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Disturbed Girl Trilogy #1
A Disturbed Girl's Guide to Curing Boredom
Hannah Harker is bored. Her tedious job as a local newspaper reporter is grinding her soul to dust and she cannot find anything to interest or excite her. Refusing to accept an average life of anonymity, she decides to tear up all the rule books and do everything in her power to find a cure for this boredom. Free from the shackles of social convention and morality, she sets off down a dark and dangerous path that will change her forever. A terrible tragedy of her own making sends her spiralling into meltdown and the lives of countless people get dragged into her twisted world. Embarking on a brutal journey through Asia, she befriends arms dealers in Thailand, gangsters in Hong Kong and terrorists in Malaysia, while breaking the hearts of men and women at every turn. As the clock ticks down to a shattering conclusion, the world can only pray that she self-destructs before creating the most staggering news event in history.
238 pages, Paperback
First published June 30, 2011
3 people are currently reading
1805 people want to read
About the author
James Howell
9 books30 followersJames Howell (born 1978) is a former journalist and author of the Disturbed Girl series of novels.
His experiences while working on a local newspaper in Essex, England, and on national newspapers in London, inspired the adventures of anti-hero Hannah Harker in the novels.
Howell’s debut novel, A Disturbed Girl's Guide to Curing Boredom, follows the story of local reporter Harker as she gradually grows insane in her quest to find excitement at all costs.
Published by Amygdala Press in June 2011, the debut is a "harrowing, savage and sexual exploration of a broken mind" and has attracted nearly 50,000 fans on the official Facebook page. In January 2013 it was named 7th in Really TV's top 10 must-read erotic novels of all time.
The sequel, A Disturbed Girl Implodes, continues Hannah's demented adventures and was published by Amygdala Press in May 2012.
The final part of the trilogy, A Disturbed Girl’s Redemption, was published in autumn 2013.
In late 2012, London-based electronic music artist Mush No Candy collaborated with Howell to produce a unique soundtrack to accompany the novels, which was the subject of a BBC radio programme.
Howell recently launched "Disturbed Girl Productions" to develop screenplays into short films. The debut presentation is "Amber's Haunt", which was released in 2015.
In another example of Disturbed Girl's multi-media appeal, leading Dutch photographer Look J Boden has recently created a unique portfolio of portraits depicting Hannah Harker in various scenes from the novel A Disturbed Girl’s Guide to Curing Boredom.
Back at the keyboard, Howell is currently working on an anthology of short stories called "Guinea Pigs".
Aside from writing, Howell is a keen diver, amateur sailor, abysmal skier and occasional romantic. He has travelled extensively in the pursuit of fortune and glory, with extended periods in South America, India and Asia, but finds himself always returning home to the shores of Southend-on-Sea in the UK.
He would like the track Avril 14th by Aphex Twin to be played at his funeral.
His experiences while working on a local newspaper in Essex, England, and on national newspapers in London, inspired the adventures of anti-hero Hannah Harker in the novels.
Howell’s debut novel, A Disturbed Girl's Guide to Curing Boredom, follows the story of local reporter Harker as she gradually grows insane in her quest to find excitement at all costs.
Published by Amygdala Press in June 2011, the debut is a "harrowing, savage and sexual exploration of a broken mind" and has attracted nearly 50,000 fans on the official Facebook page. In January 2013 it was named 7th in Really TV's top 10 must-read erotic novels of all time.
The sequel, A Disturbed Girl Implodes, continues Hannah's demented adventures and was published by Amygdala Press in May 2012.
The final part of the trilogy, A Disturbed Girl’s Redemption, was published in autumn 2013.
In late 2012, London-based electronic music artist Mush No Candy collaborated with Howell to produce a unique soundtrack to accompany the novels, which was the subject of a BBC radio programme.
Howell recently launched "Disturbed Girl Productions" to develop screenplays into short films. The debut presentation is "Amber's Haunt", which was released in 2015.
In another example of Disturbed Girl's multi-media appeal, leading Dutch photographer Look J Boden has recently created a unique portfolio of portraits depicting Hannah Harker in various scenes from the novel A Disturbed Girl’s Guide to Curing Boredom.
