The Pedophile

by Robin Murarka

Daniel Amber. Successful CTO. He dresses well. He speaks well. And yet… something’s amiss. A shadow resides, seemingly permanently, behind those eyes. Is it melancholy? Is it loneliness? Or is it something else?

This tapestry of beautiful language, focusing on a protagonist with title so reviled, so despised, that a hundred murderers or despots would come first if graded by the average citizen; the pedophile is in a league of his own, truly and wholly dehumanized, even now, for some abstract sentiment that surpasses reason.

And yet, where is the humanity? For what unique opportunity at the crux of all that is empathy to understand what one may suffer, reviled as such by all including oneself, despite being absolutely driven by true conscience – for the presence of proclivity does not necessitate the absence of one, no matter how abominous that proclivity may be.

This novel does not promote or condone any form of abuse.

442 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 10, 2025

About the author

Stories that lift the veil, whether scientific or abstract, to explore whatever is underneath, revealing both the hideously vulgar and beautifully magnificent. One is just as likely to be filled with joy as be disturbed, to loathe characters as much as adore them. Tales for explorers who tread the fringes, willing to brave worlds without limitations, to discover what it truly means to be alive.

Reviews

[Tami C]

Having been a victim as a child I was skeptical when I first read this book. However, I am pleasantly surprised to say that this is well thought out and the premise has merit. The execution is a little hard to follow at first, but once you get the hang of it, the story makes a lot of sense.

This book gives you a lot of food for thought.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Red Goddess Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

First I read Cinder and loved it so I found this book by the same author. Did the title make me hesitate? Yes but I was intrigued. I began reading and began questioning if I had made a mistake. I began to ask myself why would an author choose this topic and what could possibly come from it. I continued reading. Did I put the book down a few times because I was uncomfortable and worried about where the story was going and what its message was? Yes. But I needed to understand so I read on. I finished this book last night and I am so glad that I did. Robin Murarka is a different breed of writer. His willingness to broach this topic and yet create characters that were so real and messy and human was transformative. I was shedding tears as I read the last page. The humanism, empathy and compassion shown in this book was a much needed salve for my wounds from this world I currently am experiencing. I absolutely loved this reading experience and it literally changed something inside me.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally something that does not substitute true art with bias, tokenism or sensationalism...

As this is one of the first reviews of anything I have done in a very long time and I want to remain as unfiltered and honest as possible, this may be a bit longer than a typical review, and I was and am a bit nervous about doing this in the first place. Here it goes:

I have been an eager consumer of literature my whole life, but as I have grown up and become more exposed to what is out there, I am becoming increasingly frustrated and hungry for 'real' storytelling as it is becoming harder to find for a number of reasons. And when I do finally come across something worthwhile, I keep it very close to my heart, hoping to keep it alive as long as possible, and scared my experience would be tainted by the outside world somehow and that I would further lose what little hope I have left for good literature.

This is one of the main reasons why it has taken me so long to finally write reviews of Robin's works as I really wanted to treasure and experience and explore them as long and as much as possible. But after 'The Pedophile' came out, I jumped on the opportunity of yet another piece of literature that could further challenge me, and was excitedly curious about how it might have been presented. The experience as a result is what has pushed me to attempt to publicly give this author, and the writing, the credit deserved as I am sure there are more people out there, like myself, craving for a sign of something worthwhile, reluctant to feed into the substandard and ‘filtered’ culture literature has become in many ways today.

So, if you have gotten this far - this is what I have to say about 'The Pedophile' specifically;

This is not a novel written for ‘sensation’ despite it being of a topic many would typically expect to be sensationalised nowadays. Nor is it anything you would probably expect for the chosen topic. It certainly surprised me, due to what I alluded to earlier about having become used to and almost expectant of most modern works being catered or filtered to what would be some sort of ‘quick hit’ or ‘quick fix’ or to have an a specific motive to ‘trigger’ something. But, I tried to remain as open minded as possible and I was very glad I did.

