Review: Unspeakable Things

Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book—and was so sad to turn the final page. I wanted to continue to peer into the lives of the characters author Jess Lourey penned into life. With this enthusiastic recommendation, however, come a few caveats.

*First, if you’re looking for a beach read that is all fluff, you’re out of luck here. The story is, at its heart, gritty and powerful, sobering and sometimes painful to read.

*Second, the reader needs to be schooled in the art of inference, as Lourey depends heavily on one’s ability to read between the lines. Nothing is laid bare, though the truth is there, simmering just below the surface, almost too horrific to say out loud.

*Third, those born with the proverbial silver spoon may have a profoundly difficult time feeling the empathy for the main character, Cassie, that makes this such a powerful read. If, however, you know or have known poverty, her experiences will pierce your heart and certainly bring tears. When Cassie is invited to a birthday party, she has no way to purchase a gift for the birthday girl. Instead, she wraps up her own necklace—a gift that is so dear to her that she kept it protected in its original box instead of daring to wear it. You can almost feel her desperate need to be liked and accepted, at whatever it costs her personally. My heart broke.

*Fourth, if you like your reads all to be wrapped nicely with a neat and tidy conclusion, you will want to sail past this offering and not look back.

WARNING: semi-spoilers ahead!

I’ve seen some reviews that complained about unanswered questions. That’s the beauty of the read, and what made it SO haunting. There ARE no answers, no fairy tale endings. The world is full of monsters, and life can be messy and unfair, even for a child. The ending was exactly what the story demanded—more inference, more predicting, more hope for salvation for two children caught in the web of their parent’s debauchery.

If you want to think—and feel—and most certainly hurt, read this now, tonight. It will surely stay with you long after you put it aside and turn out the lights.

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