Back at the keyboard, Howell is currently working on an anthology of short stories called "Guinea Pigs".
Aside from writing, Howell is a keen diver, amateur sailor, abysmal skier and occasional romantic. He has travelled extensively in the pursuit of fortune and glory, with extended periods in South America, India and Asia, but finds himself always returning home to the shores of Southend-on-Sea in the UK.
He would like the track Avril 14th by Aphex Twin to be played at his funeral.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 28, 2018
Men will create a whole entire fictional woman, spend an entire book stressing how ~~~crazy~~~ she is and how she does not want or need to be Saved, and then will literally shoehorn themselves into the the story so they can have sex with her and inevitably try to Save her. I'm fucken howling.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2012
a disturbed girl's guide to curing boredom by
James Howell (www.amygdala-press.com)
This novel came out earlier this year and it has
to be said had it come out 10 years ago it would
have been dismissed as being too far fetched but
living in the times we do it just seems to
mirror what has gone on in recent years.
The book follows Hannah Harker as she embarks on
a career as a journalist starting out on a local
paper in the imaginary town of Rockingsworth
where her boredom leads her to be the kind of
journalist that creates the stories she reports
on much like the fake sheik does, only she is by
turns a fire bug and a honey trap for a football
player, which gets her a job on a daily paper in
London where she continues to fabricate stories
that get her and her targets into ever more
nasty trouble as she gets involved in terrorism
and arms dealing.
As I say had I read this a few years ago I would
have just scoffed at it, but now after the phone
hacking and other recent scandals it has a ring
of almost believeability, only I find myself
getting pissed off at the authors need to invent
hotels and clubs in London a city with enough to
set the action in and also the way he seems to
think the sex scenes are perverted and out there
while never managing to get anywhere near as
sick and twisted as the average Dennis Cooper
book does or as out there as Warren Ellis does
in Crooked Little Vein, it is sort of vanilla
perversions.
Not a bad book just one that lacks something and
at times seems like it was written with one eye
on the breakingnews scrolling across the authors
screen.
James Howell (www.amygdala-press.com)
This novel came out earlier this year and it has
to be said had it come out 10 years ago it would
have been dismissed as being too far fetched but
living in the times we do it just seems to
mirror what has gone on in recent years.
The book follows Hannah Harker as she embarks on
a career as a journalist starting out on a local
paper in the imaginary town of Rockingsworth
where her boredom leads her to be the kind of
journalist that creates the stories she reports
on much like the fake sheik does, only she is by
turns a fire bug and a honey trap for a football
player, which gets her a job on a daily paper in
London where she continues to fabricate stories
that get her and her targets into ever more
nasty trouble as she gets involved in terrorism
and arms dealing.
As I say had I read this a few years ago I would
have just scoffed at it, but now after the phone
hacking and other recent scandals it has a ring
of almost believeability, only I find myself
getting pissed off at the authors need to invent
hotels and clubs in London a city with enough to
set the action in and also the way he seems to
think the sex scenes are perverted and out there
while never managing to get anywhere near as
sick and twisted as the average Dennis Cooper
book does or as out there as Warren Ellis does
in Crooked Little Vein, it is sort of vanilla
perversions.
Not a bad book just one that lacks something and
at times seems like it was written with one eye
on the breakingnews scrolling across the authors
screen.
May 18, 2017
disturbed is a tactful term for hannah harker, our chaos-wielding anti-hero of this very modern and somewhat fantastical tale. i cringed, i laughed, i gasped, i was grossed out, i scared my cat off the couch, etc. and i will read the next book.
November 6, 2016
I was going to give this 3 stars until I read the stupid epilogue. ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?
Actual review coming soon, finishing this book has me unjustifiably tired and cranky at the moment.
------------------------------------------------
Okay. The actual review.
Initially, I was very intrigued with the premise of this book. A woman becomes so consumed by boredom, committing atrocity after atrocity until she does the worst thing possible, "the most staggering news event in history." I was very interested in reading about her descent into madness and chaos, and her justifications for doing so. This is James Howell's first novel, and it shows.
The writing: It read like a checklist rather than prose. The first few chapters alone:
- She is very disturbed(tm) and has a story to tell. Check.
