Tenderness shares the focus problem that After the First Death has, since neither character can definitively be called the protagonist over the other. However, the choice of "who is the main character" is more straightforward 2 characters, as opposed to After the First Death's 3 , so the focus is still clearer in Tenderness.
This book also uses the element of surprise in its climax a tactic shared by After the First Death, and The Rag and Bone Shop ; you reach a point in the novel that seems to be the climax, you pass it, and then it hits you. Note: As mentioned earlier, this is one of the 4 Cormier books that has been adapted for film; I haven't seen all of the other movies, but this one looks to be most faithful movie adaptation of a Cormier novel The Chocolate War amd I am the Cheese both have key changes to the end of the story, and The Bumblebee Flies Anyway is changed radically.
This movie starring Russel Crowe is not very fancy or well-known, but it is, in my opinion, very good. Be sure to take a look. Oct 12, Echo rated it really liked it Shelves: youngadult , books-in At 18 years old, Eric is finally being released from a juvenile detention center, where he's been since he was charged with killing his parents three years ago. Lori, who met Eric when she was young, has a tendency to become obsessed with different boys and won't stop until she's kissed them.
After seeing Eric's face on the news, she decides that he is her new obsession and runs away from home to find him. In the meantime, a police detective is watching Eric's every move, aware that Eric didn't At 18 years old, Eric is finally being released from a juvenile detention center, where he's been since he was charged with killing his parents three years ago. In the meantime, a police detective is watching Eric's every move, aware that Eric didn't just kill his parents, but a number of teenage girls as well.
Now the detective wants to find proof and stop him before it happens again. This was kind of an odd book. I don't know what I thought about it. I didn't really like any of the characters, but at the same time, I did care what happened to them. And I really wanted Eric to be able to change, even though I didn't believe he would. I thought the end was sad, but I never saw it coming. Mar 14, Jessica rated it really liked it. Eric is just a freakin nut-job that likes to kill girls and for like the first half of the book all it says is how he is werid and creey and talkeds about how hes in jail and why.
View 1 comment. Feb 05, Jessica rated it it was amazing. Jul 11, Ashley rated it really liked it Shelves: own , blog. This book was originally reviewed on my blog, Books from Bleh to Basically Amazing.
Have you ever found yourself rooting for the bad guy? Knowing that the character deserves every bad thing coming his way, but hoping that, somehow, things will work out better in the end?
I don't know that I had ever truly experienced that before reading this book. I generally prefer ahem-totally love reading books where the bad guy totally gets his comeuppance. I'm all about hard-core justice for my villains. Don't you know what he's done?! Reading this book changed that. This is the first time or at least the only time that comes immediately to mind where I have truly felt bad for our bad guy. Other times when the bad guy is pitiable or shown mercy, it is because they aren't really all that bad, merely misunderstood.
Eric Poole may be misunderstood. That's a distinct possibility. But, there is no denying the fact that he is bad. He's a sociopath. When we meet Eric, he's been in a Juvenile Facility for the last three years for the cold-blooded murder of his mother and step-father. Or course, it was justified because of the 'severe abuse' Eric has been living with, so the state tries him as a juvenile instead of an adult, which means he will be released after he turns 18 and his record will be expunged.
No one knows about the three young girls Eric murdered, or so he thinks. It brings to mind images of gentleness, kindness and love. But, what about the idea of too much tenderness? Is that possible? Lori and Eric are searching for that tender emotion. Almost every action is driven by this desire to experience tenderness. They are always seeking it, they look for and find it in all the wrong places and they never grasp it for long.
It creates intense dysfunctions within each character. Eric kills young girls to find it and Lori subjects herself to all manner of unwanted and unwelcome sexual advances to feel it.
Their paths cross and Lori decides that Eric is the one who can give her what she seeks. She goes with him, knowing that he murdered his mother and step-father but he was so abused! But, Eric is tender with her. She loves him. She informs Eric that she will stand by him, ignoring his past and assisting him in the future if he will simply remain tender with her. And how can he refuse that, especially once he begins to care for her, as much as he is capable of caring for anyone.
If we only heard from Lori's perspective, it would be incredibly easy to hate Eric and despise him for the crazed cold-blooded killer he is. But, he isn't, is he? I still don't know.
We also hear from Eric. While Eric never demonstrates any remorse for what he's done, he too merely desires a little tenderness in his life.
