Schroeder

by Neal Cassidy

A gripping new psychological thriller by author Neal Cassidy, SCHROEDER, weaves together elements of the literary thriller/horror genre, stream-of-consciousness narration, and critical social commentary.

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.

Genres: Horror, Thriller, Suspense, Literary Fiction, Mental Health, Contemporary, Psychological Thriller

256 pages, Paperback

Published October 15, 2024

About the author

Neal Cassidy is the author of the final weekend: a stoned tale and SCHROEDER . He was raised in Forest and is a graduate of The Nene School and lives nowhere in particular.

"i am who I am not, but who i wanted to be.."
- Neal Cassidy

Reviews

[inciminci · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's no shame in wondering about the background of people who do terrible things, and the extensive coverage of the lives of shooters, monsters or serial killers in the news, in literature, and especially in cinema is proof of that. Schroeder certainly isn't the first book to explore the mind of a killer, and yet I feel unusually torn thinking about this tormented character and the one fateful day in his life, his very last day after the last straw broke the camel's back.

Starting in the morning hours with a dry listing of Schroeder's morning routine, we're then thrown into a wild killing spree, interrupted only by his bike rides during which he provides descriptions of the city, as well as impressions, memories and thoughts inspired by his surroundings. Riding from point A to point B in a clocked, automatic fashion feels almost like in a computer game running from one task to the next and not being able to make sense initially, it is hard to keep up with the mindless killing. That is until the last pages, the pages from the diary of a child growing up which describe the rough start to life he has been given in his family and school. When the reader finishes the last page and closes the book, it leaves a bitter taste, a slightly humming sorrow and a final realization, a sense for what has happened and why.

Cassidy follows an unusual path of very remarkable, almost dramatic, dimensions to tell a story told many times before and it's likely it needs to be read twice subsequently in order to harvest the full scope of satisfaction and gratification this path offers.

Schroeder as a character is smart, thoughtful, contemplative and his deeds feel out of character from the first page, prompting a sense of contradiction in the reader's mind. Almost too relatable, his comments on society, politics and people utterly sensible, he reminds us of the huge potential he bore as a human being and how his spirit was crushed by humans over and over again.

The book is written in the form of stream of consciousness, which is usually a pet peeve of mine, but I reckon the story wouldn't have worked otherwise and it is appropriate here. Looking back, I actually quite like the arrangement which leaves us in the dark concerning the motives of the lead character and providing epiphany in the final pages. I have a little issue with the last chapter, as the parts written in a child's voice with the built-in grammatical errors felt forced and I'm not sure a child that age would make so many writing mistakes. But I'm not a pedagogue and might be wrong. The final violence scenes are a bit over the top for me, but didn't disrupt my reading. So, all in all, this was a very compelling and original read. Plus, that cover is fire!

I have received a review copy for this book which didn't affect my review in any way. My thanks to Neal Cassidy for reaching out and sending me the ARC.

[Charlotte Rebecca Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭑⭑⭑✩✩

~

This one was a really tough read, this book won’t be for everyone and would advise to look up trigger warnings if needed. But if you’re okay with graphic and unsettling books I’d recommend. Sometimes the pace was a little off and was a little tough to follow but overall was a good read. I really appreciated the ending and the diary entries, it leaves you feeling really awful and pained for this little boy, despite having read what he will go on to do.

~

Thanks to the author Neal Cassidy for reaching out to me to send me an ARC copy 🫶🏼

[Horror Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't necessarily an easy read. In fact, I would say it's more difficult because of the subject matter which is, unfortunately, something we see too frequently in real life.

Being inside the mind of a beaten, bullied, and traumatised character can leave a psychological mark.

This is about a man with the titular name and we spend a day with him as he commits a thought out plan of murders as he rides his bicycle from scene to grisly scene.

It's hard to call him the protagonist as he's clearly a killer but this book is written in first person from his perspective and it's a bone chilling look into a fragile mind who's been pushed too far.

In between the slayings (which are not random) we see traces of the good in the world, things which make him happy if but for a moment. But it's the bleakness and almost nihilistic point of view he sees in the world which compells him to finish his quest by the end of the day.

The murders themselves are horrific and add a somewhat splatterpunk like vibe to the book. And throughout, we're wondering what these various people have done to deserve his revenge. We'll get there by the end, but it's that thought which kept me reading.

Sure, none of the people he kills are innocent or model citizens. But do they deserve THIS?

The writing style is an almost stream of consciousness examination of the banalities and ills of modern society. You might find yourself agreeing with some of the sentiments yet realize that his response is born of something darker and more deranged than simple societal woes.