- She is attractive and describes what she looks like. Check.
- She has a mild history of disturbing(tm) behaviour. Check.
- She is bored out of her mind. Check.
I know that these are important plot points that any author would use to build the story, but that's just it. It didn't feel like natural storyline progression. It felt like expanded bullet points in paragraph form.
The novel itself felt clinical and emotionless. I've heard it argued that this sort of prose can be a plot device to show the narrator's disconnected and traumatized state of mind, and I agree to an extent. But in certain sections where the prose is supposed to be describing chaotic emotional turmoil, it again reads just like a checklist. Also, spelling errors. Was this not edited?
The plot: I can forgive a convoluted plot if the buildup is believable, and the details seem plausible. But it is quite hard to believe that such a small time journalist can so easily bamboozle paranoid criminals and infiltrate their organization. The massive leap it takes for someone and then want to as revenge was a bit over-the-top.
The main character: Usually, I love anti-heroes and villains, and I have a particular grudging respect for anti-heroines and villainesses. But I hated Hannah Harker. She is a repulsive, despicable and completely unsympathetic human being and a privileged, entitled, narcissistic psychopath. In her character, I saw every self-pitying sad sack who commits mass murder/school shootings because 'people were mean' or 'they felt lonely' or in Hannah's case, 'she was bored.' Or perhaps every serial killer who deliberately leaves clues in order to get publicity for their crimes. She justifies hurting and harming people by rationalizing "If they were stupid enough to fall for it, they deserved it," and yet takes every painstaking precaution to avoid discovery and/or capture. She dumps her boyfriend because she got bored with him, and is unnecessarily cruel about it (the way the book tries to justify this later on is one of many things that pissed me off). She is mentally cruel towards any woman that she has no desire to sleep with, and demeans those that she deems beneath her because they have no ambition and are content with boredom unlike her super special self. Really and truly, the blurb got it right. I was sincerely rooting for her to die, because the world surely would be a better place.
The frame story: This is a story within a story, where the author places himself in-universe as essentially the writer of Hannah's biography. Hannah herself seemingly prefaces her biography with a prologue of her own, hammering into the reader that she is just soooo disturbed(tm). One gets the strange feeling that the author wrote Hannah's character as his ideal elusive high-on-a-pedestal goddess woman; and this is evidenced by the infuriating (for many reasons) epilogue where they are shown to be sleeping together.
The ending: I haven't been this infuriated by a novel's end in a long time. That bit of deus-ex-machina that wrapped up the remaining loose ends of the story just cheapened the entire thing. Her descent into madness, her atrocious acts, all for naught. And why? Also, the very last line of the novel seems to suggest that Hannah's story, as told by the author, is over. Then how has the sequel come to light? Was the frame story completely ignored? Was it set many years later? I have had more than enough of narcissistic psychopath Hannah Harker, so I do not care enough to read the sequel and find out.
Actual review coming soon, finishing this book has me unjustifiably tired and cranky at the moment.
------------------------------------------------
Okay. The actual review.
Initially, I was very intrigued with the premise of this book. A woman becomes so consumed by boredom, committing atrocity after atrocity until she does the worst thing possible, "the most staggering news event in history." I was very interested in reading about her descent into madness and chaos, and her justifications for doing so. This is James Howell's first novel, and it shows.
The writing: It read like a checklist rather than prose. The first few chapters alone:
- She is very disturbed(tm) and has a story to tell. Check.
- She is attractive and describes what she looks like. Check.
- She has a mild history of disturbing(tm) behaviour. Check.
- She is bored out of her mind. Check.
I know that these are important plot points that any author would use to build the story, but that's just it. It didn't feel like natural storyline progression. It felt like expanded bullet points in paragraph form.
The novel itself felt clinical and emotionless. I've heard it argued that this sort of prose can be a plot device to show the narrator's disconnected and traumatized state of mind, and I agree to an extent. But in certain sections where the prose is supposed to be describing chaotic emotional turmoil, it again reads just like a checklist. Also, spelling errors. Was this not edited?
