Pick the Lock

by A.S. King

From Michael L. Printz Award winner A.S. King, a weird and insightful new novel about a girl intent on picking the lock of her toxic family with punk rock and opera.Jane's mother is an artist constantly on tour to earn a living and support the family. While her mother is away, Jane lives in a Victorian mansion with her younger brother and their controlling, mendacious father and aunt, both of whom have conspired to confine Jane and Henry’s mother to a system of pneumatic tubes whenever she’s at home. Pick the Lock follows Jane’s bizarre and brilliant journey to rediscover and reconnect with her mother through punk rock and opera.

Genres: Young Adult, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Fiction, Mental Health, Horror, Audiobook

383 pages, Hardcover

First published September 24, 2024

About the author

A.S. King is the author of the highly-acclaimed I CRAWL THROUGH IT, Walden Award winner GLORY O'BRIEN'S HISTORY OF THE FUTURE, REALITY BOY, 2013 LA Times Book Prize winner ASK THE PASSENGERS, 2012 ALA Top Ten Book for Young Adults EVERYBODY SEES THE ANTS, and 2011 Michael L. Printz Honor Book PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ and THE DUST OF 100 DOGS as well as a collection of award-winning short stories for adults, MONICA NEVER SHUTS UP.

Look for Amy's work in anthologies DEAR BULLY, BREAK THESE RULES, ONE DEATH NINE STORIES, and LOSING IT. Two more YA novels to come in 2016 & 2018. Find more at www.as-king.com.

p.s.- If I don't accept your friend request, don't feel sad. It's because I don't really use Goodreads even though I'm completely thrilled that you do!

Reviews

[Emily May · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been reading A.S. King for over a decade now and some of her earlier works are among my favourite YA books. When King does it for me, her works are powerful, seared on my brain as Please Ignore Vera Dietz always will be... but when she doesn't? It's like the books are written in a language I don't speak.

Pick the Lock, like Switch and I Crawl Through It, was just way too abstract and weird for me.

At its core, it's a book about domestic violence told from the perspective of the victim's daughter. But wrapped around that core is a bizarre surrealist metaphor in which the mother lives in what is essentially a giant hamster tunnel.

At first I thought, okay, so it's a metaphor for her being trapped, but it just continued to get weirder and weirder and make less sense. I felt like lots of plot points were left unexplained-- indeed, I am half convinced that King deliberately tried to sow confusion throughout this story. The narrative was disjointed and jumped around all over the place, breaking into script and punk rock lyrics here and there.

Part of the story unfolds through a series of "home videos" that Jane uncovers, detailing the history of the abuse. I wasn't sure for a while if the "videos" were themselves a metaphor-- because the actual existence of such detailed footage seemed unlikely and surely the father would not have kept them if they did exist --but if they were, then that begs the question as to how Jane was able to tell the story at all. I guess writing surrealist fiction means you're not required to make sense.

I finished this book feeling like I didn't know what was a metaphor, what was a daydream and what was "real." I know books like that have an audience, but I'm just not part of it.

[Mallory · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second A. S. King book so I was ready to be completely confused and let the bizarre world so close to our own but full of weirdness take over. It did take me a little bit to get into the story, but once I did I had a hard time putting this one down. This book was hard to read at times because of the accurate portrayal of the feelings of domestic violence. Most households don’t have a system of tubes built in where a mother could be locked up, but the manipulation and brainwashing against the survivor of domestic violence by the perpetrator using the kids was eerily accurate. This book focuses on Jane, a young girl who has been locked up in home since the pandemic. Despite the rest of the world getting back to things like school she has remained at home with her father doing the same geography worksheets for the 4th year in a row. She lives with her father Vernon and her little brother and her mother lives in a series of tubes throughout the house. This is the story of Jane figuring out the lies from the truth and growing up. This story is an ode against domestic violence and even has a punk rock opera. I won’t lie and say this book isn’t bizarre but it just works.