From my perspective, it does not lean into any particular tropes either. Any general apprehension, defences or perspective I had about investing in or navigating such a novel, character or topic were quite quickly disarmed and diffused within the first few chapters, and I was progressively humbled about any pre-existing expectations or perceptions I had. The writing certainly made me feel like there is a whole lot more I need to learn about people, and it illuminated the dark side of what can and does happen when expectations and perceptions, or even just a lack of humility, can become more harmful than good, despite what might seem like good intentions or as a means of survival.

As I write this, I become emotional, as the experience of reading this novel is still echoing in the background, reminding me to always be humble and curious to what I may not fully understand. And as such, I will be reading this novel over and over as I strongly believe there is much more to be learned.

I find it hard to comment right now on specifics such as certain characters or plots or literary techniques as the experience of reading this novel was more of a disarming one - illuminating and humbling what pre-existing perceptions and expectations I have about a number of things. I also feel like comments on that right now may spoil, filter or direct future reader’s experiences to some extent.

So, all I have left to say is that, in today's world, we are all very familiar with the idea that, with the increase of technology and automation, the ability to 'consume' and 'produce' is happening at a frightening pace. And with that comes the pitfalls - a decrease of quality control, especially in when it comes to the art of storytelling; the use of inauthentic tactics to more effectively obtain a quicker investment, such as sensationalism; and the need to keep to what is 'safe' and 'popular' in order to offset the risk of getting 'lost', 'cancelled' or 'filtered out'.

‘The Pedophile’ is a clean example that there is still hope for the future of literature, even if it may be small - quality, unfiltered, and authentic storytelling is not lost - you just need to maintain an open, curious, humble mind and keep searching. Please give it a go.

[Lyndsey Stoney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humanity. Compassion. Empathy. Not necessarily the feelings you would expect when reading a novel with this title, but that is the genius in this story. The central character is a non-active pedophile. A man who does not wish to harm. A man who wants what we all want- empathy and love. He sets out to try to help people like him, to try to understand, educate and, if possible, support and treat people with his affliction.

These people are often seen as the lowest of the low in our community. They are scum. There is no compassion. But the absolute beauty in this book, and the brilliance in this story telling is that it twists this common societal view and makes it about humans with a problem, humans genuinely seeking help. It raises the question- can a pee do file be moral? And further to that- are we willing to help? Instead of forcing these people to hide, and struggle in isolation, are we willing to try and understand? After all, isn’t the scariest thing, the thing we don’t understand?

I loved this book. Not only is in an interesting and thought provoking topic, but it so well crafted. I couldn’t put it down. The thing that I loved most about this book was that it challenged and changed my thinking. That is something that very few books can do- I felt things that I wasn’t expecting to feel and I finished the book with the ability to take a new perspective on a group of people who are so heavily demonized. You don’t need a ‘strong stomach’ to read this book. What you will challenge in reading this book is your own sense of humanity.

I became so emotionally invested in the characters and was brought to tears when one of them was harmed. That is the level of compassion this story evokes. I cried for a human being who was harmed in the course of seeking help. He was a human, I felt empathy for him, even with the affliction and the title that comes with it, and yet I cried for his pain.

The topic is so sensational and potentially explosive, and yet the story is so humanising. It’s brilliant.

[Helen Wu ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up

I went into this book with hesitation, yet I found myself drawn in by how carefully the author approached such a charged subject. The most powerful moment for me was a line that made everything click: “Pedophilia is a DSM-5 disorder, and those who suffer from it are victims… however, any individual that actuates in a non-consensual manner unto someone else is no longer a victim, but indeed a perpetrator of victimization, and, in the case of pedophilia, considered a sex offender.” That distinction is the heart of this story. The author explores it with patience and discomfort and a surprising amount of humanity. The internal struggle of someone living with this disorder is drawn with such clarity that I often caught myself pausing, thinking, trying to understand rather than react.

What struck me most is how the final chapter refuses to give clean answers. I tend to want straightforward rules about right and wrong, yet this book kept pulling me back into the gray. It doesn’t glorify anything. It doesn’t excuse anything. But it shows how messy and painful it is to live with an identity the world wants to flatten into one word. At the same time, the book exposes the darker sides of society: the publishing team hungry for a headline, eager to create a monster even if it destroys a human being; the uneasy questions about homelessness and who gets help, who gets believed, and who gets pushed aside. Those parts made me angry in a way I didn’t expect.

