This is a book that tackles a story line that some will find difficult, some will find controversial and for some, it will provoke comparisons with Jamie Bulger who was abducted and murdered in 1993. I think it would make a good read for a book group as actually poses several thought provoking questions about evil, nature/nurture and rehabilitation. It also explore themes like honesty and the consequences of living with secrets.
In summary, the story is about Danny Simpson and Graham Harris who abducted 3 year old Benjamin and murdered him. We meet them at various stages in their lives, but mainly the novel looks at what happens following their release -7 years after they committed such a horrendous crime, and their subsequent adult years as they attempt to move on with ordinary lives. It also follows the lives of Rachel and Matthew Allen, Benjamin's devastated and broken parents.
The novel took me a while to get into as I felt like I'd missed a few chapters somewhere - Jago assumes we're already aware of the premise and therefore begins by starting in the middle with Danny being prepared for his release back into society at the end of his prison sentence. At this point we're a little unsure who we are reading about, what exactly has happened and how the various characters are connected. We learn that Danny was given a cover story in order to survive life in prison and now he is being given a cover story to survive life on the outside. He's not a pleasant character, there is no sympathy generated despite the revelation that Dan is as terrified of living as he is of dying and the terrifying threat of being found out all over again is having a detrimental affect on his emotional and metal stability, his ability to actually forgive himself, pick up a normal life or ever recover from the shock of what he actually did. I think this is deliberate in order to create some distance between us - either to make it clear that our relationship with this character is going to be conflicted or to protect us a little from becoming too upset by the details and reality of the crime. Perhaps in a way, it might help us to read about Danny as we are kept a little removed.
There are several characters to meet very early on, each with a different chapter and a different involvement with Benjamin. There are narratives from Rachel, Matthew, Danny and Liam (aka Graham). The novel plays around with the chronologically as we follow the different threads - sometimes back to before the crime, sometimes just after, after the boys' release and then also bringing us up to date with the boys now as young men. This encourages pace and a more complex exploration of the topic. It gives Jago a chance to create a range of characters and write about a range of interesting positions and relationships. It gives her a chance to explore different reactions to crime, grief, death, violence and rehabilitation. It did mean it took a while to get into and a moment or two to acknowledge where in the chronological order of things that particular chapter fell and which character we were reading about, but as the book continues I think it makes it more tense and more interesting. It prevents it from becoming trite or cliched and means it retains elements of a psychological drama.
Rachel's sections are quite harrowing. Her mental anguish and the lasting impact of losing a son are obviously crippling. She has two children - one of which was born under the shadow of the event and subsequently is more serious, more reserved and more wary of life. Rachel drives her 13 and 9 year old to school and back everyday. They are always in her sight. They have never been on a sleepover, her all consuming anxiety ruled their lives. She is terrified that any happiness will lead to complacency. I absolutely relate to and completely understand this behaviour following her devastating loss but I did find her passages quite heavy going and oppressive.
Matthew's grief is equally all consuming - he has just put all his energy into tracking down the two culprits knowing that they are now released and living somewhere in the UK. The language used to describe his plight is very powerful: despair, drowning, bewilderment, blackness, unreachable grief. It was really insightful to read about how people turn away - no platitude forthcoming; their response very different to when other parents are trying to cope with death and loss. Benjamin's death represents every parent's worst nightmare and therefore Rachel and Matthew are almost isolated in their grief. The writing is taut but emotional and intense.
Liam's character is not black and white. Unlike Danny, he seems more redeeming and is now in a seemingly healthy relationship. However, the news that his girlfriend is pregnant provokes extreme reactions from him. He is immediately thrown into huge distress- should he confess the truth of his past to Catherine? How can he ever possibly consider being a father? What sort of child would he produce? What sort of father would he be? He doesn't want a child, but could this be the only way he can learn to forgive himself and move forward - change the course of his future? Fascinating questions and emotions for Liam to muddle through which are sure to provoke a heated discussion from any reader.
The revelation of the back stories of Graham / Liam and Danny is good. Reading about their police interviews straight after their arrest includes little details like the detective bringing in boxed juices and having to explain what is unique about a fingerprint. It jars with the reader, reminding them that these boys were merely children themselves - are they knowingly capable of such cruelty? How instinctive or primeval is the reaction or impulse to commit violence or suppress extreme curiosity? How and when do we develop a conscience and how exactly is this taught or learned? What impact does our upbringing, parental influence, environment and genetics have on our social conditioning? Reiser, the journalist writing about the case, asks all these questions. It cleverly gives Jago a platform from which to include a more academic voice and angle on this controversial topic.
I liked the jigsaw like puzzle of the chronology and interwoven narratives. I think it was really clever to finish with Rachel's version of the actual day Benjamin went missing. It is simple - so normal, so usual, so everyday. So blameless and so completely in no way incriminating or as a result of anything she did or didn't do. Far too chilling for any parent to read.
It is a haunting novel. It is one of extreme emotions - from the overwhelming grief of Rachel and Matthew, the psychopathic behaviour of the young boys, to the horror of adult Danny, to the contentious position of Liam as he considers fatherhood. It is a novel about how far ripples from a mistake spread, how deep they can go and for how long they can continue to upset the water.
It is hard not to read this novel without remembering other cases in the news that are similar, particularly that from 1993 and perhaps this affects the way we respond to certain characters. Jago has tried to create characters that challenge this judgement and considers the complexities of people's personalities and behaviours. I'm not sure it is a novel to enjoy but I was captivated and it did keep me turning the page. It is a book I would want to discuss in more detail with other readers and would be really interested to see how other people found it.
My thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in return for a fair review. 400 Two young boys commit the most heinous crime, and the story that follows details the consequences for them, their families and the families of the life they so cruelly snatched away. Despite being set in Australia, This book is clearly reminiscent of the tragic case of James Bulger, who was brutally murdered by child killers, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables in February 1993. Some may find it difficult to read, but it is certainly thought provoking into how the justice system treats young offenders, and how they live their lives after release from institutions. 400 This book was difficulty to get into. I just couldn't get into the story that kept flashing from past to present. Overall the story was quite good told how everyone suffers from a horrendous crime not just the accused and victims but whole families included . I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review. I give this book 4 stars 400 Danny Simpson and Graham Harris were just children seven years ago when they committed a crime so heinous that left three families devastated. Boys who have turned into monsters.
They are now men and ready to be released back into society with new identities but they won't be able to escape who they are or what they did.
This really felt to me as if the author has based this on the horrific true event that happened in Liverpool over twenty years ago and this is why I could only give this book 3*.
I would like to thank Net Galley, Penguin UK and the author Jane Jago for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. 400 I have to admit to struggling with this book but I'm not sure whether my own feelings about the subject matter tainted what I was reading. This is such a difficult and horrific fictional account of the murder of a 3 year old boy by two 11 year old boys but, despite it being set in Australia, it still followed far too close to a real life UK crime that it made me feel particularly squeamish and uncomfortable. Normally I do like this type of storyline, a particularly good example is The Wicked Girls by Alex Marwood which I loved but I just didn't get that feeling here.
This is the story of Danny and Graham who committed an awful crime at the age of 11. As the crime has had far reaching consequences it also follows Rachel who's son was murdered and how she is dealing with her emotions as a mother to her other children. Benjamin's dad just wants to find the boys now that they have been released from prison and it is an all consuming passion to work out where they are now and what they look like. We see the affects on the boys families as well. How do you cope as a parent if your child has murdered another? Do you have to take some of that blame on your own shoulders? We are back in my favourite territory here of nurture vs nature and how 2 individuals can spark off something in the other that is dormant, waiting for that other person, that reflection in the mirror to complete a match made in hell.
Jane Jago is a fantastic writer who can spark an emotional response in her readers and I would love to read more of her work. This one just bothered me a little bit purely because of that connection, it made me feel uncomfortable as it was just a little bit too close to home for my liking.
I received a copy of this book via netgalley in return for an unbiased review. 400
Despite being set in Australia, this novel could almost be factual, so heavily does it rely on a real life case. It begins in 1993 with the body of a young boy being found. Benjamin Allen is the son of Mathew and Rachel Allen and, after the murder of their son by two children – Danny Simpson and Graham Harris – the couple break apart. This book is really about the aftermath of such a tragic event and also there is a lot of theorising about why two school children turned to murder.
Rachel remarries and attempts to begin a new life, but is filled with blame, guilt and despair, while Mathew spends his time seeking revenge. We also see events from the point of view of Danny Simpson and Graham Harris; how they met, what they became and how they fare after reaching adulthood. Another character who worked very well was that of retired, terminally ill, Detective Inspector Phillip Kendall, who is unable to let go of the case.
There is no denying the impact of such a crime; not only for those who were personally involved, but also for those who have to live with the aftermath – including Rachel’s two sons from her second marriage and those who meet the killers, living under new identities, as adults… Still, although I found this an empathic and well written novel, it just was too close to real events to make for really comfortable reading. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
400 Not an easy book to read given the upsetting subject matter and the close comparison to the 1993 child murder in the UK by two 10-year old boys.. This book dealt with the aftermath of a horrific and unimaginable heinous crime against a 3 year old boy, the knock-on effect on the victims family and the 2 young boys convicted of his killing and follows their lives over a 15-20 year period. Sad, thought-provoking and very uncomfortable because it shows a very real and frightening reality of children born into a life of evil.. 400 This was a book I wanted to read some time ago.
I hadn’t read any reviews until I finished reading this.
I can’t bring myself to give it more than 3 🌟 due to the fact it’s too close to a real event that happened in the UK, although the area is changed to Australia.
It’s an horrendous story, but then, so was the real life event.
Great writing but released in bad taste. 400 3.5 stars
I had serious doubts that I was going to be able to handle this book. The subject matter is emotional and tragic.
***Review may contain minor spoilers***
Seven years ago Danny Simpson and Graham Harris committed a crime so atrocious that it completely destroyed three families. What made this worse was that they were only 11 years old when they committed this horrific crime. Now that they are eighteen-years-old, they are being released. But even though they are released will they truly be free? Are new lives and new names enough to keep them safe from people who will never forget what they have done? Do they deserve to feel safe?
A parents worse nightmare is losing a child under any circumstances. But how can you grieve or survive when you are never left in peace by the public, the press and even your own thoughts. How often does a relationship survive the loss of a child?
Can you ever truly be happy again?
Her biggest fear was happiness. Happiness led to complacency and she'd been there before. Happiness brought with it guilt
In 1993 Rachel McKenna's nightmare starts the moment she lets go of her son, Benjamin's hand. In the next moment someone else takes his hand and suddenly he's gone. Rachel blames herself. She was the one who took Benjamin shopping and had let go of his hand for the briefest of moments. She thinks if she had only gone to the corner market instead, then her life with Benjamin would be intact.
What happens to everyone in the aftermath of such a heinous crime?
Years later Rachel is a mother again. But her anxiety and need for control rules her family's life.
Matthew Allen spends all of his time trying to find the boys after they are released. What will he do if he does find them?
I found there were quite a few times that I felt a bit lost as the novel moved from the past to the present. I often re-read parts to help figure out what was happening. I really wanted to understand the characters better, but I had a hard time remembering who was who, especially with the name changes. I felt like the author did try to help the reader keep things straight by labeling the chapters with the names, places and dates etc. but it could still be a bit confusing at times and I would have to refer back. Maybe it was just me but I still feel a bit confused about who did what.
Some parts of this book made me really uncomfortable but I appreciate that the author didn't go overboard with the descriptions of the violence. Of course things happened that were extremely upsetting and there was some violence, but I didn't feel like the author was glorifying gratuitous violence.
One of the characters was writing an article about these boys and his research brought up so any different emotions for me. When a crime like this happens it changes what we feel about childhood innocence. I thought a lot about nature vs. nurture and it made me wonder how a child that never learned empathy (because it was never shown to them) can possibly succeed in this world.
Killing was primal. Not killing was a product of an amygdala-friendly environment and a complex web of social conditioning
I think this is a good and thought provoking debut novel. A very interesting and emotional read. It made me think a lot about how justice system works and especially how it works for children.
A heartbreaking read with many powerful messages.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
400 I honestly don't know how i'm going to review this book properly. I'm so emotionally conflicted, in a good way. I got more emotional when i finished reading and realised that it's based on a real case that happened in 1993. I searched the case up online and was horrified with the details of the murder. But it made me appreciate the book a lot more, because i realised that reading about crime cases will be quite one-sided/biased most of the time. The Wrong Hand explores the perspective of all sides of the same story, and tries to portray the consequences of it from everyone who was involved. I'm rating this book 4 out of 5 stars.
This is a very serious book. It's also quite dark, with the story centering around the murder of a 3-year-old boy committed by a pair of 11-year-olds. It was incredulous to read about children committing such a horrible crime. It made me question so many things about morality and responsibility. Like for example, to what extent is a parent responsible for their child?
The reason why i felt emotionally conflicted was because of all the different POVs being explored in the story. We get to see the past and present perspective from the two boys, their parents, the parents of the victims, and some other people who were involved as well. It was difficult to completely hate the boys for what they did, because of their regret and fears and their sentence. They both had to be given new identities after spending 7 years in juvenile detention, and had to live careful lives and had to constantly move around over the years.
It was most emotional to read from the perspective of the victim's mother; how it had effected her and her husband. How she would always partly blame herself for diverting her attention from her only son for just a few moments, and how that had changed everything. The perspective from the victim's father was just as sad.
I also really appreciated reading the perspective of the two boys' mothers. Being a psychology student, I've learnt a bit about whether behaviour(in this case, violence) is in one's nature or whether the environment had played a bigger role. How much should a parent be blamed for the way they had raised their child? For the things they had exposed them to? For their negligence, for not being supportive when their child needed them to be?
I did think that some parts of the book had been unnecessary and had made the story a little bit draggy, but other than that i quite enjoyed the honest writing. It did get confusing at times about who's POV it was and which timeframe the chapter was in, so it took a bit of effort to keep up. I don't think the book is very appropriate for younger readers; mostly because of the profanities and some obscene parts. Also, trigger warning for those uncomfortable reading about suicide.
All in all, i'm glad i read this book. I received a copy to be reviewed and can honestly say that it is quite eye opening. If you want to know more about the real case it's based on, you can search Murder of James Bulger. I think reading the book helps see things from a wider perspective. 400
We all make mistakes. Moments that change us and the path we are on irrevocably. For Rachel Allen it was the moment that she let her son's hand slip from hers. For Danny Simpson and Graham Harris it was the moment one of them took it. Seven years ago Danny and Graham were just children themselves, angry, marginalized and unguided. That was, until they committed a crime so heinous that three families were left devastated. They were no longer just boys. They were monsters. Released from juvenile detention, it is time for the boys, now men, to start again; new names, new people. But they can never escape who they are or what they did. And their own families, now notorious; the Allens, destroyed with grief; and the country at large have never been able to forget. They will always be running. They will always be hiding. But are some mistakes too large, the ripples to far reaching, to outrun forever? The Wrong Hand