People Explain Which Books They Read In School That They'd Never Let Their Kids Read Today
CW: graphic depictions of novels.
When I was in eighth-grade honors English, our first book of the year was Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Unlike with other books, our eyes didn't glaze over as we read. In fact, we were enthralled.
We were very invested in the characters, we all cried at the end, and even though the book didn't have a happy ending, we bonded through the sadness and were still happy we were able to read the book.
My mom, who passed on her love of reading to me, always read the books we were assigned for school. She hated this one.
While she could appreciate the story and understood it was a product of its time, she thought the story, especially the end, maybe a bit inappropriate for students my age. She was not the type to make a stink about things, but she let me know her feelings.
My mom's opinion was not all that unique. There are lots of parents who weren't always fans of what their kids had to read for school.
Sometimes it's because they would've liked their child to be a little older when they read a particular book. This was my mom's complaint about Of Mice and Men. Other people don't think particular books are appropriate for school at all.
Those people took to Reddit to share what books they read in school that they wouldn't want their kids to read in school today...at least, not until they are a little older.
It all started when Redditor masterbuildera asked:
"What book did you read in school that you would never want your child to read?"
The Horror
"My 5th grade teacher read the Stephen King short story Survival Type to the class. For those who haven’t read: the narrator / mc is a drug smuggler who crash lands his plane on a deserted island. He ends up doing all the heroin he recovered from the crash and cannibalizes himself. We didn’t know at the time our teacher had early onset dementia..."
– iamtommynoble
"Holy sh*t! I was in my mid 30s when I heard that story(was listening to the audio book) and was cooking dinner. Had to save all of the food for later, no way I could eat after listening to that. I can't believe a teacher read that."
– pop_skittles
Obsolete
"“Microsoft Publisher 98 for Dummies”"
"Seems kinda pointless at this stage."
– CuppaMatt
"imagine dragging your tik tok watching kid trough that today"
"lmao 💀"
– TheVoidKilledMe
Questionable Choice
""A Day No Pigs Would Die" was pretty rough in 6th grade. Basically Charlotte's web with HAUNTINGLY graphic depictions of animal husbandry and slaughter. I don't remember getting a lot of value out of it at 11 years old, just pig-blood soaked nightmares lol"
– BizarroBuffalo
...*Shudders*...
"I recall being in 6th grade and a fellow student writing a book report on an erotic novel she had read about an extremely overweight man collapsing on a sex worker while mid intercourse and she rips off his jaw and uses it to sever off one of his limbs and get out from under him."
"I remember being 13 years old and thinking “this is pretty f*cked up for a 13 year old.”"
– Silvertongued99
"Holy crap. Yes, that’s a bit much. In that vein, Flowers in the Attic and the rest of the series."
– Pinkbeans1
Too Early
"Maybe this isn’t the question, but I read A Child Called ‘It’ as an elementary aged child. I bought it at the school’s Scholastic Book Fair, and was maybe 9 years old. Why on earth they thought that was an appropriate book for small children to be purchasing and reading, I will never know. The 90’s were a trip."
– YaBoyfriendKeefa
WAY Too Early
"I was in a gifted class and we read 1984...in the fourth grade. Great piece of literature, but maybe a titch intense for nine-year-olds, y'know?"
– Bratbabylestrange
Father Knows Best
"The Kite Runner....my dad saw me pick that up at a book store when I was in the 7th grade and he said no, I wasn't allowed to read that till I got older. Me being the rebellious little sh*t I was convinced my friend to buy it and we took turns reading it. Yeah that book is not for kids....I learnt some things that day :("
– Severe-Experience333
Unrecovered
"I read The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns in high school, they were trauma in paperback form."
– bananaphone92
"A thousand splendid suns BROKE my heart. Beautiful book, but traumatic."
– bakedNdelicious
"Same. Read it in college undergrad actually and was destroyed and cannot imagine how my emotional maturity would have been affected had it come out a few years earlier. Still one of my favorite books and authors of all time. Haunts me to this day."
– abeshius
Bonded
"I know it’s weak, but the ending to Of Mice and Men really messed up my 13 year old brain."
