Review Detail

I’m not an avid reader, but I could not put this book down!
The Packing House is an extremely important story to share. It is educational for adults to know that abuse really happens too often and that too many kids experience it every day. It is empowering for teenagers who need encouragement to go to someone they trust and to get the help they need.
As a parent of a boy who is the same age now as Joel was then, what sticks in my mind is the innocence of how young Joel was. He didn't have any way of knowing what was happening to him or why. It breaks my heart, but also reminds me to be grateful for my own children’s safety.
The descriptions are tactfully written, enough that the reader knows exactly what happened without needing every detail "spelled out."
I found myself rooting for Joel particularly at the school and later for him to tell someone so that Joel could get the help he needed.
The Packing House makes me want to tell every child being abused to go get help, to talk to someone, and that it’s not their fault!
I highly recommend it be shared in schools and churches for teenagers to read (maybe for their parents to read it first). The resources and discussion questions listed make it an excellent “ready for classroom” teaching tool. Even if the teens who read it are not currently in a situation such as Joel’s, they likely know someone else who is or was and can maybe even help that someone.
May this book greatly impact readers in meaningful, life-changing ways!