Rhiannon Navin

Only Child by Rhiannon Navin is a 2018l Knopf Publication.

Zach is a six-year-old boy who survives a school shooting that kills his older brother, Andy. He suffers from the trauma of hearing the gunshots and the loss of his sibling, but he feels ignored and neglected by his parents, who are consumed by their own grief and marital problems.

Zach narrates his own journey of grief and recovery, as he observes how his parents cope in different and destructive ways. He decides to take action, and find a way to heal his broken family, even if it seems impossible. He shows courage and wisdom beyond his years and tries to find the peace he desperately needs.

I listened to this book as an audio book, narrated by Kivlighan de Montebello, who did an amazing job of capturing Zach’s voice and emotions. I was captivated by his performance and could not stop listening.

This book is very powerful and emotional. It does not shy away from the harsh reality of a school shooting and its aftermath, but it also does not take sides or make judgments. It focuses on the human impact of such a tragedy, and how one little boy manages to overcome it with love and compassion. Zach is a remarkable character who touched my heart and inspired me.

I highly recommend this book, but I also warn you that it is not an easy read. It will make you cry and ache for Zach and his family. But it will also make you cheer for Zach’s resilience and courage. It will leave you with a sense of hope and peace, knowing that Zach is on his way to recovery and should have a bright future ahead of him.… (mais)

Too many emotions with this one.
I was scared, sad, mad, sorry and then sad again. It was one hell of an emotional roller-coaster ride but the ending was so beautiful it makes the ugly crying through the story worth.
It makes me wonder if it's just human nature to be yearning so hard for something one's lost that one fail to see what they've got left just like Zach's mom. Speaking of, she was my favorite character of the whole story.
ႊ့The fascinating thing with this book is that I thought a lot about my mom whenever I see a glimpse into Zach's mommy's feelings. I didn't like her. I might hate her tbh. However her character was built so that we can see how she changed from an ordinary mom to a selfish ball of pain to this emphatic kind mother. Seeing her character blossoms makes me understand my own mother a little better and forgive her for all the time I thought she was selfish when really she wasn't.… (mais)