Elitist Book Reviews

Dan Wells has had quite the run. The John Cleaver series--starting with I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER--was a fantastic blend of Horror and Fantasy with a YA tone (although it wasn't really marketed as YA in the US). His novel PARTIALS has been getting some really strong reviews. So I was pretty excited when I got my hands on an ARC of his latest work, THE HOLLOW CITY.

I'd heard him describe the basics: a story told from the point of view of a paranoid schizophrenic, Michael Shipman. A man who literally can't tell what's fantasy and what's reality. He's seeing faceless men, and is convinced they're trying to kill him. But no one else can see them, and he hasn't been taking his medication in months. To make things worse, there's been a serial killer at work in the area. Someone's been killing people and essentially destroying their faces, and Michael is a prime suspect.

I've always been a sucker for unique points of view. I enjoy the uncertainty that comes into play when you're faced with an unreliable narrator, and Michael Shipman is as unreliable as it gets. In fact, in a reading I attended, Wells explained that one reason the book has a prologue (not in first person, where the police find the latest victim) is that there needed to be something to give readers at least an idea of what was real and what wasn't before it transitioned over to Shipman's point of view.

The result is a delicious blend of paranoia, mystery, and action. This is like a book version of A Beautiful Mind, minus all the mathematics and relationship issues. If that sounds like something that's up your alley, then you shouldn't miss this. For most of the book, I was left wondering who was real and who was imaginary. Wells did a fantastic job keeping the mystery up.

This is One of Those Books--meaning, a book where the less you know about the plot and the characters, the better. So I won't go around spoiling anything for you in this review. Then again, a book like this falls apart if the ending fizzles. I'm happy to report that Wells kept it up all the way to the finish line. The ending was satisfying and--more importantly--managed to make sense of the chaos in earlier parts of the novel.

I also wanted to applaud Wells for handling schizophrenia as something more serious than a joke. He's clearly done a lot of research for this novel, and he took great pains to make sure that Michael was presented as realistically as possible (considering this is still a horror/fantasy novel).

Overall, it's a great book. A quick read that will keep you guessing and enthralled, right to the end.


Recommended Age: 14+
Language: Very little, all minor.
Violence: Quite a bit, some in detail. This is a Dan Wells book, after all.
Sex: Nope

If you've enjoyed any of Wells' novels, you will love this one.  Here's your link:
THE HOLLOW CITY

I don't often read YA, but when I do, I read Dan Wells. His writing is just so accessible to younger and older readers alike. So when he approached me a year ago about reading a draft of his newest novel--a dystopian SF titled PARTIALS--I jumped at the chance.

You read that right. I've been sitting on a draft of this review for a year. For the sake of full disclosure, I am one of Dan's alpha readers. He shoots me his stuff well in advance and asks for my feedback. Honestly? I was worried about it. It's not that the draft wasn't good--it was--it's that for me the difference between PARTIALS being good or excellent hinged on some pretty big concerns for me. The mark of a great author is one who can take feedback and make that story into something everyone should be reading.

I'm not going to bore you with the details of how each of my comments was doubtlessly met with Dan Wells' tears of pure joy. I won't tell you how the inspiration behind my comments made the final version of PARTIALS--the one you should be buying RIGHT NOW--one of the best YA novels I've ever read. No. I'm faaaar too humble for that. Plus I'd be lying. Kinda. Maybe. Not really.

The important thing is that PARTIALS really is one of the best YA novels I've ever read. Why? It would be my pleasure to tell you.

PARTIALS takes place in a future where a deadly virus, RM, has killed off 99% of the world's population. Those that survive are unable to have a child that lives for more than a few days. The "Partials" are created beings that the humans made to fight their wars for them...and then these soldiers rebelled and released the RM virus. It's a bleak world. All human females 18 and older are required to get pregnant and have children with the hope that one of them will be immune and live.

The PoV of the novel is Kira. She is one of 40,000-ish humans alive on the planet (as far as they know). She is also a promising medic and researcher. She takes it upon herself to do what no one has been able to--cure RM. The novel is told in 3rd Person Limited, and Kira is the only PoV. Dan does an amazing job of helping the reader really understand Kira. Her reactions are perfectly believable, as is her youthful enthusiasm in a world with no real hope. The side characters are all fleshed out as well as needed, though I will say it's hard sometimes to remember the ages of them all. My only real complaint is in regards to the adult characters. They all are pretty flat.

