This Could Be the Most Deeply Disturbing Book You Can Read
Hopefully, this deeply disturbing book about sexual abuse will raise awareness of how it affects an entire family, not just the abused. In Law and Order, “In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous.” Of those crimes, this is the worst.
“Why Can’t You Pick ME up?”
“I’m the smallest one in my class, I’m little!
Mom started crying too. “Oh , Brooke, I’m sorry…I just…can’t.” She gripped the edges of her back brace with white knuckles.”
The Birthday Gift That Cloaked the Dagger
Not only could her mom not pick her up, many other burdens fell on Brooke’s back because of her mother’s work injury. Soon after that incident Brooke and her grandmother shopped for Brooke’s birthday. Instead of choosing something in the “notorious pink aisle all of the girls at school talked about,” she chose a journal.
“Do you know what it’s for?”
“I saw them on TV… but I never had one… a real journal, with a lock to keep all thoughts and secrets forever bound to the person who wrote it.”
Thus began the tale of a secret, too awful to unlock.
“I was nine when my best friend across the street let me write in her journal. My Aladdin and Jasmine one had every page filled and my mom refused to get me another one. …I was playing Barbies with Kat in the kitchen when Alyssa’s mom called. …My mom — usually the one chatting away on phone calls—was unable to utter a single syllable. Instead she darted her eyes at me with an open mouth.
…Hours went by. Maybe it was minutes.
…I looked for a place to hide. With knuckles clenched, I readied for the screaming to start. Whatever she says you did, just apologize. Apologize and offer to clean up the kitchen.“
From a writer’s perspective, by chapter three you wish you could write this clearly and emotionally laden. And then it gets worse, and you’re glad you couldn’t write it.
From a reader’s perspective, you wish it wasn’t a true story or even taken from a true story.
Chapter Four
“Mom told me what she found in Alyssa’s journal yesterday,” Dad said. …”I don’t know why you would need to draw the things you did.”
Yes, you do.
If you are not riveted by now to this story, then I have picked the wrong words to highlight for you. At this point, you still have 3 hours and 9 minutes left in the book, every second just as hard to put away.
The Influence of Spilled Milk
Agenda books have their places. Normally, they are not as well written and moving as this one. The impact of Spilled Milk will never leave you. If you have suffered abuse in your childhood, there will be points of recognition and similarities. If you were lucky, there won’t be. The amount of abuse suffered by this child and her response to it keep you snapping the pages in your Kindle until the three hours reading time winds down to 2:00 am.
You can’t stop crying, and you have to get up at 6:00 to get ready for work, forever changed.
My recommendation
I give this book five stars. As a teacher and someone who works with youth, I think it should be required reading for high school health education, although it’s hard to take. As a writer, I think authors should study this book. I love the way the author drops bombs of information. Her conversations don’t have any dead time. Her story captures your heart.
If you read purely for pleasure and entertainment, then don’t read this book. It truly is deeply disturbing.
Do you keep a journal? It may be good therapy as in the case of this book. It’s definitely useful when you blog.
Biography
K.L. Randis, author, of the bestselling novel, Spilled Milk and the Pillbillies series, started journaling at the age of six and had short stories and poetry published by the time she was thirteen. She is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University and a certified expert in the field of domestic violence. Numerous local publications that she wrote brought awareness to domestic violence and child abuse.
K.L. Randis engages audiences on a local and national level to raise awareness about child abuse, serving as a frequent commentator to media outlets. She has developed local high school presentations on teen dating violence, was named Community Woman of Distinction by East Stroudsburg University and was invited to the Pentagon to speak to the department of defense about child abuse.
“Randis later would testify at a criminal trial against her father, who was sentenced to prison for his crimes. He was sentenced to up to 16 years in 2004. Her painful — and ultimately triumphant — story is recounted in Randis’ first novel, “Spilled Milk.” – Brown, Stacy. Interview with the Pocono Record Newspaper
Spilled Milk is her first novel, which grabbed the #1 bestsellers spot in the genre of Child Abuse on Amazon for eight consecutive months only 24 hours after its debut.
She resides in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania with her family.
Contact the Author: spilledmilkrandis@yahoo.com
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Marsha Ingrao - Always Write 
6 responses to “Why Spilled Milk, Most Deeply Disturbing Book You’ll Read”
It’s sad to find that there’s always somebody who has had it worse 😦 x
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This gal would have to look long and hard to do that! ? xxx
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I’ve heard a lot about this book Marsha and have it on my TBR. I know this will be a difficult read, but as you say, riveting nonetheless, making up compelled to read. 🙂 x
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Exactly, she makes my dad look like a saint. Wish I could apologise to him for thinking of him as the worst possible dad. However, if I did, he’d only take it as his due. It wouldn’t have made anything better, I don’t think. But this dad, he’s worse than over the top.
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I can’t even go there. Congrats to KL on being able to tell her story.
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Me either. It’s a great read, though. I think her writing is superb.
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