This isn't really "cheery" reading, per se, but you will steamroll through Marly Swick's Evening News. A good counterpart to that other news-grabbing novel, Lionel Shriver's We Need To Talk About Keven, Swick's novel takes the other tack on child gunshot victims, those killed accidentally by other children. In this case, Giselle's nine-year-old son Teddy is playing with the neighbor dad's gun and accidentally kills his two-year-old half-sister. Swick takes the reader through a thorough examination of guilt, responsibility, what it means to be a parent and the possibility of forgiveness. The writing is very straightforward, almost to the point of being ordinary, especially in the beginning, but what sets Swick's novel apart is how she methodically takes this family apart, letting the very act of their unraveling speak for itself.
The first 150 pages flew by for me. Unfortunately, I had a real hard time getting through the next 100. I think the book just stabbed on about feelings so much so that I was sick of reading about them. I know that sounds horrible but it just dragged on for me. I finally buckled down to finish the book and I did. The third part flew a little faster for me, kept my attention. Still, I just didn't walk away from this book feeling fulfilled. I was just happy I had finished it. Sorry to any fans out there but this one just didn't quite hit the mark with me.
Do You like book Evening News (2000)?
Very well written and engaging!Very upsetting! The book stays with you for weeks after you read it. It is not so much the tragic premise of the book but the way real family deals with an unreal tragedy. The book is very hard to read if you are a parent. It deals with the accidental shooting of a toddler by her half brother and how her mother overcomes this death and still loves and helps her son. Maybe I would not have read the book if I known the topic but the writing pulled me in and kept me i
—Rachel