Before his mother remarried, she and Eric had a very close relationship. The man she married and Eric do not get along at all. Eric despises him and he thinks Eric is rather in the way. Eric seeks compassion and tenderness from these girls and finds that the only way he truly feels able to experience it is upon their deaths.
However evil that is, I can't hate him for it. He seems genuinely puzzled when the main detective on the case calls him a monster and surprisingly, I found myself agreeing. By the end of the novel, he seems genuinely concerned for Lori's welfare. He takes care of her, makes her feel special and begins to show her what she has been searching for. And there is no doubt that by the end, he truly cares for her.
Although abrupt and a bit jarring, the ending suited the story perfectly. It was tragic, but it was the only way to end the story and be true to each character. I won't spoil it for you, but I will say that I ended up heartbroken for each of our main characters. None of them really received their happy ending. This is a book that will stay with me for a long time, and one that will influence my thoughts as well. I can't imagine someone with such a low image and perception of themselves that they would be willing to subject themselves to what Lori willingly puts herself through before and after meeting Eric.
What would drive an attractive young woman to such lengths and who is to blame for not teaching this girl that she has value all on her own. This is a story that will both warm and break your heart and one that will linger in your thoughts long after you've turned the last page.
View all 5 comments. May 15, Allison Linkous added it. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book is about an eighteen-year old kid Eric Poole who was sent to juvenile detention for the murder of his mother, step-father and two young girls. He is listed as a serial killer, and a sociopath. His tenderness frenzy started when he was a young boy.
His crave for tenderness started with small animals, but he has moved on to killing young beautiful girls and still feels sexual pleasure even after they are dead. The book is also about a fifteen year old girl, Lori who also craves tendern This book is about an eighteen-year old kid Eric Poole who was sent to juvenile detention for the murder of his mother, step-father and two young girls.
The book is also about a fifteen year old girl, Lori who also craves tenderness. She constantly deals with wanted and unwanted attention from men. Eric is released from juvenile hall on his eighteenth birthday. Before he is released he met a girl named Maria. He was attracted to her and they exchanged numbers. Lori sees the broadcast of his release and that's when her fixation with him starts. They finally meet face to face when he finds her in the back of his car. He takes her shopping and they go to dinner.
When they were finished, Lori fell asleep at the motel. Eric tried to kill her but was stopped by a new kind of tenderness, love. He almost felt as if he was meant to protect her.
She woke and realized what he was trying to do. Even though he almost killed her she wanted to stay. Eric still had a fixation with Maria and had a longing to kill her. Eric and Lori went to a carnival to meet her so that he could kill her. Lori stopped him because she said it was a trap. He listened to her and they left. Turns out, she was right the cops were on to him. A few weeks later they went canoeing. Lori kept standing up without her life jacket. Lori fell out of the boat, and hit her head.
Lori drowned and the cops came and found Eric with a dead girl. His new love was gone and now is being put in jail for life. I would recommend this book to people. Oct 05, Charlotte rated it really liked it Shelves: lit-for-adolescents. This book follows the collision of the worlds of two dysfunctional teenagers, one of whom is a serial killer just released from juvenile detention for killing his parents, the other a seriously insecure runaway girl.
The concepts in this book were so alien to me—I mean, not many people can thankfully relate to the psychopathology of a serial killer—and it was that exploration of Eric's mentality that kept me reading. It was a little disturbing when, by the end, I found myself sympathizing with Eric.
This book made me reexamine my definition of humanity and made me think that maybe some seemingly black and white situations aren't as easy to figure out as we might think. The writing in this book is just brilliant. Taking such an intense topic and writing for teenagers, Cormier does an expert job of creating the characters and crafting the story. He's not ever graphically explicit in the murders no actual murder even takes place within the timeframe of the book—you just see flashbacks , and with such a serious, sensitive, and intense subject, a book like this wouldn't succeed without exceptional writing.
I think there are young adults who could handle this book, but clearly, some could not. I'm conflicted about how to feel about this book as a young adult book. I'd like to give teenagers credit when it comes to dealing with intense literature, but I also think many students wouldn't react well to this book. Oh the quandary. Oct 24, Stefani rated it really liked it Shelves: audiobooks , read-teen. I am a sick, sick person and loved, loved, loved this book!
