Who wrote We Need to Talk About Kevin?

Lionel Shriver wrote We Need to Talk About Kevin, first published in 2003. It is a work of literary fiction and is rated 'Essential Read' in our catalogue.

Is there a book club guide for We Need to Talk About Kevin?

Yes — Book Verdict has a free reading guide for We Need to Talk About Kevin with key themes and five original discussion questions at https://247bookverdict.com/reading-guides/lionel-shriver-we-need-to-talk-about-kevin/.

Essential Read

We Need to Talk About Kevin

Name: We Need to Talk About Kevin
Author: Lionel Shriver

by Lionel Shriver · 2003

Literary Fiction · ranked #126 in category

Reviewed by the Book Verdict editorial team

Winner · The Women's Prize for Fiction, 2005

Eva Khatchadourian writes letters to her estranged husband Franklin in the aftermath of their son Kevin's school massacre. Told entirely from Eva's perspective — and therefore unreliable in the most interesting ways — Shriver's novel asks whether some people are born evil, whether Eva failed Kevin, or whether she is simply unable to love him because she always knew what he was.

UK: Bookshop.org US: Print on Amazon Kindle Audiobook

UK visitors: Bookshop.org supports independent bookshops. All links open a search — never a specific listing. As an Amazon Associate and Bookshop.org affiliate we earn from qualifying purchases.

The verdict

Category: Literary Fiction
First published: 2003 · 2000s
Author: Lionel Shriver
Standing: Essential Read

About Literary Fiction

Literary fiction sits at the intersection of fine writing and serious storytelling — novels that reward attention and stay with you long after the last page. These are the books that alter your sense of what's possible in prose.