This book tackled a lot of family issues. We have toxic masculinity, too much screen time, overworked parents, loss of family togetherness, insecurities, etc. Trent is off work due to an incident with a fellow coworker, in which he was hailed a hero. So, while he is home Rita is now the sole provider and is taking on extra work in order to afford their new home and Trent's new home improvement obsessions. Because she is always working, Trent is meant to be caring for Milo, but as he dives deeper into home improvements Milo is left to himself and his increasingly strange and intimate show Blue. As Trent works he becomes more and more toxic. Handyman Hank seeps into him and he begins to show signs of abuse towards Milo and Rita. Trent also begins to pick fights with other men who he believes he is better than. He buys a new truck for status reasons. This is very much a scathing indictment of how our society has created an environment that is hostile to everyone within it. There are expectations placed on father's, mother's, children, families, that are seemingly impossible to achieve and are actually awful. Why do men need to be the ones who fix things? Why are women meant to please? Our outdated societal norms create tension and anger within family units and cause breakdowns, break ups, or worse. There is a lot to be said as well about the amount of time that the son spends on his tablet watching a seemingly innocent children's show. As the book progresses the show becomes more and more sinister and Blue's voice more and more whimsical (as it suggests increasingly absurd or scary things for Milo to do). Showing the very real truth of some parents' having no idea what their children are watching. Those parents' that see animations or puppets that seem to be cute and kind and cuddly and automatically accept the show, without actually taking in the program with the child. It just shows how scary it is to be a parent in the age of technology, when it is so easy for a child to find the wrong thing or watch the wrong thing. Especially with unmonitored and uninterrupted screen time. The horror in this book was good. It was slow paced, which is my favourite kind. I enjoyed the gradual reveal of the evil within the house. The subtle ways in which the family is pushed towards the brink. The dolls, the electronics, Handyman Hank and Blue. The audiobook is especially good with the voices of Hank and Blue, which added a level of dread and fear. Also, the idea of being coerced without knowing, of something subliminally controlling you to the point of you succumbing to torture, hair raising. And the twist, the twist! Just when you thought you might be safe, you find out that maybe the trust you placed in certain people was misguided. <Spoiler Alert> I am still unsure about the end. Rita choosing to save Trent means that this evil is released on the world. Are we saying that people should be selfish instead of caring about the greater good? Is one man's life more important than everyone else? Because Trent was good at heart he deserved better? Or was this book more about taking back the family unit? I felt this could have addressed community versus individuality, as this family was so isolated from all of those around them. But, instead it ends with their choosing individuality. So, yes I was glad at the end that this family was able to stay together and fight their way out, but then confused by the implications of this wife choosing her husband's life at the expense of the rest of the world.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Currently ReadingGraphic Novel
Feminist Essays
Archives
April 2024
|