Jonathan Parks-Ramage

A propulsive, scorching modern gothic, Yes, Daddy follows an ambitious young man who is lured by an older, successful playwright into a dizzying world of wealth and an idyllic Hamptons home where things take a nightmarish turn.

Yes, Daddy

Jenna Pascale 

This was an incredible debut novel from Ramage. I did NOT expect the book to cover so many heavy topics but I can honestly say I was not disappointed. This book shed light on a lot of controversial topics, especially during the #MeToo era. I found myself flopping between loving and hating our main character, Jonah Keller. I felt for him more often than not but other times I just wanted to scream due to his impulsive and stupid decisions. While reading this novel was uncomfortable during some parts, it was fully enjoyable and thought provoking. Sometimes discomfort is a good thing especially when it’s on important topics most people aren’t willing to talk/read/write about. There is so much more I could say about this book but it just wouldn’t do it justice. A must-read. Step out of your comfort zone and hop on this emotional roller coaster in all its glory!

Melyssa Tromberg 

I just couldn't get into this book, I disliked all the characters. There are strong topics in this book I don't want to disregard but overall this book just wasn't for me and I didn't really care for the ending.

Inez

The title looks so cheesy and I was skeptical but heck, the reading was a real ride.

The sudden blows, the unfolding traumas, the questionable main character. Full warning before you decide to read this book: this contains rape scene and homophobia, and is very explicit about it.

"A gut-churning, heart-wrenching, blockbuster of a first novel . . . Parks-Ramage is an extraordinary new talent and Yes, Daddy is truly something special." —Kristen Arnett, author of Mostly Dead Things A propulsive, scorching modern gothic, Yes, Daddy follows an ambitious young man who is lured by an older, successful playwright into a dizzying world of wealth and an idyllic Hamptons home where things take a nightmarish turn. Jonah Keller moved to New York City with dreams of becoming a successful playwright, but, for the time being, lives in a rundown sublet in Bushwick, working extra hours at a restaurant only to barely make rent. When he stumbles upon a photo of Richard Shriver—the glamorous Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright and quite possibly the stepping stone to the fame he craves—Jonah orchestrates their meeting. The two begin a hungry, passionate affair. When summer arrives, Richard invites his young lover for a spell at his sprawling estate in the Hamptons. A tall iron fence surrounds the idyllic compound where Richard and a few of his close artist friends entertain, have lavish dinners, and—Jonah can’t help but notice—employ a waitstaff of young, attractive gay men, many of whom sport ugly bruises. Soon, Jonah is cast out of Richard’s good graces and a sinister underlay begins to emerge. As a series of transgressions lead inexorably to a violent climax, Jonah hurtles toward a decisive revenge that will shape the rest of his life. Riveting, unpredictable, and compulsively readable, Yes, Daddy is an exploration of class, power dynamics, and the nuances of victimhood and complicity. It burns with weight and clarity—and offers hope that stories may hold the key to our healing.

Nota

A text about a young man, who makes a lot of bad choices, and acts in a very not playright manner, despite having the education for it, on a look out for a way older and more succesful man.

The characters felt unbelievable, not fun, and not explored. There was a time skip, and you dont get the sense that anything happened during it. The villains are super one note through the whole thing. The way some of the characters get treated by the story at the end is meh.

The text was simple, a lot of the plot went in the direction I thought it would. A dark read, but not sure what makes it gothic, the graphic parts?

Kayla Smith

I enjoyed this okay, it just had a particular emphasis on religion that I just didn't jive with.

Vin 

Yes, Daddy follows the story of a young man, Jonah, who is taken off his feet by a successful playwright, Richard & is whittled into a wealthy lifestyle, which to Jonah’s detriment, turns into something vicious and cruel.

 This debut has extreme & explicit content. Trigger warnings apply.  

Yes, Daddy follows several timelines, 2009, 2011, 2017 and 2018, which are all extremely important dates in the book. 

From the get go, this story captured me and sucked me into its pages. For this being a debut, Jonathan Parks-Ramage really knows how to pull you in and keeps you there. Yes, Daddy keeps you on the edge of your seat, hoping that the next chapter will give you some sort of emotional break. It does not. 

I was asked to describe this with three words earlier this afternoon and the only words that keep spinning around in my head were: dreadful, uncomfortable and intense. 

I have never felt such emotional whiplash with a story before, and that’s coming from someone who reads dark literature frequently. Yes, Daddy pulls you back & forth, it makes you question what’s actually happening and then throws in another curveball. The dread just keeps building and when you think “oh, this isn’t so bad-“, the story ramps up and you’re left feeling so hollow and broken. 

There was a specific quote in the book; 

 “And don’t forget — you just added five hundred dollars to your tab.”  

When I say I had to close the book and breathe, I had to tap out. This quote was so minuscule to the atrocities that happen in this story, but this, this was the last straw for me. I’ve never felt such boiling rage for twelve words before. I wanted to throw my book against the wall & scream. Yes, Daddy emotionally exhausted me beyond belief, yet I couldn’t put it down for more than a few minutes at a time, which were to either breathe and control myself or to grab a snack. 

To say I’d recommend this book to others would be a lie because I genuinely think this book isn’t for everyone. It’s a very tough read and I think you really need to hold back things  when reading, but I would definitely recommend this to others who want a devastating read where you feel like you’re suffocating constantly on Parks-Ramage’s words. 

 Trigger warnings : 
rape, drug use, homophobia, conversion therapy, religion, sexual abuse, false allegations, alcoholism, drug addiction, obsessive behaviour, emotional abuse, psychological abuse, gaslighting, servitude, physical abuse, domestic abuse, family abuse, suicide, selfharm

Yes, Daddy

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