– usernames_are_danger
"My English class read it together (taking it in turns to read aloud) when I was 16 and it was a lovely experience - we hated it at first, and then by the end we were invested, and a bunch of people cried - including the cool girls who usually sat at the back giggling. My friends and I read ahead and knew the ending. We didn't spoil, but we were smug about knowing what was coming!"
"Probably a bit heavy for a 13yo though."
– Lornaan
"We read the stage version at my high school, not as homework but as a sort of "table read" where we went around the classroom with everyone taking a turn to read a line/lines."
"I don't think I'd ever seen the entire class so invested in something. Not just kids approaching my own level of nerdiness, but everyone - even the troublemakers and barely literate kids. It kinda blew my friggin' mind. And then, when we finished the story (over the course of a few classes, I think), we all suffered together through the ending. Trauma bonding, yaaaay!"
"Honestly, that book was probably the only worthwhile book in our curriculum, as far as I can remember."
– Eleventy_Seven
Easy As 1, 2, 3
"Advanced Mathematics."
– SamuelVimesTrained
"A lesson book on calculus now that's hell"
– ToruMiz
"There are 3 kinds of people in this world:"
"Those that understand math, and those that don't."
– edlee98765
Personal Battles
"Was given The Things They Carried in HS and had nightmares for weeks because I had a brother overseas in combat at the time. Part of me never wants my kids to read it because of how much it negatively effected me, which I know isn't a good reason. I do think it is a worthwhile book but it will always, always make me uncomfortable."
– readyplayer_zero
The Wrong Message
"Hear me out, this is a weird take:"
"Cyrano de Bergerac"
"Not because it isn't a good story, it is. But because I think high school boys get the wrong message from it and it fuels this incel, neckbeard fantasy of "I am truly special, and I will pursue this woman until she realizes how special I am. She only likes that other guy because he's cute, it definitely isn't that I'm an a**hole." I don't think that's healthy for them, I think a lot of them don't get that it's satire because it's in middle english."
"I'm not saying they can't read it, but it shouldn't be required as part of the curriculum either (it was for me at least)."
– Nik_Tesla
"I’d go nose to nose with you about this one. (Not really, you’re right and make good points.)"
– tasareinspace
Not A Kid's Book
"I still wish I hadn’t read Where the Red Fern Grows though…cause I haven’t stopped crying and it’s been 25 years."
– jdino
"I was assigned this as a first grader. Apparently the teacher hadn't finished the book to know how truly traumatic the last chapter is. Plus the boy that bleeds out (that blood bubble on his lips always stuck with me). I reread it recently and cried so f*cking hard"
– gallopingwalloper
"I remember in I think my freshman year (hs), one of my friends who isn't a reader wanted a book suggestion when we had to pick one from the library. One of the first I looked at was Where the Red Fern Grows, I recalled it being good and gave it to him. Teacher refused it because it "was a kid's book.""
"I mean yeah, but f*ck you, no."
– Rectal_Fungi
Oof! Yeah, that one was a hard one to get through.
Last summer, I was pretty bored and looking for a new book to read, preferably a horror novel. i stumbled upon Nick Cutter's The Troop, which tells the story about a troop of scouts who go spend time at a cabin in the woods and come down with an... um... interesting infection.
I'm not going to say more about the plot to avoid giving out spoilers but let's just say that the book gave me exactly what I wanted. I was definitely disturbed by it... and uncomfortable. Sooo uncomfortable. I still think about it a fair amount.
There are plenty of other books out there that made people feel similarly taken aback, as we were so kindly reminded by Redditor NeedSomeUpDog asked the online community,
"What's the most WTF book you've ever read?"
My Dark Vanessa
"My Dark Vanessa. I’ve read it so many times. It's about a teacher who grooms a student and how she is both repelled and drawn to him, which is exactly how I feel about the book. Wonderful writing and a fantastic book but I can’t shake it."
rawnerve1975
This is one of those books that makes you set it down after you've read the last page, stare at the wall, and think.
The 120 Days of Sodom
"The 120 Days of Sodom. Heard about it, had to check it out. It's messed up."
[deleted]
That's putting it midly. The film adaptation, Salo, is simultaneously one of the most fascinating and revolting movies I've ever seen.
Flowers in the Attic
"Flowers in the Attic. The extra weird bit is how often V.C Andrews writes about incest, not even just in the Flowers in the Attic series. So many of her other novels feature incest as a main theme."
