the book. It is gripping and heartfelt. Interesting setting in Leavenworth. The brothers do not have bicycles, friends, or much of anything. So many things are broken in their home: television, air conditioner, fan, and, most of all, the family itself. Also, the town is broken—closed factory, and the council votes down a proposal for a library. Both parents are selfish and immature. Dad drinks, sleeps around, and supplies inappropriate videos for his children. He takes them to a shooting range and a crime scene, hoping to win their admiration. Mom sells their toys, fails to provide food, and expects the children to provide her with a birthday party. Does she ever give them birthday parties? P. 37, mother complains to father about older son: she orders him to draw a tree and instead he draws a bush. She is trying to throw her weight around. P. 91. Narrator reminisces about a family boating trip (Smithville Lake?). This event should be a happy memory, but it is not. In the boat, Dad drinks beer and argues with Mom, while boys swim in the water. Narrator fantasizes about being left to drown. P. 121. Older son takes narrator's favorite stuffed animal and pretends to kill it. Do older son and Chris have similar life stories? P. 198, dad has 5 memos about MW. The abbreviation is "my wife." He is obsessed with her. In this family, everybody loves everybody, but not always in a healthy way. P. 318. Parents agree older son needs therapy. There is hope for this family.