Voted loved it, although this is not the term I would use for such a thought provoking and rather chilling book. It reinforced all the fears I could have about ever wanting children - would I bond with them, would I resent the effect on my career, would I cope with the lcak of personal time. I always thought these were selfish thoughts and I was glad to see not just my own as the mother in the book shared them. It throws the whole nature v nurture debate onto the forum, as Celia was the exact opposite to Kevin, very sweet and naive and also the thoguth that some people are just born evil! The other thought I can't stop discussing in my head (yes I do hold discussions with myself!!!) is about Celia's eye - won't go into too much detail but did he do it or was he trying to help her? You can't help but immediately think he did it because of everything that he did in the past.

I see Kevin as a very normal kid who wants affection/attention from his mum but doesn'treceive it, so in the end accepts any kind of attention from her, whether good or bad. Did Eva do her best to raise him considering she didn't really want a child at all? I'm not sure. She didn't appear to love him or show any love towards him. She seemed to resent him. I could imagine any displays of affection towards him were awkward. She can see that Kevin's behaviour is all a front - he deliberately winds her up because then she reacts to him, gives him attention. He craves contact with Eva - physical, emotional etc., which is why he's awkward with potty training, wearing clothes too small - iit annoys his mum but also keeps her in contact with him. It's as if he knows if he grows up and no longer depends on her for nappy changes, right-size clothes, he'll lose her. That's why he gives in when he's ill - we see the real Kevin. He's too weak to keep up the front and is forced to relax and be himself. It's sad
as we get to see how their relationship could be if it weren't so strained.

Eva thinks Kevin rejected her from day one and is deliberately and constantly against her; she doesn't see a child desperate for its mother's love and approval. It's like he constantly plays up so Eva will be reminded of his presence. He's also seeking her approval, wants her to be proud of him, but as he knows she won't be impressed by usual/normal achievements, he goes to the extreme. He's got himself into a pattern where he thrives on receiving negative attention from Eva - in the way most kids thrive on praise. He also gets her to himself by eliminating competition (his father and sister). Again maintaining contact with her by having one over her all the time. Compromising her.

Eva is the ultimate career woman; always off on business trips, so she and Franklin spend little time together before having a family. I can understand she feels tied down as she's so used to jetting off to exciting places. I can't begin to imagine how she must have felt as a full-time mum in comparison, but she was her own boss so could return to her career if she wanted.

Didn't you think the absence of psychiatrists in Kevin's upbringing was a bit bizarre? Especially if he was such a troublesome child?

...about the fake letter Kevin sent to the teacher and kids. Surely the teacher would have talked to a colleague about it, or asked to see the principal, just to confirm details?? Then it would have been exposed as fake. I just don't believe a teacher would take such a letter at face value and not discuss it privately with the person who (alledgedly) sent it. I didn't find the idea convincing.