I want to start by saying that this novel is brutal and definitely not for sensitive readers. *I will include some trigger warnings below if you are undecided about reading.* Many violent scenes are depicted within the novel as readers follow a sordid bunch of perverse characters. None are, by any means, likable, but while some act out of pure evil, others are motivated by desperation or loneliness. Arvin’s father Willard being one of them, as he creates a sacrificial prayer log in a desperate attempt to save his dying wife, Charlotte. An introduction of veteran Willard and his haunting memory of World War II becomes the foundation for malicious and foul intent, which creates a ripple of violence throughout the story. The “hero” of the novel is the son of Willard, Arvin, who adopts violent tendencies to survive his rural settings and the wicked people he encounters.