I have a soft spot for loveable serial killers, and Eric is one. I loved the multiple points of view, especially how detached Eric and the lieutenant were but how Lori was in first person.
I loved how to Eric, Lori was always "the girl" and how she was special to him, regardless of how strange it was. I pitied all the main characters for their sheer humanity and a little lackthereof.
I admit, with about an hour of the 5 discs left to I am a sick, sick person and loved, loved, loved this book! I admit, with about an hour of the 5 discs left to listen to, I read more about it on-line and accidentally read a spoiler. If I hadn't, I probably would have cried like a baby at the end. Definitely for older readers, with references to sexual assault and necrophilia? I found myself tying it in my mind to McNamee's Acceleration , although that one is anti-killer.
Mar 27, Sara rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: anyone! Shelves: ya-guy-or-girl , real-thinking-needed. Creepy, weird, upsetting The two main characters are losers, weirdos, and freaks. But it's good! The characters are written in such a way that they're believable, lovable, and attractive, but in the same way that a puppy with two heads is believable, lovable, and attractive.
This is masterful writing on a difficult subject. My studen Creepy, weird, upsetting My students seem to like it, too, which is a good sign. Sep 10, Fay rated it really liked it. Such a dark story of the mind of a serial killer although I sympathized with the character weird I know , also I saw the movie before and I was expecting a different ending it wasn't Such a dark story of the mind of a serial killer although I sympathized with the character weird I know , also I saw the movie before and I was expecting a different ending it wasn't Jun 01, MsAprilVincent rated it really liked it Shelves: , school , young-adult.
Essentially, this novel breaks down to three main characters: Lori, the sexually aggressive runaway, Eric, the teenaged serial killer, and Det. Proctor, the overeager detective looking to reconcile failures in his past. Each of the characters is broken, and by broken, I mean that they are mentally damaged, very much so. Lori's been sexually abused by her mother's string of abusive boyfriends I'm inferring that; nothing is said straight out , and defiantly uses sex as a weapon and as a mean Yikes.
Lori's been sexually abused by her mother's string of abusive boyfriends I'm inferring that; nothing is said straight out , and defiantly uses sex as a weapon and as a means to an end. Eric was molested by his mom again, inference and has become obsessed with recreating that tenderness with girls who look like her. But he kills them first.
Proctor could not undisputedly discover the identity of a serial killer in Oregon, though he suspected it was a cleancut helpful teenage boy who gave away his deviancy with a triumphant smile only Proctor could see. Proctor moved across the country only to get involved in a similar case, fifteen-year-old Eric, who murdered his mom and stepfather, claiming he was physically abused by them. Because of this claim, Eric is allowed to stay at a juvenile facility until his eighteenth birthday, when he will be released, his records will be sealed, and he will be free to kill again.
It's shortly after his release that Lori meets up with Eric, seeking him out; she says she is "fixated" on him. He, in turn, wants nothing to do with her, but the two are drawn together by their brokenness; when they're together, Lori isn't sexually aggressive, and Eric actually starts to awaken emotionally, to feel tenderness with her that has nothing to do with the release he felt when he murdered his five victims.
The book is disturbing but captivating. I don't read a lot of true crime books, so I don't often "go into the mind of the killer," or whatever. I'm not quite sold on Eric's sexual abuse as a root for his behavior--that might not be what the author intended anyway; perhaps that just awakened some sort of latent tendency toward violence, or maybe he is just innately evil.
I'll tell you what's pretty gross, is that I started to feel a little empathy for him, for his eternal search for tenderness, even if it meant he had to kill to find it. Ultimately, obviously, I don't condone his behavior or find anything justifiable in it, but for just a minute, there was a tiny spark of relatability to him, like he was thisclose to salvation, and I was even rooting for him a little bit, and that scared me--being on the bad guy's side, I mean.
Who does that make me? However, if the book affected ME this deeply, and made ME think some pretty big thoughts, it could serve to open a discussion with students, to help them start thinking about culpability, nature v. Sep 27, Margo rated it liked it. He moves in with his aunt for awhile until the press calm down and find something else to report on in the newspapers.
One particular day he looks outside the house to find a blonde girl in the branches of the willow tree in the front yard. He eventually remembers he met her several years ago by the train tracks. He met her just after he had murdered one of three other girls her killed, all of them with beautiful black hair and tan skin. Eric was a serial killer and used his charm to lure beautiful girls to do what he wanted and then killed them to enjoy a moment of "tenderness" with their dead bodies.
