Where do I even begin?
I was interested in reading about the life of a child growing up within a dysfunctional family plagued by drugs, neglect, abuse and seeing the many consequences of such an upbringing. What is ugly to those on the outside of this dysfunction could be beautiful to someone on the inside- author portrayed that very well.
However, there is no way to justify a grown man taking that kind of interest in an 8 year old girl and it not being wrong in every way. The storyline is written in a way that implies their love was special or different and therefore not like other incidents of child molestation. I believe that is a dangerous seed to plant. This was an adult who came upon an endangered and vulnerable child, earned her trust by doing things for her that she needed her deadbeat parents to do, and also fell in love with her, proposed, and began a sexual relationship?! I personally feel these parts of the book should have been written with more care to not legitimize or romanticize a relationship of this kind.
I also found it very hard to listen to the many sexually graphic thoughts & descriptive scenes involving the minor child. Listening felt wrong for the same reason I wouldn’t look at inappropriate images of a child. It was too uncomfortable and I had to fast forward.
This book will stay with me for a long time but not for the good parts unfortunately.