Faculty Brat by Dominic Bucca had me in tears for him at points, cheering for him at points, and mad for him at points in the book. He suffered abuse at the hands of his step-father, whom his mother met while they were both teachers at at a private school. The abuse he suffered went on for years and years, both sexual and mental. As a mother, I was horrified at the mother's reaction to finding this out and her failure to protect her child.. He becomes acquainted with his birth father and family later in the book and seems to find some normalcy in his life finally. He was horribly failed by the justice system along with his family though. This was a hard book to read, but he definitely did a good job of telling his story on a hard subject to face. Thank you for Net Galley for the opportunity to have a first read of this book.

This was a hard read. The subject matter (sexual abuse) itself is hard to read but the author also switched back and forth between 1st person to almost like, talking to himself as “you.” It didn’t seem to make sense to me re: when he would swap POVs.

Faculty Brat by Dominic Bucca is a true account of the abuses on one child by his stepfather. It is not an easy read and may cause other survivors to be triggered but, the author is honest and unflinching in his story. Abuse is rampant in our nation and is hidden so often I have to praise the author for his courage.
Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to read this for a fair review.

Faculty Brat is one of those powerful and heartbreaking books that needs to be read, even if it's uncomfortable at times. The book also shows the courage of the author, not only by living the life he had, but also finding a voice to write this book.

From the age of nine, after his art teacher mother had remarried, Dominic Bucca was psychologically and sexually abused by his stepfather.

Having negotiated the termination of her previous relationship with Dominic's alcoholic father, his mother is charmed by her new beau and a life working and living in the grounds of one of the most prestigious preparatory schools in the United States, enjoying access to the school’s extensive grounds and facilities and holidaying in the Hamptons. Initially, even Dominic can see the attraction;
"And what sort of man? Interesting, certainly. He is intelligent, well travelled and well read, talented, a musician. His voice is deep mesmerising, and he commands his classroom without equal."
However, clouds soon descend-initially in the corridors of the school where, as a 'faculty brat'; With few exceptions the boy is despised." And before long the dictatorship of his stepfather's house management, develops into sexual abuse and an existence where Bucca must remain always watchful;
"He's barely able to speak with Stepfather, let alone sing or laugh or yell. How deeply he envies his sister. He can only shrink."

Deeply unhappy, ashamed and desperate to claw some normality into his life, for nearly twenty-five years, Bucca kept the abuse from his mother and sisters. Eventually, when he decides to reveal the horrors he's faced, neither his family, nor the legal system demonstrate the support he both hopes for and undoubtedly deserves.

Starkly honest, the author does not protect the reader from the harsh details of the abuse. I found myself longing for the light between the shadows-as I'm certain he did as a child-and gradually the suffocating powerlessness of his situation builds. Bucca's story is certainly worthy of a book and in writing it he can, of course, share the details which no court ever heard. In so doing, I hope he has alleviated some of the enormous isolating weight he's been forced to carry for so long.

Whilst other reviewers appear to have struggled with his 'stream-of-consciousness' style of writing as he switches between, 1st, 2nd and 3rd person, I feel the changing focus enabled Bucca to relay some of the most distressing scenes at arms length.

Did I 'enjoy' this book? No. Did I complete this book? Absolutely. Will I think back on Bucca's experiences in my future? Indeed, I will.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sharing an advanced copy with me in return for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
I appreciate how difficult this book must have been to write, dredging up horrible memories of abuse, but hopefully it also was therapeutic to write too. I feel like this book had a lot of potential but the writing style left me confused and ultimately I lost interest in trying to understand the rest of the story.

Dominic Bucca endured years of horrendous abuse from his stepfather, and that he had the courage to write this memoir is astonishing.

That said, the book is almost impossible to read, written in a stream of consciousness style that rambled among his life with his stepfather, his life with his birth father, his life of alcohol, tobacco, and drug abuse back and forth between decades with no rhyme or reason, disguising what could have been a powerful work of writing.

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley.

What a hard book to comprehend. Book showed the courage author had to live it, and then write this book.

Thanks to author,publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free,it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.