I Am Not a Serial Killer

For a dramatic change of pace from the rest of this month's reading, I picked up I Am Not A Serial Killer (Tor Books, 2010; editor: Moshe Feder), a debut novel by Dan Wells which I had been keeping an eye out for ever since I spotted a promotional button on his editor's shirt over lunch last fall.  And...jackpot!  This is a marvelous little book which I probably never would have found if not for that fortuitous lunch date.

I feel there are significant pop culture influences at work here: the hero is an ethical teenage sociopath named John Wayne Cleaver who, rather like Dexter, really doesn't want to grow up to be a serial killer.  He's being raised in a mortuary, which is immediately reminiscent of Alison Bechdel's fabulous graphic novel-format memoir, Fun Home.  He observes a strict set of self-imposed behavior rules intended to head off any sociopathic impulses, as he explains to his patient psychiatrist, Dr. Neblin.  It's a very, very good portrayal of someone practicing moral behavior for purely external reasons and of the problems engendered by maintaining that sort of facade.  It's also dryly humorous.

Unfortunately for John, whose middle name instantly makes any reader of News of the Weird suspicious, there's someone in his little town who isn't observing those rules.  It quickly becomes obvious that a serial killer is at work, and John is the first to spot the pattern, leading to a high-stakes contest of wits with the killer actually being significantly less sociopathic than his young hunter.  And there are some clever and unexpected twists that I really can't address even indirectly without spoiling things.  Some reviewers have not been so careful, so I would suggest avoiding reviews and just taking my word that this is an excellent read.  Even if you don't like serial killer novels, try it, because that's really not quite what it is.  A pure crime novel fan would probably not approve of how it all works out.  But I Am Not a Serial Killer lets you enjoy the thrill of admiring and rooting for the brilliant sociopath without having to feel guilty about the consequences of his cleverness.

I'm delighted that this is the first of a series and will be purchasing the second one when it comes out in the U.S. in September, though I'm going to be quite annoyed if the series goes to paperback-only after I bought a hardcover of the first.  Wells' website also provides the opportunity to purchase promotional buttons and other swag; I'm considering ordering the girl-fit t-shirt to add to my collection of t-shirts that make people give me funny looks.

I can't discuss any more of the plot properly without spoilers (avoid the reviews! seriously!), so I'll just end with a strong recommendation to get the book and read for yourself:

Comments

[Serge]

John, whose middle name instantly makes any reader of News of the Weird suspicious

I myself thought of John Wayne Bobbitt, who had had it bobbed.

[Marilee J. Layman]

It sounds interesting, so I checked the library catalog -- it's listed as YA!

[Mary Aileen]

Marilee: Probably because of the age of the protaganist. My library has it as adult, but about a third of the copies in the county are YA.

It does sound intriguing.

[Susan de Guardiola]

I suppose it's quaint of me think the book with the incest is fine for YA while the book with the violence doesn't even occur to me as YA.

[Sorcyress]

Oooo, that sounds plenty excellent, and right up my alley (I *like* learning about sociopaths, especially 'good' ones). I will most certainly keep an eye out and see if I can get my hands on a copy sometime soon!

~Sor

[Serge]

Speaking of "Dexter"... I quite liked the first series, with its showing a character who makes himself be human. Aftr that though, it turned into a soap, a dark kind of soap, but a soap nonetheless. Or am I the only person who feels that way?

[Susan de Guardiola]

Serge: I've never actually seen the show, but I've read enough about it to make the comparison. The book's protagonist is also making himself be human. It's fascinating to watch.

[Marilee J. Layman]

I read the first part of the book last night and will do another tonight, but may stop then. If you changed the names, it could be a prequel to Dexter and I think Dexter is better. It may just be my age, although I read a fair amount of books with teenage protagonists.

[Marilee J. Layman]

About page 100, things start to happen, so I'll finish this tonight.

[Susan de Guardiola]

I look forward to hearing what you think overall.

[Marilee J. Layman]

Well, I'm not going to read the next two books. It just wasn't quite as busy as I would have liked.

[Susan de Guardiola]

Fair enough. I don't watch TV so that may give me more tolerance for slow pacing.