At Daddy's Hands by Jacob Paul Patchen

☆☆☆☆
ebook, 200 pages
Published September 5th 2019 by Black Rose Writing
About the Book:
In public, Jim Handler is a well-respected, small-town hero, and homicide detective who solved the case of the Will’s Creek Massacre. But at home, in the shadows, Jim’s childhood demons come alive to feast upon his family in the form of sexual, physical, and mental abuse. But his three teenage children have had enough. They have devised a plan for redemption. Empowered by the legal system’s lack of accountability, a judge who offers a quiet and meager plea deal to save face, Jim feels enabled to do whatever he wants to his family. With no one to keep Jim in check, this cycle of sexual and physical abuse is rampant. It is up Nikki, Tyler, and Ally to end the evil that is devouring the Handler family.

This book is tricky for me to review because I understand the importance of it. It’s not really designed to be an enjoyable read, so it’s hard to measure why things worked. I will start by saying that the author knows how to write and yet this book was so hard to read.

Nikki, Tyler, and Ally, the characters that Jacob Paul Patchen brings to life, grab your heart and lead you on their personal journey of dealing with being abused sexually, emotionally and physically (by their own father no less). The strength of this novel is that author can make you feel their pain. They are all witty, sympathetic, but frustrating characters. Patchen makes you want them to succeed in their plan and paints a vivid portrait of being a victim that is electrifying.

This isn’t really meant to be a book that you’re supposed to enjoy. It exists to make you think about sexual assault and rape culture and how those who aren’t directly participating in sexual assault are still a part of the problem. Kudos to Mr Patchen for his adroit handling of the Handler children's story.

Thank you NetGalley, Jacob Paul Patchen and Black Rose Writing for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.

#AtDaddysHands #NetGalley