I was provided an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Synopsis:
When an ordinary young man wakes up in his quiet neighborhood on a day seemingly like all the others, the city he’s lived in all his life has no idea what’s about to befall it once he sets out on a day-long bike ride carrying a purposefully packed backpack and a definitive plan.
Who is Schroeder, and what motivates his brutal killing spree? As he cycles from one victim’s home to the next, keeping pace with the rhythm of a city that burgeons to life under an increasingly dazzling sun exposing both its beauty and vivacity and its dark, dirty, underbelly, Schroeder lays bare his dreams, disappointments, delights, and dismays, establishing himself as a compelling contemporary antihero. The day rolls ominously towards its climax through hectic city streets, lush suburban gardens, stately mansions, and decrepit housing projects, punctuated by Schroeder’s reflections on a society in shambles and a deeply damaged, if not broken, humanity—but not without revealing life’s boundless wonder and infinite possibilities for joy and redemption through moments that are within—and yet tragically beyond—Schroeder’s grasp. A tell-all denouement brings Schroeder out of the shadows of his actions, the pathos of his questions about the kind of world we live in lingering long after.
Schroeder is a twenty-something year old man living in an unnamed city. He starts out his day with a methodical plan, narrating us through all he does. The reader is so far inside Schroeder’s head, even mundane descriptions begin to feel ominous. Schroeder loads up his backpack with all of the supplies he needs, eats his breakfast, reads his most prized comic book, and heads out for a day of unrelenting violence.
One by one the reader is taken along with Schroeder as he makes stop after stop and unleashes incredibly vivid acts of torture and murder. In between these acts, and sometimes during them, Schroeder has deep philosophical thoughts about life, society, what justice is, and how the world is as he sees it.
The violence is bloody and sudden and unapologetic. This book is not for those who are disturbed by gore and violence. But, more than the violence, the thoughts and events that Schroeder enacts, and the things that explain his murderous rampage are even more unsettling. This is the type of book that remains with the reader long after finishing.
It’s a fascinating take on a character in an extreme situation, taking extreme measures. Neal Cassidy does an incredible job of allowing the reader to both be repulsed by and empathize with Schroeder. And Cassidy shows that those who are most capable of such acts can still see and understand the complexity, beauty and difficulty in life.
If you read the book, there is no forgetting it. If you love dark, psychological thrillers and don’t mind spending time in the head of a killer who you may have more in common with than you think, this book is a fantastic read.
