lullabies for little criminals by Heather O’Neill

lullabies for little criminals by Heather O’Neill

A disturbing novel, creepy at times, as it recounts in first-person narrative the exploits of Baby, a twelve year old girl who is navigating a childhood more akin to a minefield laced with bombs and other dangers presented by the adult world. For the majority of the novel, the narrator’s voice is pitch-perfect, presenting Baby’s emotions and observations unfiltered by any mature viewpoint. The reader is able to revel in any delight she is able to experience, even when it is an event most would take for granted. We are drawn into her world, reading with hope that she’ll be able to survive the latest setback, yet knowing that she doesn’t have much a chance. At points, I dreaded to turn the page, contemplated peering between fingers to obscure my reading, if only this would delay the horrible events that I was sure were about to occur.

Yet the horror doesn’t quite descend in the manner the reader expects. That is the brilliance of this novel’s voice. Baby’s descent into premature adulthood is told her in own voice, free from any moralistic waving of hands. She knows when she does something wrong, when it’s bad, but doesn’t understand why. She’s never really been taught any values other than what it takes to survive; after all, her father is a junkie who can barely take care of himself. Street people, junkies, pimps and prostitutes - these are the role models for Baby and the other children that inhabit this novel. They raise themselves, imitate the violence that they see, glorify the lies and hypocrisy that they see in society, without comprehending any of it. They are street-smart and have all the freedom that teenagers could ever dream of, yet they lust for the fabled security of a ‘normal’ childhood.

Occasionally, the author tosses in an observation or an opinion from what seems to be an older version of the narrator. These insertions are problematic, jarring one out of the story without adding any retrospective value. There was no clue regarding how old this other narrator was, or how these experiences had affected her.

O’Neill’s novel describes one way in which the deviants, the criminals, the lost and forsaken of our society are incubated. The system ignores these children until it’s forced to deal with them. Sometimes it can provide some improvement in care. For example, Baby’s brief stay in a foster home is a previously unknown experience in stability. She was lucky in this instance. Conversely, a stay at a juvenile institution, a prison for kids, simply serves to reinforce her destructive lack of self-esteem. Moreover, it labels her in the eyes of society as a ‘system kid’. She will stray down the path that was pre-destined.

Children are resilient. They are never truly lost, not matter how forsaken. Until one day, they are lost. They become adults, expected to take care of themselves, to fit in, to become productive members of society. Even if they’ve never been taught how.