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A weird and wacky primal scream against domestic violence

I received this ARC for free in return for an honest review:

TW: Domestic violence and child abuse mentioned

“No one seems to ask, ‘Why doesn’t he stop hurting his family?’ Until people are willing to ask that question aloud, then I don’t think ‘Why doesn’t she leave?’ is worth shit”

"Pick The Lock" by A.S. King is a surreal narrative blending magical realism with critical social issues. Known for her distinctive style and provocative themes, King delivers a story that is both gripping and reflective, exploring the complexities of human nature, societal constraints, domestic violence, and child abuse.

The novel explores themes of freedom and resilience. It portrays the protagonist's journey of self-discovery and realization that her father is abusive. Through this journey, King explores the harm that domestic abuse and child abuse causes.

In "Pick The Lock," King uses a blend of realism and surrealism, shifting between the two fairly seamlessly. King's ability to weave in magical elements without losing the story's grounding in difficult issues works most of the time. Her dialogue is sharp and authentic, capturing the rage and sorrow associated with abuse. The punk rock opera was particularly enjoyable to read through and added some needed breaks from the tension of more difficult scenes.

Overall this was a thought-provoking and emotionally charged novel that will stick with me for a while. While the book tackles heavy themes, it does so with a sense of hope and empowerment, encouraging readers to find their own keys to freedom. "Pick The Lock" is a remarkable exploration of personal liberation and the power of self-discovery.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. A.S. King is brilliant. Her mind is insane and I am obsessed with it. This book was wild and crazy and confusing and wonderful. Trigger warning for domestic abuse.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jane is the main character and daughter to Vernon and Mina. Mina is a rockstar, literally. She supports the family. Jane’s only sibling is Henry and he is younger than she is. Vernon is the stay-at-home parent and has all these weird rules. He is verbally and mentally abusive to his family. The worst one he is abusive to is Mina. The children grow up in a very unconventional home.

I was really looking forward to the story, because it sounded unusual. That it definitely was. It took me a bit to get into it. I have never read a book like this one. It was fascinating in a very weird sort of way. Sometimes I felt like I could put this book down and walk away, but then I really wanted to find out what happened so I’d pick it back up. I was very disgusted by the way Mina was treated by her family. She supports her family and gets treated horrendously.

What I enjoyed most about the story was reading about Jane’s band. Her punk opera and her rhyming skills were interesting. This is one of the ways she copes with Vernon‘s abuse. Jane entertains herself with the home movies that read like a diary. Such a strange book that started making sense towards the end.

[Ashby Dodd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t even know where to start. Seriously, Pick the Lock by A.S. King is one of those books that left me with a head full of thoughts and no clear way to express them. But here goes—let’s start by saying that it’s about isolation, growing up under the thumb of an ultra-controlling parent, the blurry line between truth and perception, shapeshifters (yes, really), and, oh, punk rock operas. So again, where do I even start? Well, what I do know is that I could not put this strange, haunting, and completely wonderful book down.

This is exactly why I love diving into works by authors I’ve never read before. A.S. King was new to me, and after Pick the Lock, I’m definitely intrigued to check out more of her work. She pulls off a kind of storytelling that’s totally unique—equal parts bizarre and beautifully meaningful.

On the surface, this is the story of Jane, a girl trapped in the tightly wound reality of her abusive and controlling father. Jane is searching for her own truth, especially when it comes to her mother, and she’s doing it in a secret punk rock opera that she’s writing on the side. Yeah, you read that right. It’s part coming-of-age, part rebellion, and part discovery of the hard truths hidden in her family’s past. As Jane digs deeper, she sees things more clearly—about her parents, her upbringing, and herself. It becomes a mission not just to find the truth but to stop the cycle of abuse once and for all.

The best way to describe this book? A wild ride that makes you think long after the last page is done. I honestly recommend Pick the Lock to anyone who loves a unique, thought-provoking story. It’s one of those reads that lingers with you, leaving behind a few questions, some deep thoughts, and maybe a new favorite author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the advanced reader's copy; all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Queen of the YA magical realism books is out with another insightful title!
🐀
Jane’s mother is the leader of a famous punk rock band, but when she’s not out touring, she’s locked in their Victorian mansion by Jane’s father. Jane and her brother, Henry, have also been locked away since the pandemic, homeschooled by their ill-equipped and controlling father. But Jane’s mother has it the worst because her entrapment has her enclosed in pneumatic tubes. Now that Jane is getting older she’s seeing that what her life looks like compared to other teens isn’t normal.
🤘🏻
At its core this book deals with domestic violence, spousal control and brainwashing. It is wrapped up in a weird package, but if you’ve read King’s stories before then you know you’re in for a wild ride—just embrace it! This was definitely a fight the patriarchy, feminist, stand up to your abuse story and I’m here for it.