I’ll admit there were moments when the story lost me a little, yet I still walked away feeling like I’d read something rare. This is a fascinating, uncomfortable, and important book. Not because it tells you what to think, but because it doesn’t let you hide behind the easy version of the world. I’d encourage anyone to give it a chance, especially if you’re willing to sit with complexity instead of certainty.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the ARC!

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Arousal is normal’ – addressing an exigent trait and creating a fine novel

Australian author Robin Murarka is a ‘compleat’ artist –in literature as a writer of essays, short stories, poetry and novels, in music as albums of digital music, the visual arts, and film. The handsome young artist has published four novels to date – AKIN, RONE ISA, CINDER, and THE PEDOPHILE – all invitations to pause and think in a new way!

Tackling a tough subject matter, especially at this time in history, Murarka transforms the difficult subject of pedophilia with eloquent prose, creating an unforgettable character in Daniel Amber, the former CTO of Arcane, a successful company he left (with a huge severance package!) to prevent risking the discovery of his being a pedophile. Daniel is introduced with a sensitive depiction of his near OCD life style and gradually opens a door to the label of pedophilia with Daniel’s presence in a ‘private group meeting’ with other like men. Into this atmosphere Daniel opens his intent to form his Association for Pedophile Reconditioning, a more therapeutic organization ‘to help combat a psychological disorder that is quite widespread.’ As Daniel addresses his pedophilia, ‘It’s what I am. And there’s no shame in that’… ‘there is a clear distinction between a sex offender and someone suffering from this disorder.’

In a most accessible manner the author follows his principal character with astute attention to detail, inviting better understanding of both the etiology and public approach to his subject matter. But first and foremost is the sound structure of this well-scribed novel – the gift of a very talented author. Recommended on many levels.

[Ben Dutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Pedophile by Robin Muraka courts conversation from its title - we are immediately repulsed by the idea of reading about such a man. It's definitive article showing us that its protagonist Daniel might be proud of being so... He is a man who has set up an institute to help such people afflicted with the desire to have romantic involvement with children but do not act on their desire. He differentiates people such as himself from child abusers, stating they are different.

Much of the first part of The Pedophile is spent attempting to adjust your thoughts, trying to find some understanding of Daniel. Muraka doesn't set out to change our minds or societys understanding of these men, but does try and give a voice to them.

It is a difficult novel to assess - it held my attention, it intrigued me and it is well written. There does need to be more discussion about pedophiles and why they are they way they are - and the purpose of art is to raise discussion - but it offers no answers on where to go, or what can be done... But perhaps the novel isn't meant to do that either? Either way, if you're open to other viewpoints, and willing to try and expand your understanding, The Pedophile is interesting reading.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: as stated in the blurb, this doesn’t promote abuse, and that’s why I decided to give this book a chance despite the title. Ok, let’s get down to the review. (4.5 rounded up to 5). First, overall this was an intriguing book with vivid imagery. If you enjoy literary fiction with a psychological lilt, then I highly suggest grabbing this. My biggest complaint is how slowly this starts. It feels like how austere and methodical Daniel’s life is gets really beaten into the reader, and by the time he’s finally on his way to resign his position, I was beginning to worry the whole book would be like that. However, once that scene hits, things begin to speed up. While I was very nervous about reading this, I got so engrossed in the story that my nerves were quickly pushed to the side. I was glad to see that from cover to cover, there was nothing that promoted abuse, as promised in the blurb.

[Ellen Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very curious what this book would be like and I’m glad I went into it with an open mind. This book does not glorify anything but rather shows a side of the mental affliction. Daniel is an interesting character and the overall plot held my interest the entire time I read. This book does a pretty good job of showing what Daniel is like inside and out and how he navigates his life and his issues. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, and thought provoking.
This one is certainly going to have people talking.
I must admit there was a moment when the pedophile trying to understand themselves and their feelings were not the villains of the book.
Not something I ever thought I'd say.


Thanks to netgalley for the free digital copy