Cruel by Eli Wilde the first book in the Strangers in Paradise series and its apart of a trilogy, each book is written as a standalone story so they can be read as individual books.
This small book is a cruel but dark coming-of-age story where the protagonist changes from an innocent child into the sum of his childhood nightmares.

When Evan Jamesonas was a child he thought angels were looking out for him. His belief was so strong about angels however, this changed when he first went to school, where he stopped believing in angels and started believing in monsters, he thought they were real!

Bullies brutalise their way through Evan's formative years and changed him. Depression changed Evan. Eventually, his mental health made him think he did not have to care what people thought about him. Being on the edge of society meant nothing could harm him.

Sadly when school ended and Evan’s coming to age sped up. He grew stronger both physically and mentally, But, the bullies in his workplace were no match for the monster walking in Evan’s shoes. He saw no way out..........they were everywhere and all around him!

Until he met someone who became his wife, his wife Denise, Things started to change around him and he started to slowly change/

It's an interesting Strong read but may not be for everyone.
The cover is beautiful But don't be fooled!

Big Thank you to netgalley and BooksGoSocial for my copy for an honest review.

easily written so I didn't find myself having trouble understanding where the story was going. straight forward writing. a boy growing up learning how to treat people to treat one another; not always the best. is he a good boy or not? pretty dark if you ask me but I enjoyed it very much

It’s beautifully written and has darkness to it without being overwhelming. It’s simple and easy to understand.

Cruel was a chilling yet incredibly engaging journey to get through. Seeing the world through the unreliable narration of Evan as he goes through his life was a discomforting experience, but in the best way possible. I couldn't stop reading once I began, and had to see Evan's journey until its conclusion.

I received this ARC through NetGalley, so a big thanks to both Eli Wilde and the NetGalley website!

I found this book to be extremely dark and somewhat distressing; I'm not sure it's the kind of book I would usually read for leisure, despite being a fan of horror. However, I cannot fault the writing itself, and I did find the book to be generally compelling and easy to read, despite the heavy subject matter.

This is a very dark and disturbing coming-of-age story. We follow Evan from his earliest memories, through some of his most spine-chilling experiences.
The writing is brilliant, it sucks you in and keeps you floating in a dreamlike limbo. Even though it deals with a lot of unsavoury topics yet there's something extremely alluring and beautiful about the way it's written. All of this while being completely accessible.
I was absolutely sucked in from the very first stage! It's best to read this in one sitting, as the author herself suggests. The chapters are very short and it's a quick paced read.
Definitely check out trigger warnings.

Honestly, I couldn’t stop Reading but at the same time I took my time reading, I made myself stop reading and then come back and I finished it… this book is very dark, starts naïve enough and then it gets dark… is this what could have happened to dexter if he didn’t have his adopted father to guide him, is Evan a sociopath? I don’t really have the answer to that question, this book will not leave you unmarked, it will leave some sort of feeling in you, what that is, it will depend on how you took things…

This book is full of violence, towards children, other people, animals, has some sexual situations, yes it gives a reason why Evan is that messed up, but not quite, perhaps it was with him since the beginning… read it and then take your own conclusion is all I can say… and I think I will read what comes next…

I got a free ARC of this book through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

It's was too much dark for me. I don't know what I feed about this book maybe I need time or maybe I will re-read this book. It's good book but it's feel like someone has punched me and I don't know how I feel

Evan seems to have a somewhat disjointed memory of his childhood, and what is shared seems to be a lot of witnessed or experienced cruelty at the hands of his "friends". Sexual abuse from a teacher is briefly mentioned twice.

As he grows up he decides the only way to survive is to be the hardest or the craziest so he doesn't become a victim.

At the end of our story he's planning to die by suicide to prevent himself from being cruel to his son.

This book is a rough go.