MrNissanCube
This whole book series consumed me. The series was riveting. Not the best written stuff by any stretch, but riveting nonetheless.
Running with Scissors
"Running with Scissors. I found it on my older brothers bookshelf in middle school and remember finishing it feeling very unsettled. Read it about 20 more times, bizarre as it was I enjoyed Burroughs' storytelling."
TheStonedVampire
The movie was a trip, too! Almost forgot it existed.
The Girl Next Door
"The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum, a novel based on the unbelievably horrific real life case of Sylvia Likens. (The info on this is soul-crushingly depressing, so fair warning before you click.)"
LadySyggerik
That entire book messed with my head... and don't get me started on the movie. The movie is so horrific. Well made and captures the horror of the case very well, but wow.
A Scanner Darkly
"A Scanner Darkly. The bit where they try and work out how many gears are on the bike is one of the best drug sequences ever put to paper."
MessaniacalGacy
I would absolutely describe this book as "trippy." Sooo trippy. Sometimes I wonder if I've even read it; it's in a class of its own and probably does not exist in time or space.
Finnegans Wake
"Finnegans Wake. It’s widely regarded as the most difficult read in English literature. I adore Joyce and his incredible lunacy, but never felt any better for reading Finnegans. It’s a masterpiece of wordplay that no one should be subjected to."
TheAndorran
You see, I worked my way through Ulysses once upon a time and I have to tell you that I don't dare attempt this book. At least, not any time soon.
Johnny Got His Gun
"Johnny Got His Gun. This is my ultimate terrifying book of all time."
almostherelazy
This book haunts my dreams. As you can imagine, it's horrifying. The movie is something else.
The Road
"The Road. Reading that when my son was a toddler was a terrible, TERRIBLE idea."
vidarino
Probably one of the more depressing books I've read – and I wrote a report about it in high school!
The Kite Runner
"The Kite Runner. For anyone wanting to know what Afghanistan was like before the Taliban and as they took control, this is a powerful read."
JQuest575
I read this years ago and it stunned me. Definitely worth revisiting again, methinks.
Of course, there are countless books out there that will mess with your head, whether the content is disturbing or because they take you on a wild and trippy ride.
Compare, for instance, the experience of reading American Psycho versus reading just about anything by Kurt Vonnegut. Worthwhile reading in many respects, but some things never leave you.
Have some opinions or recommendations of your own? Feel free to tell us more in the comments below!
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People Describe The Most F**ked Up Piece Of Literature They've Ever Read
Books that demand full attention from the reader is a testament to the imagery an author provides.
And when a book is written well, regardless of the genre, it's hard to put it down.
But not every tome is a page-turner because the reader wants to find out how a murder mystery is solved or if a hopelessly romantic protagonist winds up with their true love.
Curious to hear of some of the most unsettling literary works out there, Redditor umuhwait asked:
"What's the most f'ked up piece of literature you've read?"
Books relating to social commentary gave these Redditors the heebie jeebies.
"Storm Of Steel"
"Its kind of f'ked up in a different way but Storm Of Steel by Ernst Junger. Its a WW1 Memoir of a German soldier who volunteered at the start of the war at the age of 19."
"The amount of sh*t this guy went through is insane from gas attacks, watching half his company get blown up by an artillery shell to witnessing the guy you were just having a casual conversation with get shot in the head by a sniper."
"He fought through the entire war and while and the entire memoir is shockingly impersonal, and at times quite dry (especially the first quarter). but the lack prose only adds to the impact of events, for example despite the lack of any attempt to create suspense or excitement, Junger's description of entering the battle of the Somme was one of the most chilling and enthralling moments I have ever read. They feel so, real."
"I find this book so fascinating because it has no agenda and makes no appeal to ones Pathos, it is simply a presentation of events and what he thought of them, people call this book pro war because it does not denounce war, but it seems that this book is neither pro war or against war, it simply is and that's what makes it so fascinating."
– [deleted]
"The Jungle"
"The Jungle by Upton Sinclair"
– LondonIsBoss
"It was supposed to be about the plight of the working class. The conditions food was manufactured under was just an example of how tough their lives were. But while he meant to help bring about a socialist revolution, Middle class and rich people focused on what effected them, the condition of the food."
