We Need to Talk About KevinWe Need to Talk About Kevin
Score Modern
What it's about
Eva Khatchadourian never really wanted to be a mother, and certainly not the mother of Kevin, who two days before his sixteenth birthday murdered seven students, a cafeteria worker and a teacher at his high school. Two years later, in letters to her absent husband, Eva tries to understand what happened, and whether she is to blame.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Women's Prize for Fiction. It's a dark, unsettling and brilliantly written novel about motherhood, nature and nurture.
You'll love it if you liked
The Secret History
Gone Girl
AtonementGood to know
It deals directly with a school massacre. Its ending is famous; avoid spoilers.
By the numbers
- Readers73 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics56 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller53 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #33 of the 555 mysteries and thrillers we rank
- #221 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #434 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Gripping, Moving, Thought-provoking
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Quick answers
Is We Need to Talk About Kevin worth reading?
Yes. It won the Women's Prize for Fiction. It ranks #434 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 79.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is We Need to Talk About Kevin about?
Eva Khatchadourian never really wanted to be a mother, and certainly not the mother of Kevin, who two days before his sixteenth birthday murdered seven students, a cafeteria worker and a teacher at his high school. Two years later, in letters to her absent husband, Eva tries to understand what happened, and whether she is to blame.
How long does it take to read We Need to Talk About Kevin?
About 12 hours (478 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has We Need to Talk About Kevin won?
Women's Prize for Fiction winner (2005).
What should I read after We Need to Talk About Kevin?
If you liked it, try The Secret History by Donna Tartt, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn or Atonement by Ian McEwan.