Synopsis: Over one meal, two families struggle with the hardest decision of their lives. On an Amsterdam summer evening, two couples are united by their sons, aged 15, their horrific joint deed. Behind banal polite discourse in a restaurant, knives are sharpened, friendship disintegrates. How far will adults go to protect those they love?
Quick Take: Strange. I'm not sure what to say about this book. As I read it I wondered if I was reading something similar to 'We need to talk about Kevin' but this book didn't scare me like Kevin did (thank goodness, I never need to read anything like that again).
I knew the characters were going to be unlikable; sadly I wasn't invested in the outcome and kept waiting for something big to happen. When the cliff hanger is revealed, it's shared slowly. It is disturbing but could have been explored more. I'm not sure I want to know why the boys did what they did, but hearing from the children or having a mother's perspective may have enhanced the story.
Would I recommend this to book club? I can't see myself recommending this book to anyone but there is a LOT to discuss. The writing is good, I listened and didn't feel compelled to stop listening.
Have you read it? If I took the time to read a few reviews before buying this book, I might not have read it. A lot of people gave the book just one star; people either love it or hate it, so it's odd to fall in the middle.
Rating: 3 stars
Source: personal copy (audio)