Robert Kingett reviewed Yes, Daddy by Jonathan Parks-Ramage
It broke me.
5 stars
This book broke me, but in a good way. I've sometimes held the belief that horror, especially gothic horror, can reveal a lot about the human spirit just as a Rom Com can. They both have their place, and if you can make it through this book, it has a lot of lessons to teach the gay community about religious acceptance, rape, and consent.
Make no mistake, this book is not a happy book. The content warnings would take up multiple paragraphs, but the big ones are,
rape.
Sexual assault.
Ageism.
Death.
drugs.
Religious abuse.
Religious trauma.
Suicide.
Depression.
Self harm.
That being said, this book has a very powerful message. I didn't like the fact there appeared to only be one Black character though. In essence, the Black character did have a lot of agency. Nothing bad happens to him by the end. He sticks up for himself, whereas …
This book broke me, but in a good way. I've sometimes held the belief that horror, especially gothic horror, can reveal a lot about the human spirit just as a Rom Com can. They both have their place, and if you can make it through this book, it has a lot of lessons to teach the gay community about religious acceptance, rape, and consent.
Make no mistake, this book is not a happy book. The content warnings would take up multiple paragraphs, but the big ones are,
rape.
Sexual assault.
Ageism.
Death.
drugs.
Religious abuse.
Religious trauma.
Suicide.
Depression.
Self harm.
That being said, this book has a very powerful message. I didn't like the fact there appeared to only be one Black character though. In essence, the Black character did have a lot of agency. Nothing bad happens to him by the end. He sticks up for himself, whereas all the other characters sink under their own traumas and hardships.
Ultimately, this book has a lot of lessons gay people should listen to. I did like, at the end, religion helps in healing, and isn't painted as just this bad thing.
This book will never be for everyone. It's too dark and sad. Still, this book is worth a read, especially the audio version, narrated by Kevin R Free. You have to be in a good headspace to read this book. It casts a terrifying spotlight on how dangerous gay elites can be when they have money, fame, and nothing else.