I Am Not A Serial Killer by Dan Wells
Dan Wells’ I Am Not a Serial Killer uses the negative phrase technique to tell the reader what the book is about. By giving the negative, it is apparent that the main character is going to have the characteristics of and try to avoid becoming a serial killer. In this case, that character is 15 year old John Wayne Cleaver, who works in a mortuary with his mom and believes that he is named after a serial killer and a weapon.
Wells has done his research and sets up nicely the characteristics that are common to most serial killers including a lack of empathy. In addition to the information about serial killers, the information conveyed about what goes on in a mortuary is morbidly fascinating, especially told through the eyes of Cleaver who is doing his best to keep the monster inside of him from getting loose. As the story proceeds, the only clunky part is the introduction of the supernatural. Fortunately, Wells is savvy enough to point out that the supernatural isn’t the scariest thing in the world. While this story is about Cleaver’s dealings with his inner demon, it is also a story about the power of love to change more than just people. If Dexter needed a PG beginning and a touch of the supernatural or Stephen King decided to write for young adults, I Am Not a Serial Killer could be the result. Wells’ first book is a page turner that focuses on characters that are fascinating and likable in spite of their defects – or maybe because of them. For those who like stories with surprises, Wells writes in a couple that will have readers turning to the page before to see if they missed something. |
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