Thursday, October 29, 2015

Dark Tales for Halloween

These two dark novels are real treats for fans of literary fiction.  Grab a bowl of candy corn and enjoy!
The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue is the story of a changeling who steals a young life but spends it with a heavy heart.   Runaway Henry Day seems to relish his new life in the woods while the impostor Henry Day grows ever-protective of his new human family.   It’s not the typical monster story but a very human one about family secrets, deceptions and regrets.
For fans of gallows humor and anti-heroes there’s Graeme Cameron’s Normal.  While The Stolen Child shows a monster with a human heart, Normal reveals the monstrous heart inside of an otherwise normal appearance.

I really enjoyed this comically dark tale despite the fact that the narrator couldn’t be less sympathetic.  He’s a ruthless and conniving psychopath whose life takes an unprecedented turn when he develops a strange fascination with a young cashier, kidnaps an atypical victim, (She’s so critical of the accommodations that he ends up preparing gourmet meals to slip into her cage.) and finds himself in a position to rescue (rather than maim) a damsel in distress.  

What happens when a serial killer faces an identity crisis?  Check out Normal by Graeme Cameron to find out.

Alicia Cavitt
Information Specialist

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