PARTIALS is longer than most YA novels, but the pacing just flows along. Remember, I've read this book twice now, and the pacing didn't lag at all upon a second read. In fact, it was even better. Dan throws some twists in that less experienced readers will love, and more experienced readers will enjoy for how well they are executed. The themes of choice, lost youth and freedom are perfectly pitched to the feel of this novel.

And then there is the ending. I loved it. PARTIALS has the perfect mix of success and failure to give a reader the satisfaction they need, and then the need for the sequel.

I don't know what else I can say. PARTIALS more than deserves a spot on your bookshelf, and it would be just criminal to not do your civic duty and buy it.

Plus I have a cameo in it. What else could you want?

Recommended Age: 14+
Language: Very little, and never strong.
Violence: Yeah, but it never is "shock-value" or full of gore. Dan is more of a suspense type of writer than going right for cheap violence.
Sex: Talked about a lot. Remember, all females are required to get pregnant. It's on all their minds. But there are no scenes.

No, seriously. Stop reading the review and buy the book:

PARTIALS

One of the lessons we have learned during our time reading and reviewing novels is that it is hard just to get a book published. Making that first novel solid? Even harder. But you know what’s even MORE difficult than that? Writing a series where every novel gets better and better.

Dan Wells’ horror series staring John Cleaver—a teenager who has all the early tendencies of a serial killer—comes to a conclusion (just for now hopefully) with I DON’T WANT TO KILL YOU. The novel is fantastic, even better than last year’s terrific MR. MONSTER.

So what makes this novel so good? We’ll start with the character, John Wayne Cleaver. If you’ve read the previous two novels in the series (which hopefully you have, otherwise why the heck are you even reading this review?), you know that John is an odd sort of fellow. He obsesses over serial killers; their methods, their psychology and their motives. John also worries that he will become one, so he sets rules for himself. He also works (secretly from his classmates at school and the rest of the town) in the family mortuary. The great thing about John is that for every instance where he scares the reader with his macabre thoughts and actions, he also makes the reader laugh. The balance here is perfect, and even better than the previous novels. At the same time, however, Wells has made this character grow. Remember, the events of the three novels all take place collectively over a very short amount of time. John has seen and experienced a lot since he first faced off against the killer from I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER, and it shows in I DON’T WANT TO KILL YOU. There are moments where the realizations of what he has done both harden and simultaneously soften John. It is such an interesting and unique dynamic that we couldn’t help but love completely.

I DON’T WANT TO KILL you follows John as he attempts to track another killer in town. This time though, the Killer is in town because John issued a challenge. He also finds himself in a relationship of sorts. Nothing having to do with emotions is ever clear-cut with John, and Wells’ writing really showed just how out of his element John really is when “dating.”

The pacing of the novel is smooth as butter 99% of the time. Wells’ writing is perfectly accessible while not feeling dumbed-down. We’ve read this novel twice now, and it was just as good, and fast-paced the second time as it was the first. Don’t expect to set the novel down once you get going. Give yourself a few free hours and down it one sitting—it’s what we do.

There are a few things we do feel like we should mention. First, it would have been nice to have been reminded of John’s physical appearance. It’s super minor, but would have been helpful all the same. There was really only one moment where the pacing, story and dialogue lagged. There is a moment later in the novel where John is talking on the phone to a Pastor. You’ll know it when you get to it, but for us it was really flat compared to the rest of the novel. Essentially the dialogue is wooden, and the Pastor acts like he’s under a compulsion spell. It’s a small section that is over quick, but it could have used a revision.

One of the main things that certain people complained about with Dan’s last novel, MR MONSTER, was about the continued supernatural angle. They complained that John was never really facing off against true humans, and that he only killed so-called “demons.” I DON’T WANT TO KILL YOU follows the same method. There is a strong supernatural element. Deal with it. It’s what sets this series apart from simply being “Young Dexter.” There are some fantastic lines towards the end of this novel where Wells sets this series apart, and makes it far better than the Jeff Lindsay series it is inevitably compared to.