The girl, Lori, hides in Eric's car when he finally leaves his aunt's house and travels in search of a dark haired fellow inmate from the prison named "the Senorita. He tries to kill her in her sleep but she wakes up when the pillow to smother her is still in the air. Eric then knows he cannot kill her. Eric meets the Senorita at a carnival and it turns out to be a trap set by the police to catch him in the act of killing again.
Lori discovers the trap and warns him before he does anything. The two then continue travelling and spending time together as Lori experiences the tenderness she has never felt from anyone. While out canoeing, Lori falls in the lake and drowns despite Eric's attempts to save her. He is charged with murder for her death and locked in prison, even though the Leutenient in charge of Eric's case knows that he probably didn't murder her because she was not his type.
He is kept in prison anyways. This book was astonishing for it's originality. Although the subject matter is disturbing and depressing, at the same time, it is eye opening to see into the mind of a killer and try to comprehend the emotions they feel when killing. I would be careful in deciding who I recommend this book to but it is definitely worth reading for it's pure originality and uniqueness.
Dec 09, Amy rated it did not like it. This novel certainly has an interesting premise: it is narrated by several characters. The main characters are Eric, a teenage serial killer, and Lori, a strangely obsessive girl whose most recent obsession is Eric. Both characters crave what they call tenderness. For Eric, tenderness happens when he takes a life. Lori's true definition of tenderness is never clear, but it seems like she craves a mixture of love, sex, and attention.
At the beginning of the novel, Eric has just gotten out of ju This novel certainly has an interesting premise: it is narrated by several characters. At the beginning of the novel, Eric has just gotten out of juvy for killing his parents, and Lori has become obsessed with him after seeing him on the TV. She tracks him down, and they go through a sort of adventure involving her "falling in love" with him and him trying to decide whether or not to kill her. I did not really like this book at all.
Some of Eric's scenes were interesting, but overall, I thought that the book seemed disjointed, pointless, and disturbing. And I'm not an easy person to disturb. I found Lori to be a very two-dimensional character, with Eric receiving much more character development. One thing that I did find interesting were some of the thoughts of homicidal, sociopathic Eric. It made me wonder: why are people so interested in getting inside the minds of these kinds of people?
I think that it is because these thoughts are usually so entirely separate from one's normal thoughts that it is incredibly interesting to see what those thoughts are like. I think that young adults might like this book if they are particularly interested in serial killers, but overall, I would not recommend this book to anybody. As far as "bleak" young adult literature goes I think this is one of the bleakest of the lot.
Not because of its dark content, but because it's simply boring. Jan 25, Mattheus Farias rated it really liked it. I'd give this book a 4 out of 5 stars for this review. I really loved the idea this book demonstrated the story by switching points of views, from Lori's situations to Eric Poole's, from being a runaway girl with mixed emotions, to a psychopath serial killer who is released into the public. These perspectives are very different but also are similar at a whole other level.
Given Eric Poole's situation, he reacts in such a mysterious way that is very confusing. By playing his sentence out and refu I'd give this book a 4 out of 5 stars for this review. By playing his sentence out and refusing to get into trouble, to only hide and plan in his aunts house really raises suspicion on what he plans to do exactly, and Lori's role in that planning is quite incredible.
When Lori goes out and runs away from her mom and stepdad, it was to get away from the sexual feelings she had towards her step father, feeling it was wrong to her mom. In response to that, she runs away to meet a celebrity who peaked her mixed feelings. After the hunt for him was over, Lori came across Eric on the news, being reminded instantly of a very important moment in the story.
How the two met to become such a influence and basis for the story was started by an interaction they had after one of five murders committed by Eric Poole, in which Eric was fond of Lori.
From this point on, Lori was eager to see him. Once Eric Poole was able to escape the facility he was held at to his aunt's house which was broadcast-ed on TV almost everyday, it was a very interesting for him to go out and confront her. The way the author alternates between both the perspectives and how they progress throughout the story makes the book all the more mysterious and curious of finding out what happens to both of them.
Dec 09, Sally Park rated it really liked it Shelves: engl One day, a beautiful girl Lori who receives wanted and unwanted sexual attention on a daily basis feels the urge to kiss Eric Poole, a teenage murderer. This symptom usually goes away once she kisses the guy she is fixated on, and in order to fulfill this desire, she approaches Eric.