The plot: I can forgive a convoluted plot if the buildup is believable, and the details seem plausible. But it is quite hard to believe that such a small time journalist can so easily bamboozle paranoid criminals and infiltrate their organization. The massive leap it takes for someone and then want to as revenge was a bit over-the-top.
The main character: Usually, I love anti-heroes and villains, and I have a particular grudging respect for anti-heroines and villainesses. But I hated Hannah Harker. She is a repulsive, despicable and completely unsympathetic human being and a privileged, entitled, narcissistic psychopath. In her character, I saw every self-pitying sad sack who commits mass murder/school shootings because 'people were mean' or 'they felt lonely' or in Hannah's case, 'she was bored.' Or perhaps every serial killer who deliberately leaves clues in order to get publicity for their crimes. She justifies hurting and harming people by rationalizing "If they were stupid enough to fall for it, they deserved it," and yet takes every painstaking precaution to avoid discovery and/or capture. She dumps her boyfriend because she got bored with him, and is unnecessarily cruel about it (the way the book tries to justify this later on is one of many things that pissed me off). She is mentally cruel towards any woman that she has no desire to sleep with, and demeans those that she deems beneath her because they have no ambition and are content with boredom unlike her super special self. Really and truly, the blurb got it right. I was sincerely rooting for her to die, because the world surely would be a better place.
The frame story: This is a story within a story, where the author places himself in-universe as essentially the writer of Hannah's biography. Hannah herself seemingly prefaces her biography with a prologue of her own, hammering into the reader that she is just soooo disturbed(tm). One gets the strange feeling that the author wrote Hannah's character as his ideal elusive high-on-a-pedestal goddess woman; and this is evidenced by the infuriating (for many reasons) epilogue where they are shown to be sleeping together.
The ending: I haven't been this infuriated by a novel's end in a long time. That bit of deus-ex-machina that wrapped up the remaining loose ends of the story just cheapened the entire thing. Her descent into madness, her atrocious acts, all for naught. And why? Also, the very last line of the novel seems to suggest that Hannah's story, as told by the author, is over. Then how has the sequel come to light? Was the frame story completely ignored? Was it set many years later? I have had more than enough of narcissistic psychopath Hannah Harker, so I do not care enough to read the sequel and find out.
April 26, 2019
good idea and catchy title. bought the book because of those two things and regretted my decision just before the start of chapter 2. every bad writing cliché can be found in this book. even the classic one: girl looks at herself in the mirror and describes her entire appearance in great detail. weird. no idea how it got published.
September 16, 2018
Occasionally I thought a point was being made.
Regret acting on this recommendation.
Regret acting on this recommendation.
September 5, 2017
Zeitgeisty? Is that a word? Can I have it anyway? Because James Howell's 2011 novel is zeitgeisty as hell. It's also damned hard to categorise. I'm calling it a satire, but you could read it as a spectacularly implausible thriller if you like. That's not a criticism per se, since all thrillers are implausible - from James Bond downwards - but they get away with it through sheer panache.
Hannah Harker, a young, aspiring journalist in a dead-end job at a regional newspaper, commits the modern sin of imagining that her life should be a lot more interesting than it is and decides to do something about it. Harking (geddit?) back to a youthful experience of crime without consequences, she sets off on what some might term a crime spree. However, as the Leveson Inquiry into press ethics has shown (see what I mean about zeitgeist?), what passes for crime in conventional society is merely 'proactive research' for a journalist. When it all starts to unravel, Hannah is driven by her own hubris and nihilism to commit more dangerous and immoral feats of 'research'.
She's a classic unreliable narrator, and any reader who needs to sympathise with the main character in a novel will hate this one. Seeing through her shallow and unconvincing self-justification is one of the pleasures of the book and is what makes it a satire. Putting the author himself in the book as a fictional biographer was a nice touch too.
The plot spirals away from the implausible to the bizarre but just about gets away with it, although the prose creaks at times. There are too many melodramatic adjectives and too much telling rather than showing: we know Hannah's state of mind because she comes right out and tells us. We know what she looks like because she stands in front of a mirror and describes herself - the way we all do when we need reminding of our hair colour, bust size or racial background. We know a character's opinion because he sits down and gives Hannah a 200-word explanation of what he thinks.