CW: pandemic, alcohol poisoning, alcoholism, emesis, child abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, infidelity, toxic relationship, gaslighting, misogyny, confinement, religious bigotry, sexual harassment, sexism

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review is a bit of mix, and I wish I could have a better review. I think this would be an interesting book for a teenage kid who love having an imagination but as an adult. However, as an adult, and maybe I’m a prude, but I felt like this is not an appropriate book for teens to read – there are some inappropriate and vulgar lines, such as (and I’m paraphrasing from memory), “my dad told me to menstruate all over the boys.” Which is weird and really uncomfortable for me to read. I feel like this book didn’t need these awkward lines and could have cultivated an interesting story, sparked some imagination, and show mental abuse between parent and child/spouse without the vulgarness.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Today A.S. King's PICK THE LOCK is out in the world. It is a powerful, provocative, and utterly propulsive book about domestic abuse in different forms, and especially about emotional, psychological, and physical abuse of women. Truly, it is a masterpiece and one that deserves a wide readership so that we can all have these critical conversations out loud. Saying the quiet part loudly, that's doing it for the love.

An essay from Amy about her personal history with domestic violence and abuse, which birthed this book: https://booktrib.com/2024/09/23/pick-...

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bonkers. Loved it.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is weird, surreal, and so very good. Jane lives in a Victorian manor controlled by her father, Vernon. He keeps her mother locked in a system of pneumatic tubes. The story that unfolds is about being a mother, a daughter, and a woman in the world. The relationship explored between daughter and mother, and how the world determines and changes that relationship, is affecting.

The writing itself is beautiful. Parts of the novel are written as if they are staged as a play, or as part of a rock concert. Those scenes rolled out in my mind perfectly, and were such a fascinating way to write a novel. A. S. King, your experimental writing will always have my heart.

This book made me think about my relationship with my own mother. I loved it. 10/10.

[Brittney]

A. S. King's Pick the Lock opens with an intriguing prologue that signals readers will embark on a journey exploring complex family dynamics, uncomfortable truths, and a young protagonist's grapple with morality. The haunting line, “I do not lie to God,” sets the tone as the narrator, Jane, reflects on her sense of self and moral compass, contrasting sharply with her father’s duplicity. This distinction foreshadows a profound, tangled relationship between Jane and her family, particularly her father, whom she sees as both a captor and a false teacher.

Through a cinematic style, King introduces a chilling “home movie” technique, allowing readers to witness Jane’s life through security footage, preserving traumatic memories under the guise of ordinary scenes. The passage featuring Henry’s fearful encounter with birds and Vernon’s cold indifference encapsulates a family dynamic simmering with tension, control, and, ultimately, neglect. This cleverly crafted narrative device pulls readers into Jane's mind as she tries to reconcile her fragmented memories with her present understanding, capturing the distortion and influence of a father who appears to both manipulate and idealize his family.

The characters' voices are crisp and hauntingly clear, particularly in the excerpt from a “home movie” set in 1999, which provides insight into her parents’ early relationship. This moment in the rose garden — with her mother’s punk-rock grit and her father’s seemingly insecure adoration — hints at the early seeds of their relational fracture. King's careful character portrayals promise an unraveling tale of trust, power, and truth, pushing readers to question what is real and how the stories we inherit shape our identity.

Pick the Lock has all the hallmarks of a gripping psychological exploration, written with King's trademark blend of honesty, darkness, and empathetic complexity. This novel promises an unforgettable ride for those interested in character-driven narratives and the raw, often harsh truths of familial bonds.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am yet again awed by the way Amy King can channel her rage at the injustices teens experience— in this case, domestic abuse— and shape it into something that readers can grab hold of…. an anger life raft of sorts.

[Renata · Rating 4 out of 5]

more like AS QUEEN

[Nat]

I can't rate this book. It's too deep, too big for a mere rating. I didn't know what to make of it at first, but once I got into it, it was a lot. Not your average book, but a worthy read.