I DON’T WANT TO KILL YOU is a terrifying and absolutely thrilling novel. John Cleaver is a believable teenager who readers instantly love, and who’s story readers will be sad to see come to an end (for now). This novel—and this series—is one of the best we have read, and is a must read for EVERYONE. Easily one of the best novels of the year.

Recommended Age: 14 and up.
Language: Like two words.
Violence: Yeppers. Dan deals with suicides, murders and monsters. He also has his requisite embalming scenes.
Sex: Nope.


Dan's Website:
http://www.fearfulsymmetry.net/

Writing Excuses:
http://www.writingexcuses.com/

Dan's series in order:
I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER
MR. MONSTER
I DON’T WANT TO KILL YOU

When we first started Elitist Book Reviews, we set things rolling with a review of a (then) UK only release. It was a YA Urban Fantasy/Horror novel by Dan Wells that goes by the title; I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER--a story about John Wayne Cleaver, a young teenager who has all the markers of becoming a serial killer. Think of it as a young Dexter (the Jeff Lindsay character), but much better written, better paced, more character-driven, and containing borderline paranormal aspects done right. In short, it was, for us, one of the best novels released in 2009.

This is the part where we say how much we love Dan Wells, and the character he created in John Cleaver. Not only does the second book, MR. MONSTER, live up to the expectations of the fantastic first novel, it completely blows it out of the water. MR. MONSTER is better in every way than its predecessor. If I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER was one of the best novels of 2009, MR. MONSTER is currently one of the best novels of the past FIVE years.

We. Freaking. Loved. It.

Now, for your benefit, we should probably mention that we have read this book before. Like, a long time ago, in its draft form. If you haven't figured it out by now, we are good friends with Dan. We are test readers for him. And before you ask, no, we are not biased. We are friends with plenty of authors whose work we don't foam from the mouth over. Also, as a final point of interest, MR. MONSTER was just released in the UK, and won't be available in the US until October-ish.

Anyways, back to the review.

There are a lot of reasons why we loved MR. MONSTER. First of all, we just love being able to read another story about John Wayne Cleaver. MR. MONSTER takes place several months after the events of I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER, and from the first page, we hit the ground running. The final events of the first book have taken a toll on our teenage protagonist. Why is that important? Because Dan shows us within a few pages that all actions have consequences in his story-arc. John Cleaver is a character undergoing a metamorphosis, and it is a measure of Dan's writing that he can pull it off so convincingly. His PoV is simply one of the best, and one of our favorites, in speculative fiction.

Another great thing about MR. MONSTER is its ability to stand as its own novel. Yes, it is a sequel. Yes, you should read the first book (to FINALLY be released in the US at the end of March). But really, MR. MONSTER is its own...uh...monster. Now what do we mean by this? Well obviously the book isn't meant to be a stand alone. In fact, pay careful attention to how we said it could stand on its own, not be a standalone. The plot feels fairly episodic, but not in the ridiculous serial drama sort of fashion where the character never changes. No really, a person, in order to appreciate what the protagonist is going through, needs to read the first book. The first is all about preventing the release of John Wayne Cleaver's inner turmoil. The second focuses, after all that trying to bottle it up, on what happens when it is released.

By setting up the book this way, in an episodic feel, Dan Wells neatly avoids the potential pitfalls of writing the middle book of a trilogy. This time around, John Cleaver is living with the consequences of his actions in book 1. He is dealing with an agent from the FBI. He continues his struggles with a dysfunctional family(Nick's psychology education takes issue with this phrase, but we will use anyway). And, of course, another killer is on the loose. The contained arc of this story--not to mention the perfect pacing--make this novel one of the best reading experiences you are likely to have...until book 3. Yes, we are cruel for even mentioning it. And yes, we LOVE being cruel this way. Did we mention we have already read book 3 too? Neener Neener.

MR. MONSTER (the name of the book, and also the name John Cleaver gives to his inner killer) is a YA novel, but it is easily better than a majority of "older" fiction. Its accessibility makes it a read that (nearly) everyone can enjoy. However, if we could mention one thing, MR. MONSTER is quite a bit darker than the first book. There are some parts that disturbed us...even on the re-read (Well Steve WAS disturbed by the content, Nick IS disturbed...so it didn't effect him.). It should in no way keep you from reading the book, but hey, our job is to keep you informed right?

