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Book Review of Running with Scissors

Running with Scissors
escapist avatar reviewed on + 70 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3


This book started out ok. I laughed at the boy's imagination and his reactions to things but then it just got WAY too disturbing for me. There are graphic sex scenes with Augusten (as a 12 year old boy) and a Pedaphile (30+ yr old man) that are horrifying to me. Aside from the fact that he's just a kid (I have one the same age), he clearly says "Stop, you're hurting me." It's rape - pure and simple. Then there's the fact that he tells his mother and his psychiatrist (father-figure) about the relationship and they are blase about it and say he's old enough to make his own decisions. That's neglect and abuse. I'm sorry but this is not just an "unorthodox psychiatrist" we're talking about here, he's criminal. I hope there's some great revelation or lesson involved in this story because otherwise it just feels like watching someone be tortured. I can't finish it.