Unspeakable Things

Unspeakable Things is dark, intense, and so well written that it hurts to read this story.

The entire novel is written from 12-year-old Cassie's perspective, but this is absolutely not a YA novel. I almost didn't get this book because I'm not a big fan of child narrators. Fortunately for me, the premise was too tempting to pass up. Within a few paragraphs, I was hooked. By the end of the first chapter, I couldn't imagine this story being told from any other character's perspective. By the end, I was a ragged knot of emotions.

A version of this story played out in the author's hometown decades ago. Another version is probably playing out somewhere else right now. Maybe knowing this makes Cassie's story more powerful and heartbreaking. Or show more maybe what hits me hardest is knowing that many of us, at some point in our lives, are side characters to Cassie's starring role, and like those in this book, we choose to look away. show less

I really enjoyed this book, however I still had many questions after the book was finished and I discovered the author posted an epilogue on her website that was removed from the book. This answered some questions, but not all. Potential SPOILER - as I read other reviews I was led back to the strawberry scene, the Cerberus on the chalkboard, Bauer aligning with the leash of Cerberus, and the names of the characters in relation to Greek mythology. I found the book more intriguing after researching Persephone's kidnapping into Hades (which is guarded by Cerberus). I also researched the God Dionysus (Donny?). As well as Cassandra, whom in Greek Mythology was cursed to spout true prophecies that no one believed. This side research project show more overall gave me a greater satisfaction of the overall book. show less

I read this strong thriller in a day. It's a harrowing novel based upon the true story of boys abducted in small-town Minnesota in the 1970s. What raises this book above the average thriller is the balance Lourey sustains between showing the danger outside and inside the home. For me, even more excruciating than wondering about the boys is watching 11-year-old Cassie (the first-person narrator) earnestly and futilely attempting to normalize the wild dysfunction in her family. It's as if she's trying to make a small rug cover a large floor. The erratic behavior of her drunken father, and Cassie's acute sensitivity to all its phases, felt close to the bone. For me, this was rawer and more real than most thrillers, and better written, show more verging on literary fiction. show less

Cuts right to your heart

This novel deals with some very uncomfortable issues that cut straight to the heart. Without being so descriptive as to deter a reader from reading it, the story tells enough to interpret these "unspeakable acts." And in some instances, it is just the mere thought that the main character, Cassie, is having that something might happen. The reader can feel her fear, her disgust, her rage...excellent piece of writing Ms. Lourey! Looking forward to reading more of your work.

In Lilydale, a small town in rural Minnesota, boys were being abducted, raped, and murdered. In 1983, Cassie McDowell, a spunky, quirky girl living on a farm with her dysfunctional family, turns thirteen. She sleeps in her closet so her dad won't "get" her and helps her older sister, Stephie, clean up after her parents throw drug-laced sex parties. Even though the subject matter is dark and mature, the story is written from the perspective of a preteen and deals more with Cassie's struggle to understand the behavior of the people closest to her. I felt a little cheated that the book didn't define the "unspeakable things" more clearly.

Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey is a novel about a series of sexual assaults on children, leading to a murder, in a small town in Minnesota. Cheerful, eh? It is told from the perspective of a 12 year old girl, Cassie, who hears rumours about the crimes and observes changes in the behaviour of her schoolmates as they get caught up in the attacks. Cassie lives in an unusual family set up which leads her to encounter a broad range of potential suspects for the crime, including her drunken father, the
homosexual music teacher, the reclusive neighbour and the druggie cop. Cassie ends up putting herself in danger as she attempts to figure out who is responsible for the attacks. The story is a mixture of her innocent childish perception of show more what is going on, her naive assumptions about the behaviour of others, her fear of her own father and his mood swings and her difficult relationship with her sister and classmates.
This was an enjoyable enough read and filled the time, but I wouldn't recommend you go out of your way to read it. The denouement of the story was an unexpected twist, so well done to the author. show less

"I’m not going to let them steal my childhood"

This had a creepy and well done atmosphere and characters. I liked the age of the MC, because it added to the atmosphere - as a kid, she didn't pick up on some of the nuances of adults that the reader does. You spend so much time worrying and trying to decipher her world (since she is a kid and is either missing things or completely misinterpreting it).

But around 75%, this story started to feel flat. The atmosphere that felt so oppressive and scary completely went away and instead of fearing the outcome and the answers, I almost wanted to stop. And sure enough, the actual ending was a let down. Not only is there not closure for a lot of the threads you've been worrying over and wondering show more about, but the ultimate bad guy felt like one of the easy ones to pick. It was still a very well done story and I did feel pulled in for at least the first half. show less