The could have done with a ruthless editor, but when I put it down after two days of reading, I decided I'd enjoyed my time with sad, deranged Hannah and her slightly creepy biographer James.
Hannah Harker, a young, aspiring journalist in a dead-end job at a regional newspaper, commits the modern sin of imagining that her life should be a lot more interesting than it is and decides to do something about it. Harking (geddit?) back to a youthful experience of crime without consequences, she sets off on what some might term a crime spree. However, as the Leveson Inquiry into press ethics has shown (see what I mean about zeitgeist?), what passes for crime in conventional society is merely 'proactive research' for a journalist. When it all starts to unravel, Hannah is driven by her own hubris and nihilism to commit more dangerous and immoral feats of 'research'.
She's a classic unreliable narrator, and any reader who needs to sympathise with the main character in a novel will hate this one. Seeing through her shallow and unconvincing self-justification is one of the pleasures of the book and is what makes it a satire. Putting the author himself in the book as a fictional biographer was a nice touch too.
The plot spirals away from the implausible to the bizarre but just about gets away with it, although the prose creaks at times. There are too many melodramatic adjectives and too much telling rather than showing: we know Hannah's state of mind because she comes right out and tells us. We know what she looks like because she stands in front of a mirror and describes herself - the way we all do when we need reminding of our hair colour, bust size or racial background. We know a character's opinion because he sits down and gives Hannah a 200-word explanation of what he thinks.
The could have done with a ruthless editor, but when I put it down after two days of reading, I decided I'd enjoyed my time with sad, deranged Hannah and her slightly creepy biographer James.
July 29, 2011
A Disturbed Girl’s Guide to Curing Boredom was a very entertaining, well-written book. It is very difficult to put the book down once one begins reading it. For the most part, the book is quite realistic. The character dynamics are wonderful, and the plot has plenty of action-packed twist and turns. The only negative thing I have to say about the book is that is lacked some continuity in parts. The largest of the continuity problems being that, in the beginning, the main character states that she will kill herself once the book is published. Then in the epilogue, it states that she is still being followed and written about. A humorous continuity problem is about half way through the book when the main character is being escorted to a hotel in a BMW. One page later, during the same escort, she states that she is in a Mercedes. Overall, I’d definitely recommend this book to ANYONE, and I’ll probably reread it myself at some point. Fabulous writing technique, fabulous story. Five stars, for sure.
September 21, 2013
Characters: Psychotic, determined, adventurous, misguided
Storyline: fast-paced, racey, murder-fest
Writing: Good except for a few words left out and a few extra words in some sentences here and there. There is one part during the chase scene when a car crashes and blows up instantly. Unless the guy poured gasoline all over the inside of the car and put a lit match to it just as they crashed, it just isn't realistic.
Summary: Aside from the few parts that read like a pornographic script, the story is fast-paced and trilling with a twist you don't expect until the final pages of the book, while at the same time, showing the ill psychological effects from a person's choices and their inevitable downfall. It explores the evils of power and lack of responsibility with a touch of sentimentality, obsession, and fun.
The epilogue is a must read as it ties everything together.
Storyline: fast-paced, racey, murder-fest
Writing: Good except for a few words left out and a few extra words in some sentences here and there. There is one part during the chase scene when a car crashes and blows up instantly. Unless the guy poured gasoline all over the inside of the car and put a lit match to it just as they crashed, it just isn't realistic.
Summary: Aside from the few parts that read like a pornographic script, the story is fast-paced and trilling with a twist you don't expect until the final pages of the book, while at the same time, showing the ill psychological effects from a person's choices and their inevitable downfall. It explores the evils of power and lack of responsibility with a touch of sentimentality, obsession, and fun.
The epilogue is a must read as it ties everything together.
January 3, 2012
"Free from the shackles of social convention and morality, she sets off down a dark and dangerous path that will change her forever."
See: selfish bitch who gets her kicks by murdering innocent people and justifing those murders with ridiculous thoughts such as "we're all going to die one day".
In short, I despised the protagonist after page 3. I don't know why I continued to read this book-- maybe I was just hoping that she would eventually become something other than a selfish psychopath.