"There's a reason people learn about the book, but don't read it, in High School. Reading it might make socialists as it was intended to. Can't have anything interfering with the capitalism is the best system narrative. Upton Sinclair said something to the effect of he meant to hit America in the Heart, and instead he hit it in the stomach."
– SnipesCC
"Dark Remedy"
"How about a nonfiction book that would give most people nightmares?"
"'Dark Remedy', which came out around 2000. It's about the history of thalidomide, which interestingly was starting to make a comeback around that time as a cancer treatment. It was co-authored by the son of Yul Brynner, who used that drug to treat a rare autoimmune disorder after nothing else worked."
– notthesedays
Sensually unsettling might be how these Redditors decribe their disturbing reading experiences.
"The 120 Days of Sodom"
"I would say The 120 Days of Sodom."
"In college I pretended I was into some f'ked up stuff and just wanted to prove how cool I was, so I read like that. I wish actual brain bleach was a thing."
– DTownForever
Erotically Unnerving
"Perfume: the Story of a Murderer. Not as f'ked up as some of the other stuff out there, but pretty f'ked up still."
"Very well written though."
"Oh Lolita as well. Also f'ked up but incredibly well written."
– VerisimilarPLS
"Naked Lunch"
"Everyone here needs to read Naked Lunch by Burroughs. There’s a scene where two typewriters grow genitalia and have sex with each other. And that’s like the 10th weirdest part of the novel."
– Salton5ea
The following novels had traumatizing effects on young adults.
"Flowers In The Attic"
"Flowers in the Attic by V. C. Andrews"
– macaronsforeveryone
"Why the f'k did every girl I knew in middle school read this book at some point????? Why did the adults around us act like it was fine??? It's such a f'ked up book and idk why but at least where I'm from it was treated like a (secret) rite of womanhood. No one really talked about it but somehow everyone was expected to read it."
– CoyoteWee
"You"
"There was a novel i read in high school called 'You' can't remember the author but it was also second person and had some similar themes. But its definitely more toned down then what you just described. It was a young adult novel and occasionally it just pops into my head because it was so damb good."
"EDIT: Charles Benoit!"
"11 years and I finally remember the authors f'king name! Chuck Donut!"
– StartingOutCalmerNow
"Johnny Got His Gun"
"Johnny got his gun by dalton trumbo."
"i just can’t, tbh. it’s royally f'ed. a guy gets super f'ked up world war 1, and he’s basically unable to talk or hear (communicate in general with anyone), and his entire face and arms are gone. his only wish is to die, but he can’t communicate it to anyone, so he’s sort of just stuck in a bed wanting to die but unable to do it."
– letruffle
"American Psycho"
"American Psycho. Rats going in places they shouldn't be at, if you ask me."
– luKenchi99
"Literally read it over and over. The gore and violence ( poor kid at the zoo) was the part that was easy to read , coming from a Stephen King background. It was the inane descriptions of all his clothes and the sheer pretentiousness that was tough to wade through."
– AnonymousBat42
One novel I picked up was because the master of horror, Stephen King, recommended it.
It's called The Ruins by Scott Smith and is about flesh-eating vines that kill off each of the young tourists who are stuck at the site of an ancient ruin.
It is very well written, but the horrors depicted in the novel as each victim meets their gruesome demise were some of the most sickening things I have ever read. Yet, I couldn't put it down.
You should read it.
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Avid Readers Debate Which Books Are True Treasures That Everyone Should Read
There are few feelings I enjoy more than the one I experience when I lose myself in a good book.
The thing about reading is that you can never hope to get through everything you want to read. It's impossible.
But the journey you go on as you uncover good books? It's magical.
Naturally, there are some books out there that are quite praised and others that have managed to touch people very deeply.
These are the books no one should miss, according to the online community that gleefully answered Redditor 109r8w4ell, who asked:
"What book do you consider as a masterpiece and think that everyone should read?"
The Brothers Karamazov
"The Brothers Karamazov. It's about three brothers in Tsarist Russia with opposing viewpoints about life and its meaning. Aliosha is a quiet monk who has trouble justifying God or his religion to his atheist and educsted brother Ivan. Dimitri is a soldier who is a total hedonist but very violent when angry."