She is initially scared of Eric, but comes to love him. Eric also seems to feel something for her, but she is not his "type. This story of a girl who has a p One day, a beautiful girl Lori who receives wanted and unwanted sexual attention on a daily basis feels the urge to kiss Eric Poole, a teenage murderer. This story of a girl who has a problem on fixating on a guy, and a sociopathic boy finding fulfillment in killing girls is a chilling and disturbing story that explores the dark side of humanity.
I personally liked this book because it was so magnificently woven in order to show the psychology of the mentally unstable teenagers; it is realistic and believable.
I wouldn't recommend this to people who are disturbed by this kind of psychological subject, but I don't think it will really harm anyone to read it. Jul 03, Amanda rated it liked it Shelves: teen-fiction , tear-jerker. Another book I was so undecided on how to rate.
I loved the book and also absolutely hated it. It was written very well, the characters were interesting, the plot was a subject not touched by most authors and it leaves you with a dark creepy feel. When I started the book I was rooting for Eric, hoping he would maybe get therapy and fall in love with Lori. I am also torn because I wish he did get 'better' and was able to meatally heal, but he also deserved what was coming by what he did in his pa Another book I was so undecided on how to rate.
I am also torn because I wish he did get 'better' and was able to meatally heal, but he also deserved what was coming by what he did in his past. Part of me wished I didn't read this book because now it is gnawing on a small part of my brain. I really did enjoy it, it's just dark, a bit creepy and has a suprise twist at the end.
If you are familiar with Robert Cormier's work, it's a great book. Dec 01, Brandy rated it liked it Shelves: bullies , reads , teen , realistic , library , romance. I don't know what it is about Robert Cormier, but I keep picking up his books even though I don't like his writing style.
They're just growing on me. This one has a little too much cliche going on the runaway who stalks the serial killer--maybe not a big cliche but it's not a surprise at all and the ending, which is pretty much like all his other books with its messages of Life Isn't Fair and Cormier's Protagonists Never Win.
Not a bad read, a bit of creepy but not a whole lot, in part because I don't know what it is about Robert Cormier, but I keep picking up his books even though I don't like his writing style. Not a bad read, a bit of creepy but not a whole lot, in part because there's not much mystery here: we know who these characters are and what their stories are, unlike I Am the Cheese.
Jul 07, Suzette Kunz rated it liked it Shelves: young-adult. Well, if you've ever wondered what Ted Bundy was like as a teenager, this is the book for you. Eric, a serial killer, and Lori, a girl who has been sexually abused, cross paths and form an oddly tender relationship. Not sure if what Cormier portrays is technically possible--do psychopaths feel compassion? Shelves: young-adult , read But frighteningly realistic View all 3 comments. Shelves: best-books-of-all-time , favorites , really-excited , phenominal , will-definitely-re-read , got-all-misty-eyed , love-story-good , what-did-i-just-read , mind-blowing , awesome-cover.
Absolutely brilliant. Sep 16, Danya rated it really liked it Shelves: psychology , read-but-not-owned , psychtember , just-contemporary-challenge. Most of my Psychtember reviews will be formatted differently than my standard reviews, to reflect the mental health theme. I've structured things as though the book is the patient and I'm giving it an assessment. Each axis is an aspect of the book that I'll give my thoughts on characters, plot, etc.
Then I may list some other books that this one "shares symptoms with" i. The rating still reflects my overall view of the book, using my standard rating system.
I have hidden the most obvious ones, but there may be some milder spoilers. You have been warned. Assessment: Axis 1. We do not guarantee that these techniques will work for you. Some of the techniques listed in Tenderness may require a sound knowledge of Hypnosis, users are advised to either leave those sections or must have a basic understanding of the subject before practicing them.
DMCA and Copyright : The book is not hosted on our servers, to remove the file please contact the source url. If you see a Google Drive link instead of source url, means that the file witch you will get after approval is just a summary of original book or the file has been already removed. Loved each and every part of this book. I will definitely recommend this book to young adult, fiction lovers.
Your Rating:. Your Comment:. Home Downloads Free Downloads Tenderness pdf. Read Online Download. Great book, Tenderness pdf is enough to raise the goose bumps alone.
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