Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick

CW: suicide, rape, sexual assault

I loved this in ways that are incredibly difficult to explain. It was heartbreaking and almost painful to endure. I wanted to devour it in one sitting just so I could know how things turned out for Leonard. However, at the same time I took several pauses, because I was afraid of just how things would turn out for Leonard.

It’s not a light story, but it’s a needed one. It reminds me of what modern Catcher in the Rye could’ve been. I think there’s a large lack of empathy for the “weird” kids in school, and perhaps because of that we’ve been reaping the repercussions through school shootings. I wish this were mandatory reading in school. I wish we could save people like Leonard from not only others but themselves. I wish, I wish, I wish…

I think it’s best going into this without any prior knowledge. My only problem with this story is that I thought it would be a five star read until the very last page. However, the story ended just as the falling action was taking place, so we were left without a resolution, which I feel is a huge disservice to this poignant novel. That being said, it’s still definitely one of my favorite books of all time and I can’t imagine it’ll ever stray from my mind.