We were asked recently to give a little blurb about MR. MONSTER for potential press stuff. Here is what we said:

With Mr. Monster, Dan Wells has given us an intense, riveting, gut-wrenching dive into the dark world of the demons within us. His main character, John Wayne Cleaver, manages to thoroughly freak us out while simultaneously being one of the most sympathetic characters in the horror genre. Let your own inner monster free, and immerse yourself in this dark, page-turning adventure.

Pretty good eh? Well, now you know what we think.


Recommended Age: 15 and up. This is a tad higher than the rating we gave book one, but the content is a tad more intense in MR. MONSTER.
Language: A little. Nothing major.
Violence: Uh, yeah. Did we mention we were a little disturbed even though this was our second read-through?
Sex: None. This is YA Urban Fantasy/Horror, not effing Gossip Girl (not that we know what that is or anything...)

Before the list of mandatory websites for you to visit, we want to mention something really quick about book one, I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER. If you haven't read our review, or even if you have, make sure to go check out what we had to say, due to it's upcoming US release, and make sure you read IANASK itself.

Review for I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER -- click HERE (and the actual address for the clicking impaired: http://elitistbookreviews.blogspot.com/2009/08/i-am-not-serial-killer.html)

Dan Wells' Website:
http://www.fearfulsymmetry.net/

Dan's Forum:
http://www.timewastersguide.com/forum/index.php?board=28.0

Writing Excuses:
http://www.writingexcuses.com/

Best Place to get the UK Versions of the John Cleaver Novels:
http://www.bookdepository.com/

Elitist Book Reviews: We here at Elitist Book Reviews don't hesitate to tell people how awesome we are, because its the truth, and we want you to do the same. So tell us, why are you so awesome, Dan?

Dan Wells: I'm awesome because I once wrote a Choose Your Own Adventure book specifically designed to be unwinnable. I'm awesome because I've eaten brains. I'm awesome because I am not a cylon (as far as you know). But most of all, I'm awesome because Elitist Book Reviews loves my book.



EBR: Without giving too much away, can you give us a little background on the I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER trilogy?

DW: I wrote the first book because one night when I was explaining the MacDonald Triad to Brandon Sanderson he said, "that would make a cool book." It took me a year to figure out the best way to write it, but he was totally right. I submitted it to a number of editors, and Moshe Feder from Tor not only loved it but wanted a trilogy, which I had not planned for. That night I rewrote the ending a bit and brainstormed two sequels; three years later, the trilogy is finished and follows that brainstormed outline remarkably closely. In short: John spends the first book letting his dark side free, and a dark side is not an easy thing to lock away again.



EBR: What sets your book apart from the other Horror novels on shelves today?

DW: That's a hard question to answer, because modern horror covers such a wide range of styles and backgrounds. In some ways the plot of my book is closer to common fantasy tropes than to horror: young boy finds his world threatened by a dark power, and learns that he must use his inner gifts to rise up and become the hero. Of course, the dark power is a supernatural serial killer, and the "inner gifts" are sociopathy and a comprehensive knowledge of how to stalk and kill an unsuspecting victim. So I guess what I'm saying is: the structure of fantasy with the elements of horror, in a story that most readers describe as a character drama. Wow; that makes it sound really weird.



EBR: Was it difficult to write a book based on the behavior of serial killers without glorifying it?

DW: Writing without glorifying was not especially difficult, because the context of the story shows that the main character a) does everything he can to stop a killer, and b) suffers horrendously for his many serial killer-like traits. Promoting the book, on the other hand, has been very difficult to do without glorification. American culture is fascinated by serial killers--they're our hometown boogie men--and that's a big part of the draw of the book, but I've had to step very carefully to avoid things like "who's your favorite serial killer?"



EBR: What, if any, influences do you draw from in your writing?

DW: I didn't read a lot of horror until after I started writing it, but in retrospect I see a lot of horror themes in the stuff I did read: classic authors like Victor Hugo, Joseph Conrad, and Fyodor Dostoevsky. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is pure horror, beginning to end. I find that I'm attracted to hopelessness in fiction, for some reason; Russian literature, for example, is an incredible blend of determination, humor, and despair. I'd like to think that some of that comes through in my books.



