Sunday, January 10, 2016

Book Review: "The Shamed: In the Mind of Revenge" by Liv Hadden

     How much can one person take before they break? In Liv Hadden's new novel, a young person is bullied and eventually beaten and violated beyond what can be withstood. After two years in a coma, and some experimental surgery that replaced crushed bones with metal, this young person awakens -- only to find out that Mom has married the father of one of the abusers! Well, I wouldn't stick around either.

      This book is not for the faint of heart. Shame, the name the young person chooses, takes out vengeance on those who are viewed as a threat. (Shame's gender is never identified; in my mind, and what I think the writer was trying to convey, is that it doesn't really matter because no one should be treated so badly.) It isn't long before the need to wipe out any evidence or trail continues Shame's violent spree. The ending surprised me, though . . . I sure didn't see THAT coming! The things that are done to Shame, as well as what Shame does in retribution, are graphically described. There is harsh language. Obviously, the author is delving into darker psychological issues here, and she isn't about to sugar coat it.

     While the book was hard to read at times, due to the nature of the story line and main character's issues, I thought it was very well done. It was interesting and while it's very clear Shame is not meant to be a hero, you do find yourself wishing some justice could have been found without Shame going off the deep end and in a sense, self-destructing and unleashing destruction on others along the way down.

* I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.

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