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Degenerate
Degenerate – “having lost the physical, mental, or moral qualities considered normal and desirable; showing evidence of decline.”
Peter knows it is only a matter of time before his older brother, Ben, tries to kill him. His brother’s zeal for wickedness has only grown over the years, and the feelings Ben derives from inflicting pain have blurred the lines between compulsion and pleasure. Yet, just as his sinister nature seems to have peaked, reality itself begins to bend and then break for both boys. A man claiming to be their father poses a mystery, while their mother’s secrets about their world and origins, which she has kept buried within herself on their isolated farm, come to light. The differences between fact and falsehood, sanity and insanity, and life and rebirth start to fade. The importance of truth declines, and in the end, does it even matter?
Peter knows it is only a matter of time before his older brother, Ben, tries to kill him. His brother’s zeal for wickedness has only grown over the years, and the feelings Ben derives from inflicting pain have blurred the lines between compulsion and pleasure. Yet, just as his sinister nature seems to have peaked, reality itself begins to bend and then break for both boys. A man claiming to be their father poses a mystery, while their mother’s secrets about their world and origins, which she has kept buried within herself on their isolated farm, come to light. The differences between fact and falsehood, sanity and insanity, and life and rebirth start to fade. The importance of truth declines, and in the end, does it even matter?
178 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 27, 2023
10 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
July 31, 2025
Pros: Quick read. The premise had a lot of potential. The story -had it picked just one of its multiple arcs- would’ve been really good. Fantastic cover.
Cons: This book definitely could’ve benefited from an editor. There were a lot of grammar and continuity errors. It also felt like the author couldn’t decide on a trope, so he just used them all. Started out as a potentially very interesting dystopian with f’ed up family dynamics, then there were aliens, then possessions, and then there were gods? The Birds aren’t explained, and neither was the purpose of the “hierarchy”. I also really struggled to fathom how this child who practically raised himself from the age of three, and didn’t (rightfully so) know what fireworks or a phone was, but yet somehow was able to use $10 words and discuss the laws of conservation?
I don’t know. I really wanted to like this book. As I said, I really loved the cover. And since there isn’t a synopsis included, I truly went in blind.
Cons: This book definitely could’ve benefited from an editor. There were a lot of grammar and continuity errors. It also felt like the author couldn’t decide on a trope, so he just used them all. Started out as a potentially very interesting dystopian with f’ed up family dynamics, then there were aliens, then possessions, and then there were gods? The Birds aren’t explained, and neither was the purpose of the “hierarchy”. I also really struggled to fathom how this child who practically raised himself from the age of three, and didn’t (rightfully so) know what fireworks or a phone was, but yet somehow was able to use $10 words and discuss the laws of conservation?
I don’t know. I really wanted to like this book. As I said, I really loved the cover. And since there isn’t a synopsis included, I truly went in blind.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 of 1 review