Recent Reads: I Am Not A Serial Killer
I wanted to start talking about books that I've read and enjoyed. Not exactly reviews so much as recommendations. I sort of set myself up for starting these posts with an initial list of great sci-fi books I love, but even so, it's daunting to pick only a handful of books to talk about. I love so many books!
Nonetheless, here I am, with a relatively recent read (read it last year). I Am Not A Serial Killer is a YA horror/thriller by Dan Wells. Which, you may notice, is totally not my usual genre.
I ended up buying this book after listening to a few seasons of the Writing Excuses podcast. He's one of the podcasters, and after hearing his thoughts on writing and descriptions of his book, I couldn't resist.
John Cleaver is a fifteen-year-old sociopath who's always been obsessed with serial killers, and when one crops up in his small town, he gets in touch with his dark side to track them down. It's essentially teenage Dexter, which is one of my favorite TV shows. His mother, a single mom, runs a funeral home, and they live in a little apartment above it. The whole book has this fantastically macabre feel, fast-paced and exciting but still extremely character driven. It's worth warning you that there are some supernatural elements to the story--some people hate that aspect, but I loved it.
I've often used the first chapter as a reference for critiques. I point people to the free Amazon sample as an example of how to quickly, effectively establish character, setting, atmosphere, and plot, in a very short space, without infodumping. It's not exactly for the faint of heart, but in my humble opinion, it's really well done, and worth checking out.
Nonetheless, here I am, with a relatively recent read (read it last year). I Am Not A Serial Killer is a YA horror/thriller by Dan Wells. Which, you may notice, is totally not my usual genre.
I ended up buying this book after listening to a few seasons of the Writing Excuses podcast. He's one of the podcasters, and after hearing his thoughts on writing and descriptions of his book, I couldn't resist.
John Cleaver is a fifteen-year-old sociopath who's always been obsessed with serial killers, and when one crops up in his small town, he gets in touch with his dark side to track them down. It's essentially teenage Dexter, which is one of my favorite TV shows. His mother, a single mom, runs a funeral home, and they live in a little apartment above it. The whole book has this fantastically macabre feel, fast-paced and exciting but still extremely character driven. It's worth warning you that there are some supernatural elements to the story--some people hate that aspect, but I loved it.
I've often used the first chapter as a reference for critiques. I point people to the free Amazon sample as an example of how to quickly, effectively establish character, setting, atmosphere, and plot, in a very short space, without infodumping. It's not exactly for the faint of heart, but in my humble opinion, it's really well done, and worth checking out.
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