Only Child
I kept saying to myself as I read this, “this is fiction, this is fiction,” as parts of this novel were hitting a nerve inside me and I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue reading it. It just seemed that with all the shooting that have been occurring nationally, the events in this novel were actually occurring.
Zach is six and Andy is ten, the two brothers attend the same school. The novel begins as Zach’s teacher huddles her class inside a small room, as they hear gunfire just outside the closed door. It feels like they are nestled close together forever when finally, the police locate this first-grade class and lead them to safety across the street. As they make their way down the school hallways, the young children hear screaming and crying individuals and their eyes fall upon what they believe to be blood, splattered out onto their walkway. The church is filling with other children from the school. Parents begin to stream in, emotions are high for everyone involved.
It became too real when they realize Andy is not at the church. Wounded children were being taken to a hospital, but Andy’s name was not on that list. Andy had become a victim, a victim of the shooter who had walked into their school.
Everyone in the family handled the shooting differently, no one is on the same page. No one wants to come together as they’re all shooting off into their own separate worlds. I felt sorry for Zach as he had nothing solid to hold onto. He was so young and confused. What is wrong with these people? Mom wants to save the world but she can’t even save her own family. Dad is trying to provide for his family but what exactly does he feel he is providing? Zach, he’s having major issues and can’t anyone see he’s crying for help. There are other issues within the family and boy, does this novel scream drama. The ending seemed a bit rushed to me after everything else that occurred during the novel and I wasn’t a big fan how the author put it together.
