๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ: The Odyssey of a Bad Mother ๐
๐๐๐๐ต๐ผ๐ฟ: Shannon Gill Burnett โ๏ธ
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In The Odyssey of a Bad Mother, Shannon Gill Burnett crafts a narrative that explores the devastation of child abduction and the ripple effects it leaves behind. Set in 1982 in Seattle, aptly introduced as the Emerald City, the novel opens with the disappearance of thirteen-year-old Ryan McKinnon on the night he was supposed to see E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.ย
What begins as a nostalgic portrait of suburban family life quickly fractures into a chilling tale of loss, uncertainty, and psychological unraveling. Burnettโs decision to narrate portions of the story from Ryanโs perspective even after his abduction intensifies the emotional weight of the novel.
Burnett also situates the novel within the broader cultural panic of early-1980s America, referencing real-life cases like Etan Patz and Adam Walsh to underscore the eraโs growing fear surrounding child abductions. This historical grounding reminds readers that Ryanโs fictional disappearance echoes very real tragedies.
The procedural elements involving the police investigation contrast sharply with the emotional chaos inside the McKinnon household, reinforcing the helplessness families often feel when institutions fail to provide answers.
The Odyssey of a Bad Mother is a psychological examination of loss, identity, and moral fragility. The storyline kept me on the edge of my seat. I didn’t feel like putting this book aside once I started reading it. This story will stay on my mind for a long time. I strongly recommend it to my fellow readers.
- ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด: 5/5
Sassy Reviews 