EBR: What courses or trends do you see the genres of speculative fiction taking from here?

DW: Every new generation grows up more steeped in speculative fiction than the last, and I think we're not far off from the day when speculative fiction not only joins but takes over the mainstream. Do you want something more immediate than that? The same principles apply: the same formulas that made paranormal romance big ("it's like a romance novel, but with vampires!") will spread very strongly and very visibly into other areas of high-readership fiction, such as thriller and mysteries. The courtroom novel, the detective novel, the spy novel, etc. will all have their Twilight, thanks to the foundational work already done by people like Jim Butcher and Jonathan Maberry. In the realm of fantasy the pendulum is going to continue to swing toward heroic over epic, but overall I definitely think we're in a golden age of fantasy, and years from now people are going to look back at this period as the time when fantasy really took off.



EBR: Thank you for your time and indulging our curiosity. Any parting words for our readers?

DW: I like your shirt. It really sets off your eyes.

Dan Wells has crafted something extraordinary with his first novel, I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER. Our opinions are obviously superior to the rest, so you should believe us without question.

John Wayne Cleaver is the protagonist of the book, and as you find out very early on, he isn't your average teenager. His troubles go much deeper than most, and are much more serious. You see, he worries that he might become a serial killer. He has all the tendencies of a sociopath, and he is very aware of how dangerous they are.

John is obsessed with serial killers (he even writes reports on them in school)--how could he not be considering his tendencies, and the fact that he is named John Wayne (though his mother swears she didn't name him after the serial killer John Wayne Gacy). John, a boy in High School who also works at his family mortuary, begins to notice a strange pattern in the murders that are taking place in his small town. His personal investigation of the murders puts him in a unique position to expose the killer, and also puts him in danger of losing himself to his inner sociopath.

One of the things we especially liked about I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER (and therefore you are required to like it too), was that it doesn't seem to follow the typical public's view of "horror." It seems like people are hell-bent on assuming that horror is synonymous with hack-and-slash and blood-and-gore. Guess what? That's garbage, and Dan proves it in this amazing novel--the first in a trilogy--that the old-school flavor of horror built on suspense and character development is the way horror should be written and enjoyed.

Dan's writing is clever, and extremely well done. There are moments where the novel seems YA, and others where is straight-up Horror/Supernatural Horror. We think it was this accessible blend that really made this book excellent, in our not-so-humble opinions.

When we read this novel, we somehow managed to feel pleasantly disturbed, amused, horrified, terrified, and awed. How often can one book evoke that range of emotions, and make you pleased about all of them? I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER does just that, and more.

Now, some people may mistakenly draw parallels to the Jeff Lindsay's character, Dexter. First of all, we know Dan, and he had this idea long before Dexter was even popular. Second, Dan handles the young sociopath infinitely better than Lindsay handles his young Dexter segments. Lastly, Dan's book shifts dramatically from normal Horror to a near-Supernatural Horror part way through the novel (and it succeeds where Lindsay's 3rd Dexter novel turned into complete crap). This book isn't like Dexter. It surpasses Dexter on every level.

Don't be afraid to pick up this novel. Indulge your “inner demon”, if you will. It is incredible, and the sequels that will come out over the next year are even better. This will be one of those novels that you will find impossible to put down, and when you’ve finished, you will want to recommend it to everyone you know.

Recommended Age: 13 and up (the sequels, just so you know, should probably be for 15 and up)
Language: None
Violence: Well, duh. It gets awesome and crazy at times. You did read the title of the book right?
Sex: None

It is our pseudo-professional opinion (in other words, do it now) that you should wander over to Dan's website and check it out.

www.fearfulsymmetry.net

Lastly, Dan is one of the founding members of the group that does the podcast WRITING EXCUSES. Along with Brandon Sanderson and Howard Tayler, WRITING EXCUSES is a podcast that talks about the ins-and-outs of the business, and advice on how to get it done.

http://www.writingexcuses.com/

This review was originally published on August 01, 2009, and was modified on March 8, 2010 to prepare for the US release.