It's not a fun happy book but it's captivating and gives a glimpse into the mind of a man pushed to far. I highly recommend it.

I received a copy of this book from the author. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.

[Ga.selle (Semi-hiatus) Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

⚠️⚠️Trigger warnings and spoilers⚠️⚠️
Suicide, murder, intense bullying, child abuse, domestic violence


You can only do so much to a person until they finally snap.
We are taken deep inside the mind of a serial killer, named Schroeder.
His thoughts, observations, and reflections will engulf you in a hypnotic, melancholic trance. As he ruminates, so will you.
As he takes you to his thought process you'll feel consumed with the mind vomit -it is disturbing yet insightful. You'll find out he is actually a pretty smart, kind, yet tortured soul.
Some of his opinions or ideals I don't necessarily agree or conform with whilst others are sensible and highly relatable, strong feelings of sharing the same sentiments esp about social commentaries.
You have to be on the right mindset to read this as the 'stream of consciousness' type of writing style is a bit strange, tedious and confusing to follow if you are not accustomed to it. This is very similar to Stephen Graham Jones style and reminds me of 'Night of the Mannequins' which I enjoyed so maybe that's why I'm kinda used to this style.

As he takes us through all the negative and positive thoughts, the recollection of events he went through, the broken dreams, sadness and disappointments. His progressively worsening mental state unfolds and we witness his ultimate self destruction.
You'll find out at the end part of the book that there is more to the story than just existential dread and well-planned killing rampage.

Excerpt from his diary entries:
"June 23, 2023 Each day is worse than the last. Two days ago, I picked out mom’s urn and now she’s on the radio in the living room. I can’t believe this is my life now. It’s like I’m in some terrible nightmare and I have no idea how I got here. The feelings I’m having are awful and sad and persistent and I just want them to go away. I’m having constant headaches and taking Ibuprofen three and four at a time to try and ward them off, but they’re not helping much. All I do is stumble around the house half alive/ half dead looking at things I don’t recognize. The most important person in my life is gone. The only person to ever truly cherish and love me. I feel so lonely so lonely so lonely."

Wow. This one is pretty heavy and deep. I was overwhelmed with emotions and tears unexpectedly welled up in my eyes while reading the diary entries from 2008-2023. . It's like you kinda want to reach out to that ten year old boy and give him a big hug and wish for everything to be all right for him not to end up so messed up. But some things just can't be helped. This is an example of 'Hurt people, hurt people.' to the extreme. The consequences of having battered child syndrome; constant bullying, belittling and harassment at home, at school at work; the devastation of losing your only support system and just ultimately losing faith in humanity. This book will teach us about compassion, remind us to always think of our actions and to always try to be kind - for people are fighting battles we don't know about.

One of his redeeming qualities that I would love to highlight is that he loves and is kind to animals 👏 I was pretty anxious about the scene with the cat as I was dreading he was also going to kill the poor thing. 🐈‍⬛😻

This is the first book I've read by the author. Kudos! This book will forever haunt me.

Thank you to NETGALLEY, Neal Cassidy and M&S Publishing for the arc 🖤

5✨

[Melany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was deeply chilling to read. It follows along the MMC as he rides his bike to set out on a murderous rampage. It's from his POV, so while yes, he is a killer, I also felt for him for all of the things he experienced in life. It's a good showing of how fragile minds can crack after being pushed to their limits after so long. It shows his anger, disappointment, and pain along the way. It's scary and chilling to be reading it from the killers POV. It was chilling reading his crimes and plans all sorted out along the way. The diary depects more, which was also deep and a lot to take in. This world can be cruel, but "paybacks" and harming others since you were harmed isn't a way to go about it. With that being said, this is fictional and an intriguing take from the murderers perspective. It's not an easy read. PLEASE check triggers as there are many in this book.

[Matty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read that utilized stream of consciousness thought narration. It reads similar to watching a one shot film. It was extremely hard to put down because I was fully immersed into the mind of Schroeder during his day of redemption and wanted to know how it would all end. As the story progresses through his checklist things become very violent and graphic. Schroeder obviously has lived a harsh cruel life which the details of are not revealed until the end when the reader is given his diary from a young age. It is a very intense, sad, tragic read shedding light on the unpleasant nature of society and how we treat each other. It really was an experience reading this book I have never had before.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published October 15, 2024.

3 stars for this interesting novel.

One ordinary day in an ordinary neighborhood in an ordinary town a man sets out on a day long bike ride with a backpack, a package and a very clear plan. He goes from mansions to the projects, through the city and into the suburbs, looking at a broken society but there are also glimpses of pure joy throughout the day.