[Penelope · Rating 1 out of 5]

summer reading

[Britt Buckenroth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a weird and interesting novel. A.S. King is a storytelling marvel. An extremely interesting look at domestic violence through interesting characters and an even more compelling plot.

It's weird but worth it.

[jov · Rating 3 out of 5]

the reason why i love to go to the library is being able to randomly pick a book up, purely from the title or the cover or the blurb, and then finding a favourite book or author from that

i think i might have found a new author to read from. which you might think is strange, considering that i gave this book 3 stars and not a higher rating. The parts I thought were really well done were how the dad manipulated the children into hating their mother. Kids are impressionable, and tend to internalise what adult figures tell them and mimic their behaviour. they question "is that true, did that really happen, but i don't remember that happening you are lying!" but due to the isolation from other adult figures, accept it as a fact. It is only until they get older and find out more information that they start questioning even more, and that's the situation jane finds herself in. I did think it was odd that the home movies were able to be accessed by the ipad, considering the dad's overbearing control I would have thought he would have better security. I also found it strange that the whole underground part of the tunnels was able to exist but as long as you don't pay too much attention to the logistics of everything, this book is one that covers manipulation and brainwashing of victims of domestic violence well

[Allison Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was IN, then I was not feeling the fantastical element, then King NAILED THE LANDING and I was back on this train.

[Sarah Krajewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

16-year-old Jane hasn’t returned to school since the pandemic in 2020. Now it’s 2024, and Jane and her younger brother Henry are still stuck in their old Victorian mansion. Their mother, Mina, is often gone, traveling the world with her punk rock band, Placenta. When she is home, their father, Vernon, confines her to a tube-like system in their home. Mina sits inside a capsule, watching her family. At first, Jane sees this as normal, for she trusts her father when he says he loves them, but their mother doesn’t. Vernon has “homeschooled” his children since the pandemic, but, after finding some security footage, Jane begins to discover that something is wrong. Her family is dysfunctional, yes, but there’s more to it. When she begins to realize how brainwashed her, her brother, and her mother are, Jane tries to fight back in any way she can. What starts as talking back to her father and ditching the “suitors” he picks for her soon turns into fighting a whole system, and she captures her desires to break free, and save her mother, in her writing: a punk opera.

Jane is one kick-ass teen! Rebellion through the System. The amount of brilliance in A. S. King’s latest is visible on every page.

[Hannah Perez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author and publisher for choosing me as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first time reading a book by A.S King and it did not disappoint.

First, I really enjoyed the writing style. The layout of the home movies and then Jane as her punk rock version. It made the book easy to follow and a super quick read for me.

Second, I really liked the switch between surreal and reality. I would have never even thought to put someone in a pneumatic tube system, like what?! Wild.

Third, I can appreciate shedding light on DV in families and how easily it can be hidden.

Definitely recommend and will be reading more from this author!

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I wasn’t reading this it was all I could think of and that’s why I read it in two days!

The beginning and all of the depictions of abuse are so genuinely harrowing that is really is a difficult read. I wasn’t entirely sure the system reveal really worked for me but king is a fucking icon so she can do what she wants.

Also, the line, “Your dad said nothing was off limits,” is going to haunt my dreams for the rest of my life. 😐

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read! I couldn't put it down. I have read almost all of A.S. King's books and this is my current favorite. I hope to see this performed on stage some day!

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this for work and it was the most confusing, fake deep, fake esoteric YA book I've ever read I need to cleanse my brain

[Stephanie ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - Mini Audiobook Review: Thank you so much to Penguin Young Readers & PRH Audio for the complimentary copy and audiobook!

This book is out now!

Content Warnings from Storygraph:
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Child abuse
Moderate: Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse
Minor: Sexual harassment, Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders

This was my first A.S. King book but she had come highly recommended. I also heard that her books & writing are different. And I can tell you this one is truly unique but yet I could not stop listening. There was a lot happening in this book and a lot of metaphors and I'm not sure I full understood what was happening. And even now thinking about it, I still am not sure I understand the ending.