Howell is not a terrible writer and parts of the story are interesting. However, he could learn the difference between "there", "they're", and "their".
(I don't even want to discuss this book at book club...)
See: selfish bitch who gets her kicks by murdering innocent people and justifing those murders with ridiculous thoughts such as "we're all going to die one day".
In short, I despised the protagonist after page 3. I don't know why I continued to read this book-- maybe I was just hoping that she would eventually become something other than a selfish psychopath.
Howell is not a terrible writer and parts of the story are interesting. However, he could learn the difference between "there", "they're", and "their".
(I don't even want to discuss this book at book club...)
September 12, 2013
I borrowed this from a friend and immediately went out and bought the sequel. After all the hype about 50 shades, this is a book with a character who truly pushes boundaries and leaves you feeling uncomfortable but exhilarated.
I’ve seen A Disturbed Girl’s Guide to Curing Boredom mentioned alongside 50 Shades, but apart from the sex they have nothing in common. James Howell has written a fast-paced, violent, observant and original action thriller. His focus on the media is relevant and keenly detailed, while the main character Hannah is so oblique that you’re never sure if she’s good or evil. I think most people will either love her or hate her, but this novel and its protagonist will stay with you long after the final page.
I’ve seen A Disturbed Girl’s Guide to Curing Boredom mentioned alongside 50 Shades, but apart from the sex they have nothing in common. James Howell has written a fast-paced, violent, observant and original action thriller. His focus on the media is relevant and keenly detailed, while the main character Hannah is so oblique that you’re never sure if she’s good or evil. I think most people will either love her or hate her, but this novel and its protagonist will stay with you long after the final page.
October 29, 2012
The ending of this book completely blew my mind. That said, the journey from the first page to the last was nothing less than insane. There were a couple of gory parts that nearly made me abandon this story but I am glad I didn't because the ending made it all worthwhile. I don't think the title does the book any justice. The main character was definitely many levels beyond being simply "disturbed" & as for the boredom cure? Well, a nice rollercoaster ride would have done the trick for me. I'll take boredom over this bloody mess any day of the week! I found this book to be an excellent lesson in karma &, more importantly, the grave danger of jumping to conclusions.
October 6, 2015
Great idea for a story wrecked by lacklustre writing and a plot that becomes more and more ludicrous chapter by chapter. The appalling grammar and abundant typos become annoying after a while - especially when dialogue becomes impossible to follow at times because the author does not seem to comprehend the most basic rules of punctuation. Add a dollop (in the kindest sense of the word) of badly written sex and tedious info dumping whenever the scene switches from one exotic location to another and I ended up wishing he'd put more thought into the plot and characterisation
July 13, 2015
The Disturbed Girl books seem to have gone slightly under the radar, but the eponymous anti-heroine, Hannah Harker, is a real tour de force. It's easy to understand why some people find the trilogy too much (the sex and violence are pure X-rated) and Hannah will have as many haters as fans, but I found the series original, challenging and great fun to read.
March 4, 2019
The book was like a lesbian porn in words with a murder twist but the ending was not expected I would not have ever thought Liam would have been as messed up in the head as he was. Hanna wasn't to right in the head herself. Everyone in this book was messed up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 29, 2014
This book is seriously fucked up. Ok the clue mabye in the title but seriously disturbing is defiantly the word I'd use to describe Hannah harker and the things she does.
Hannah harker is bored with her BORNING life and borning job so seeks out thrills In some sick ways.
Hannah harker is bored with her BORNING life and borning job so seeks out thrills In some sick ways.
October 18, 2014
A pointless waste of time, wish I hadn't bothered. Cannot for the life of me understand the favourable reviews. It started off ok and then just went into 'are you for real?' territory. Even allowing for artistic licence this stretched way beyond any realms of plausibility. Sorry, just not for me.
March 7, 2013
It is difficult to like a novel about an amoral sociopath, sure there's lots of sex and violence but in the end it left me cold.
August 6, 2013
A great read, difficult to put down and a great action packed end
November 4, 2013
Fantastic book! Couldn't put it down :) puts those shade of grey to shame.. Highly recommended!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews