At this point in the story, they have gone to trial, this boy being treated as an adult, with premeditated murder hanging over his head. As a parent, none of us want to believe our kid could ever be capable of any type of violence. But when they're teenagers, the attitude copped by most of them can keep us wondering.
Now that my own two are grown up, I often marvel at the fact that we all survived all that teen-aged angst!
However, I couldn't stop reading this story, and yet it was very disturbing. *spoiler alert*
One of the things the book brings up is current DNA finding a "violence gene" meaning you're pre-disposed to violent acts or outbursts if this is part of your DNA. I didn't google to see how much of that is true, I'm not sure I really want to know! But it was one of the theories of the story, given the boy's grandfather, great grandfather, and great great grandfather had all committed some kind of murder. His grandfather is currently serving life without parole for murder. The boy's father hasn't seen this man since he was a small child and worked very hard not to have this "murder gene" thrust upon him. He went so far as to keep this information from his wife.
As the trial moves along, the attorney decides he needs to have something in up his sleeve, just in case, and contacts the grandfather, asking for a DNA test. Because there's contact, the grandfather insists that his son come and speak with him. Yes, all three men exhibit this "murder gene" but ... that doesn't necessarily prove anything. But the trial isn't going well. And the family begins to notice a man lurking around. The father is insistent that a sex offender known for walking and lurking in the park probably committed the murder, and goes about trying to find facts to support his theory. As it all comes full circle, just before the trial goes to the jury, the sex offender was found dead, suicide with a confession that he did the murder. The boy is released, and all is well.
Or so it seems.
Turns out the grandfather had a "friend" (the stalker they noticed) ""help"" the sex offender along to his demise. The family takes a long vacation, and the boy hits it off with a girl, they're inseparable. A few days before vacation is over, the girl disappears, never to be heard from again. Days after the family has arrived home, her dead body washes up on the beach. The mom has not been a central character through most of the book, but in the end, she has decided that her son Jacob must have had something to do with the girl's murder. Taking into account that he has the "murder gene", she is taking her son to the mall when she suddenly speeds up the minivan and hits an overpass full speed. Because he's not wearing a seat belt, Jacob is thrown and dies. The mom has severe injuries but is alive.
That was the end of the book.
This was written by a man, and while it was a good story overall, I didn't like the writing style, and found myself skipping things that didn't seem relative. But I was pulled in all the same, wondering where the story was going to go. The ending was a shocker for me.
Now that my own two are grown up, I often marvel at the fact that we all survived all that teen-aged angst!
However, I couldn't stop reading this story, and yet it was very disturbing. *spoiler alert*
One of the things the book brings up is current DNA finding a "violence gene" meaning you're pre-disposed to violent acts or outbursts if this is part of your DNA. I didn't google to see how much of that is true, I'm not sure I really want to know! But it was one of the theories of the story, given the boy's grandfather, great grandfather, and great great grandfather had all committed some kind of murder. His grandfather is currently serving life without parole for murder. The boy's father hasn't seen this man since he was a small child and worked very hard not to have this "murder gene" thrust upon him. He went so far as to keep this information from his wife.
As the trial moves along, the attorney decides he needs to have something in up his sleeve, just in case, and contacts the grandfather, asking for a DNA test. Because there's contact, the grandfather insists that his son come and speak with him. Yes, all three men exhibit this "murder gene" but ... that doesn't necessarily prove anything. But the trial isn't going well. And the family begins to notice a man lurking around. The father is insistent that a sex offender known for walking and lurking in the park probably committed the murder, and goes about trying to find facts to support his theory. As it all comes full circle, just before the trial goes to the jury, the sex offender was found dead, suicide with a confession that he did the murder. The boy is released, and all is well.
Or so it seems.
Turns out the grandfather had a "friend" (the stalker they noticed) ""help"" the sex offender along to his demise. The family takes a long vacation, and the boy hits it off with a girl, they're inseparable. A few days before vacation is over, the girl disappears, never to be heard from again. Days after the family has arrived home, her dead body washes up on the beach. The mom has not been a central character through most of the book, but in the end, she has decided that her son Jacob must have had something to do with the girl's murder. Taking into account that he has the "murder gene", she is taking her son to the mall when she suddenly speeds up the minivan and hits an overpass full speed. Because he's not wearing a seat belt, Jacob is thrown and dies. The mom has severe injuries but is alive.
That was the end of the book.
This was written by a man, and while it was a good story overall, I didn't like the writing style, and found myself skipping things that didn't seem relative. But I was pulled in all the same, wondering where the story was going to go. The ending was a shocker for me.
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