"Okay, it's really, really long, but the characters are fleshed out really well. It might take you a couple rereads (I know I had to read some paragraphs a few times in a row to understand what was going on)."
anonimogeronimo
Definitely one of the more moving books I've read.
An uncle of mine was a huge fan of Russian literature and pushed it on me.
I was pleasantly surprised.
The Neverending Story
"The Neverending Story. So much more to this than the movie portrays. It is beautifully written fantasy that makes the movies almost unwatchable but remains little known."
_manicpixie
Definitely a book that makes the film pale in comparison.
I remember watching the movie and wondering what the hell I was watching.
All Quiet on the Western Front
“All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque. Such a tragic and beautifully written book on war, especially from the perspective of an 'enemy' of the United States (my country)."
ProperEmu-1558
A massively influential book.
It even has two film adaptations, of which the first, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture, is the most worth seeing.
East of Eden
"East of Eden. There are single chapters of that book that are more riveting and have a better story arc than most movies… Amazing book."
SpaceToaster
Steinbeck could craft prose like no one else.
East of Eden is indeed a treasure.
Maus
"Maus. It's a graphic novel about the holocaust with the Jews represented as mice and the Nazis as cats. It's so compelling and it just blew me away."
gatorinmypocket
I read Maus while on a bit of a graphic novel kick and was simultaneously horrified and so, so moved.
Recommended reading for everyone, for sure.
The Art of Racing in the Rain
"The Art of Racing in the Rain. It's about an aging dog watching his owner's life get ripped away from him after being wrongly accused of a crime, and how the dog tries his hardest to do his part to get his owner's life back on track."
placeholdernull
This is a book I have yet to pick up myself but I've heard great things about it over the years.
Definitely going to add this to my (admittedly very long) reading list.
A Confederacy of Dunces
"A Confederacy of Dunces.My English teacher in 10th grade would give us extra credit for reading this, I was one of the few people that did and it was one of the funniest books I have ever read."
"I liked it so much I read it in my other classes. One day my AP Anatomy teacher was telling a sad story about her friend dying from cancer and I was just cracking up in the back of the room reading the book and not listening to her talk at all."
"I look up to see the whole class looking at me like I just stomped a kitten to death."
Cracklin_Cornfed
This story is hilarious (though watch where you're reading this undoubtedly funny book next time around).
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
"Huckleberry Finn. On the surface it is a nice adventure book, but it was intelligently subversive and I think helped shape American culture against slavery."
Pateloporturtle
The language can be a bit much for people.
I know that when I read this in school, many bristled at the use of the "n-word."
It's important to view Huckleberry Finn in context and for what it is, it definitely shaped public perceptions of a horrible American institution.
The God of Small Things
"Some of the most beautiful prose I've ever read. Arundhati Roy is a treasure. Jaw droppingly shocking moments in that book also."
mankindmatt5
This is indeed a magnificent book.
Roy is a master.
One of the world's finest writers.
In Cold Blood
"In Cold Blood. Sentence for sentence, maybe the single best-written book I’ve ever read. Absolutely airtight in terms of style. A supreme piece of reportage."
loopster70
Anyone with an interest in journalism and literary non-fiction has to read this book.
It's highly influential—and for good reason!
Having trouble figuring what to gift someone for the holidays?
Well, if they happen to love reading (and you know they haven't read any of these) why not pick one or two off this list?
Spread the love of the written word! It's truly priceless.
Have some book recommendations of your own? Feel free to share them with us in the comments below!
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Image by Yerson Retamal from Pixabay |
Books are life. Recently studies have been published that reading for fun, reading for knowledge, just interest in reading in general is down, and that is a tragedy.
We've become too obsessed with our binge watching and ADHD mindset that we've lost focus on one of life's greatest joys... literature.
There are some stories and books that should be a mandatory read for life. There should be age benchmarks that require knowledge of certain books in order to progress. I know, how "1984" of me. ;)
Redditor u/bugtanks33d wanted to hear about what literature we should all be familiar with sooner than later by asking:
What's a book everyone should read at least once in their lives?
One of my favorite books is "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." It was a key element in unlocking what I could see with my imagination. No adolescent should go beyond sixth grade without knowing it. What else?
