ARC Review: Normal: A novel

Title: Normal: A Novel by Graeme Cameron
Publisher: Mira
Format: Kindle - advance e-galley
Pages: 304 pages
Genre: Humor, fiction, psychological murder mystery

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: "The truth is I hurt people. It's what I do. It's all I do. It's all I've ever done."

He lives in your community, in a nice house with a well-tended garden. He shops in your grocery store, bumping shoulders with you and apologizing with a smile. He drives beside you on the highway, politely waving you into the lane ahead of him.

What you don't know is that he has an elaborate cage built into a secret basement under his garage. And the food that he's carefully shopping for is to feed a young woman he's holding there against her will—one in a string of many, unaware of the fate that awaits her.

This is how it's been for a long time. It's normal…and it works. Perfectly.

Then he meets the checkout girl from the 24-hour grocery. And now the plan, the hunts, the room…the others. He doesn't need any of them anymore. He needs only her. But just as he decides to go straight, the police start to close in. He might be able to cover his tracks, except for one small problem—he still has someone trapped in his garage.

Discovering his humanity couldn't have come at a worse time.

(20)Review: Fast paced, weird, funny and tragic all at the same time this is a great black comedy.  Never did you think you would be routing for a serial killer but there is something about Graeme's killer that makes you start routing for him.

I couldn't put this down once I started it and finished it in a few days - it may have been sooner if I didn't have such a busy life that kept getting in the way! I've heard this book compared to the series Dexter, and I can see the similarities since for once we don't want the serial killer caught!

Graeme's killer undergoes a transformation during this book and while its happening you aren't sure if it is a good thing or a bad thing.  I just found this book so different and entertaining.  I didn't want it to end and when it did I was left wishing I had someone to discuss it with.  I needed to talk about that ending and what it meant and what if and oh so may things.  I haven't really loved a book as much as this in a long time.  It was unique and fun, creepy and is bound to stay with me for a long time.  I am definitely recommending this to anyone who likes crime fiction and mystery books.  Bravo Graeme!

Comments

  1. I had just recently heard of this book. You make it sound like it stands up to the hype. I'll have to add it to my TBR list. Thanks for posting!

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