This book has different elements, a rock opera, past timeline and a present timeline and even with having the items it all worked. It took a bit to get used to the format and I was happy to have the physical book to reference. Jane is young and curious and knows that something isn't right. Her mother is a rock star and when she is home she stays in tubes. And her father is insanely protected of her and her brother and don't allow them to do things that normal children do.

It's really hard to describe this book so I highly suggest either checking it out or reading other reviews from others who can speak more eloquently than I can on this one.

The audio had 3 narrators, Max Meyers, Jorjeana Marie and the author herself A.S. King who narrated the rock opera part. Max Meyers portrayed Brutus the rat (yes the rat has their own chapters). Jorjeana Marie did a fabulous job as the other characters including Jane.

The story is really interesting and I will be curious to read other work by her. If you are looking for something different to read that will make you hate men, give this one a try!

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

First and foremost, I admire A.S. King and her writing and have for a very long time.
Second and the hardest to explain. Because I know A.S. King's story and what she has gone through and know that it took her a long time to write this book, I see it as catharsis, as a way of making sense and validating what was and what is. While one of my friends considered the book "weird," I saw it as a reimagining of her life. This is my reaction as an adult reading her young adult book. I also think her author's note explains so much that many readers would not have known. (I would love to do this book with an adult book club as well as with a YA book club.)
Third, I had to ask myself the question as to whether or not I would have liked the book as a young adult, and I have to say I would have. I liked "dark" books at that age, and while I never experienced abuse, I would have identified with Jane on at least several levels.
Last, I loved the format of the book. It was masterful. It took me a few days to get it read because it was so intense (and with surgery coming up next week, there's been a lot going on this week). I wish that I could write this way.

[Maggie Turbyfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a weird novel in all of the best ways. I truly have not read anything like it. The mystery kept me rapidly turning the pages to see what I would learn next. I loved being able to watch Jane learn to stand up for herself as she is also trying to learn what the heck is going on in her family. Jane is such a compelling narrator. The story sometimes interrupts itself, much like someone actually telling a story only to realize you need more context for events, which only adds to how amazing Jane is as a narrator. Moments of the story had me sitting on the edge of my seat, worried something bad might happen.

I also loved getting to read her punk opera as the novel progresses. I could almost hear so many of her songs, which added to the story. Aside from Jane choosing punk because of her mother's band, punk fits the tone of the story so well.

I would love to see a movie or limited series adaptation of this novel because reading it was already so visual!

[Diana]

Hoo boy. I was enjoying this audiobook until about two thirds of the way through. And I've enjoyed a couple of other audiobooks by A.S. King. Sure, there was this weird kind of steampunk fantastical metaphor thingy, but I was interested in the story and the voice of the main character, a teenager with an insanely controlling father and a mother who is, um, kept in her place, I'm going to say. But then, at that two thirds mark, the steampunk fantastical metaphor thingy kind of took over, and it just seemed stupid and it didn't work. I wanted to find out what would happen, so I decided to stick with it anyway, but I only made it about another half hour before I got so annoyed that I had to quit this book. Did the author just not listen to her editors? Or maybe this works for some people, but definitely not for me.

[Izzys_Internet_Bookshelf]

DNF at 39%

Honestly when I found myself struggling at 150 pages out of 400 I knew I had to stop before I got into a reading slump. The plot of the book was very interesting but I had a hard time keeping everything straight, the father in the story was obviously what seemed to be the main problem for the protagonist, even though she doesn’t realize it. The mother being confined to a type of cell or “system” is that personally threw me off because I couldn’t exactly wrap my head around it. Jane was a hard character to follow because even with it being evident she used escapism from her situationI found it to read as a lesser reading level. I understand that that could have been intentional but for me it just got repetitive. So with all that combined with the slow pacing, it was a train wreck for me and just had to put it down.

[Lisa Albright · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first time I've read anything by this author and wasn't sure what to expect so I went in completely blind and I'm so glad I did. The darker theme of domestic abuse is present, however, I found the victim's response to it unique and brave. I loved getting the story through Jane's eyes and her snarky teenage tone. She is trying to understand what's going on with her mother and processing through writing a punk opera. The characters are incredibly fascinating and the writing style very entertaining. I'm looking forward to checking out the author's backlist.

I received a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.