"ANNOUNCEMENT FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE READING THIS THREAD:"
"MANY OF THE BOOKS MENTIONED HERE ARE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN AND IN AUDIO BOOK FORM. GO THROUGH YOUTUBE/RANDOMHOUSE/AUDIBLE/OVERDRIVE FOR ALL THE CLASSICAL GOODNESS YOU WANT."
"It almost totally eliminates the financial/time commitment that many will cite for not picking them up. I listen to books on double speed all the damn time. I am working my way through "A Tale of Two Cities" now."
Meaning
wondering simon cowell GIF by X Factor GlobalGiphy"Man's search for meaning - Viktor Frankl."
Oh Milo
"The Phantom Tollbooth."
"Maybe one of my favorite literary moments…"
"Milo: "Many of the things I'm supposed to know seem so useless that I can't see the purpose of learning them at all."
"Princess of Sweet Rhyme: "...what you learn today, for no reason at all, will help you discover the wonderful secrets of tomorrow."
- wort_hog
Johnny
"Johnny's Got His Gun. It's so intense, but it's so good. Metallica's song One is based off this book. Guy has his arms and legs blown off, goes blind and deaf, and is left to live like that. I only read it once, but it's forever engrained into my memory. It hits you like a freight train."
Brothers...
"Surprised I haven't seen it here already so I'll add it... The Brother's Karamazov by Dostoyevsky. In Slaughterhouse 5 Vonnegut said it could teach everything that we needed to know about life, except that wasn't enough anymore."
"If the only thing that book did was make you marvel at how people centuries and oceans removed from you in time and place, could experience the exact same emotions about life as you did, it would be worth the read. There's so much more to it, but Dostoyevsky had such a knack for digging deep into universal human experience. And it's just a hell of a good story too."
Classics
diva read GIFGiphy"Speaking as somebody who isn't religious, the literary value of the Bible (and the Hebrew Bible) is severely underrated."
I took a class on it in college, with a prof who'd once allegedly gotten into a bar fight over Beowulf. We would sometimes spend half a class discussing a single verse or two because there's so much stuff going on under the hood."
- dmillson
I know so many of those. And sadly, I'm already behind in my studies. I love books and I'm always on the path to find more to consume. Let me ready my already lengthy list.
WAR
War Shockwave GIFGiphy"All Quiet on the Western Front. Everyone should have to reckon with the reality of what war actually means."
- BigHern
Thanks Teach...
"Night, by Elie Wiezel. It is absolutely heartwrecking , and I hated every moment of reading it, which is exactly the effect it is supposed to have."
"Came here looking for this one. I had to read it back in high school and it blew me away how moved I was by it. Stories like his need to be remembered for all time, no matter how hard it is to get through (emotionally-speaking; it's actually quite an easy and short read). I'm so grateful that my English teacher assigned it."
West
"The Westing Game."
"A Librarian here, such a terrific book. I have gotten so many kids to read it by hooking them with the fact that the reader can play the game and has all of the clues. And good luck as it is fiendishly clever."
All the Good Crazy
"The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Such a great book."
"Oh my god yes. I love this book for being the sex, drugs and rock and roll of the classics world. It is lengthy but has revenge, treasure, plots and schemes and drugs. There is nothing stuffy about this classic."
- skundrik
The "Good"
"The Giver- that book made my 9-10 year old mind really think about what was important in society. It was the first time the idea of "good" things having a negative consequence was presented to me. I think what makes it work is that we are learning how this whole society really works along side a character who has lived in it his whole life."
"As the facade of the utopian society begins to fall away to show devastating consequences of the "perfect life and society" the reader not only feels their shock but the main character's shock. This was a book I read in school 4 times- once in 5th grade and once in 10th for English and then in both high school and college sociology classes. This book written for 9-13 year olds made for great discussions."
Good and Bad of Life
read ford GIFGiphy"The Grapes of Wrath and/or Of Mice and Men. Both are heartbreaking, but not for the sake of being heartbreaking - instead they provide a glimpse of how freaking hard life can be, but also how beautiful it can be."
That is a lot of good advice. And a lot of great storytelling and advice giving. Did anyone miss anything that should be there? And make sure you read anything by Harlan Coben, he's a fav.
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