A penetrating look inside a killer’s head; disquieting but insightful.
A debut thriller tells the story of a killer imprisoned in a facility that may be more barbaric than the atrocities he’s committed.
Clemensville, Texas, native Samuel Bradbury’s murderous deeds have landed him at the Criminal Zoo in Colorado. The former Supermax, the brainchild of Colorado Gov. Jon McIntyre, calls its inmates “exhibits” because citizens can buy tickets to watch them like zoo animals. Or visitors can pay more and actively beat or torture an exhibit. Samuel’s the product of a troubled childhood, a mother who abandoned her family and a father who regularly abused him. His extended family’s likewise shunned him, blaming him for the death of cousin Jeremy, who, while in a barn with Samuel, fell off a haystack and landed on a pitchfork. The disturbed Samuel has a twisted interpretation of religion, namely his focus on a vengeful God. He initially sets out to kill someone in retribution, but the motive for a subsequent murder gets a little murky, though it’s clearly from an unhinged mind. When the law finally catches up to him, Samuel finds himself sentenced to death in the Confinement Center. He can choose instead the Zoo and, if he’s able to endure visitors’ maltreatment for a year, will reputedly spend a relatively painless life in a standard prison. But there’s another option that may offer absolution. The grim story isn’t easy to digest, an unwavering first-person perspective from Samuel. It’s teeming with brutality, whether it’s Samuel’s vivid description of a murder, or a visitor, usually an incensed stranger, donning a jumpsuit, booties, and gloves—for potential spatter. McDaniel’s middle-of-the-road approach, however, is certain to spark debate. For starters, it makes the death penalty seem more humane, while some readers will likely believe Samuel deserves his sadistic experiences at the Zoo. The author’s sure-handed writing, meanwhile, is an asset; Samuel’s occasional diatribes make surprising sense, like his confusion over the Bible attributing human emotions to God (for example, jealousy). A fitting end includes a twist or two but refrains from offering a simple solution to tie up the narrative: it’s largely open to interpretation, like the never-ending debate of capital punishment.
A penetrating look inside a killer’s head; disquieting but insightful.Pub Date: Nov. 15, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-9974407-0-6
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Rare Bird Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 4, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This novel began as a reworking of W.W. Jacobs' horror classic "The Monkey's Paw"—a short story about the dreadful outcome when a father wishes for his dead son's resurrection. And King's 400-page version reads, in fact, like a monstrously padded short story, moving so slowly that every plot-turn becomes lumberingly predictable. Still, readers with a taste for the morbid and ghoulish will find unlimited dark, mortality-obsessed atmosphere here—as Dr. Louis Creed arrives in Maine with wife Rachel and their two little kids Ellie and Gage, moving into a semi-rural house not far from the "Pet Sematary": a spot in the woods where local kids have been burying their pets for decades. Louis, 35, finds a great new friend/father-figure in elderly neighbor Jud Crandall; he begins work as director of the local university health-services. But Louis is oppressed by thoughts of death—especially after a dying student whispers something about the pet cemetery, then reappears in a dream (but is it a dream) to lead Louis into those woods during the middle of the night. What is the secret of the Pet Sematary? Well, eventually old Jud gives Louis a lecture/tour of the Pet Sematary's "annex"—an old Micmac burying ground where pets have been buried. . .and then reappeared alive! So, when little Ellie's beloved cat Church is run over (while Ellie's visiting grandfolks), Louis and Jud bury it in the annex—resulting in a faintly nasty resurrection: Church reappears, now with a foul smell and a creepy demeanor. But: what would happen if a human corpse were buried there? That's the question when Louis' little son Gage is promptly killed in an accident. Will grieving father Louis dig up his son's body from the normal graveyard and replant it in the Pet Sematary? What about the stories of a previous similar attempt—when dead Timmy Baterman was "transformed into some sort of all-knowing daemon?" Will Gage return to the living—but as "a thing of evil?" He will indeed, spouting obscenities and committing murder. . .before Louis must eliminate this child-demon he has unleashed. Filled out with overdone family melodrama (the feud between Louis and his father-in-law) and repetitious inner monologues: a broody horror tale that's strong on dark, depressing chills, weak on suspense or surprise—and not likely to please the fans of King's zestier, livelier terror-thons.
Pub Date: Nov. 4, 1983
ISBN: 0743412281
Page Count: 420
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Sept. 26, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1983
BOOK TO SCREEN
In his quest for easy moolah, Owen learns that the road to financial solvency can be rocky and fraught with work. Greene (Owen Foote, Soccer Star, 1998, etc.) touches upon the often-thorny issue of chores and allowances: Owen’s mom wants him to help out because he’s part of the family and not just for the money—while Owen wants the money without having to do tedious household chores. This universal dilemma leaves Owen without funds and eagerly searching for ways to make a quick buck. His madcap schemes range from original—a “free” toilet demonstration that costs 50 cents—to disastrous, as during the trial run of his children’s fishing video, Owen ends up hooking his ear instead of a trout. Enlisting the aid of his stalwart, if long-suffering, friend Joseph, the two form a dog-walking club that becomes vastly restricted in clientele after Owen has a close encounter with an incontinent, octogenarian canine. Ultimately, Owen learns a valuable lesson about work and money when an unselfish action is generously rewarded. These sudden riches motivate Owen to consider wiser investments for his money than plastic vomit. Greene’s crisp writing style and wry humor is on-target for young readers. Brief chapters revolving around a significant event or action and fast pacing are an effective draw for tentative readers. Weston’s (Space Guys!, p. 392, etc.) black-and-white illustrations, ranging in size from quarter- to full-page, deftly portray Owen’s humorous escapades. A wise, witty addition to Greene’s successful series. (Fiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2000
ISBN: 0-618-02369-0
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2000
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