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It started with the sound of crying, a noise that entered and then transformed his dream into a nightmare. Waking with a start, at first Jason was still caught in the fog of sleep, wondering if his younger sister's cry for help had been real or not. Then he heard her again, calling his name from out of the darkness. His fear of the monsters that might be lurking beyond his covers were stronger than his annoyance over Becky's cries and kept him huddled in his bed. Then he heard his mother's scream and his father's angry voice from downstairs and suddenly understood why Becky was wailing. But didn't his sister understand the danger she was bringing to them both? Jason had to sneak to her room and quiet her before his father's rage shifted to his offspring and propelled him up the stairs, but could he conquer his own fear enough to do so?
In a riveting story of the devastating effects abuse can have on the psychology of a child, Webster weaves together a family tale which, while fictional, is based on real people and events culled from hundreds of true accounts of spousal and child abuse. What makes this book especially poignant is that the author makes no attempt to offer up a happy ending, preferring instead to show how ultimately destructive the cycle of abuse can be. Abuse is often multi-generational, and this is something Webster also brings out as Jason recalls past interactions with his grandfather. Additionally, she does an excellent job of showing the conflicting feelings a child frequently has toward both the abusive parent and fellow victims. Webster refuses to sugarcoat the language and content of her narrative, but she doesn't stoop to sensationalizing the brutality. The result is a tragic but very readable novel.