Who is Schroeder and what leads him to go on a killing spree?

The story is told completely from the perspective of the killer, and it’s interesting to see many mundane aspects of life against horrible acts, alongside moments of real human connection.

I realized partway through that I thought this book was by Nat Cassidy. If you were a teacher and a student wrote this for your class, you would probably report him or her to mental health services. But I kind of enjoyed it.

[Kat (Katlovesbooks) Dietrich · Rating 2 out of 5]

Schroeder by Neal Cassidy  is a horror novel about a young man on a mission to kill.

First, let me thank the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.  (Neal - Sorry it took so long to review - I may have told you 3-4 months, but this is more like 10).


Okay, if the author had not provided me with this book for a review, I probably would have given up.  The book could have used an editor, and I think this is what bothered me the most.  Paragraphs went on for pages and pages, with non-ending random thoughts, so much so that I started skimming - never a good thing.  If that was true "stream-of-conciousness" writing, I'm not a fan.

The overall story is one of despair and mental illness.  A very sad story about a teen who had a father who beat him and his mom, and who was bullied at school to the point of suicide, but chose revenge first.  The blurb touts him as a "compelling anti-hero".  I think he was just a sad kid, who had a loving mom, a horrendous father,  and a school system that failed him.   Unfortunately, not the first, nor the last child that goes through this, but I didn't really like him. I could find no redeeming qualities.

The story was told in two parts.  The day of carnage, and the diary.  At least the diary had some format, and although very sad, it was well done.

The premise and blurb about this book was what drew me in.  That is why I said yes to the author, and since I don't read other people's review's first, I really went in open-minded, and excited to read it.  Unfortunately, I think I was just not the right person for this book.  I love horror, but this didn't feel like horror.  This just felt like a over-the-top events lead to over-the-top killings.  Everything to the extreme. This may have been horrific, but not horror.

Now, these are only my opinions, and you may love it.   Not every books is for every person. 

Anyway, until next time.... 


For a more complete review of this book and others (including the reason I chose to read/review this book, my own synopsis of the book, and its author information), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/

[Dona's Books · Rating 1 out of 5]

The thing about my beloved horror genre that I always most desire is to be entertained. Horror Books that struggle with themselves or their language, stories with no plots, pointless literary experiments– these are not entertaining to me. Unfortunately, I feel that Schroeder is all of these things and I just couldn't give it any more time than I did.

I don't recommend this book. Even fans of stream of consciousness may notice the unpolished execution of the element.

Partial Reading Notes

Three (or more) things I loved:

1. I love how the opening scene is written. A low stakes dog fight, with just a hint of blood to foretell things to come.

Three (or less) things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.

1. I really cannot connect with this super-first person stream of consciousness style of narration. I think it's popular right now, because I keep making this comment on books I read. Stream of consciousness writing is difficult to get right, but when it is, it can be sublime. This text does not handle this technique well, preferring instead to string out lengthy, unreadable sentences the MC is supposedly thinking.

2. Our community is littered with failed businesses that extinguished green areas— vacant properties with shattered signs and windows in overgrown parking lots— and after fleetingly, comically questioning why so many patches of undisturbed land have to disappear when there’s plenty of available space that’s been abandoned by shut-down establishments, despite my already knowing the answer—money— I’m feeling vaguely comforted by the sight of the familiar, aged cottage ahead that’s been maintained for historic reasons, so I choose not to dwell on our city’s current state any longer because it wouldn’t do any good, anyway. p36 There is no conceivable reason, stylistic or otherwise, why this sentence is so long. Run-ons are hard to read, and hard to understand. They should be used sparingly. But so *many* of the sentences comprising this book are this long or even longer. They're all fighting with each other over space on the pages, and that reads about like you would expect.

3. The publisher calls this a gripping psychological thriller, but Schroeder is neither. I'm 40 pages in, a third of the total length, and nothing that's happened feels as imperative as the dog fight on page 2.

4. The rare little chunks of action keep getting lost in this word salad.

5. There is so much extraneous material in this book, like Mercedes girl with the coffee, who doesn't seem to exist in this story for any real reason. I keep finding material that goes nowhere, and not enough information about the story action. It's so freaking weird. This must be an experimental novel, but I do not get the experiment.

6. DNF @ 35% I threw in the towel when the violent murdering young adult gets invited by two little girls who *do not know them* to join in a game of hopscotch. Hopscotch, that's what I want five minutes after I've revenge murdered somebody!

Rating: DNF @ 35%
Recommend? NoooooOooo
Finished: Oct 30 '24

Thank you to the author Neal Cassidy, publishers M & S Press, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of SCHROEDER. All views are mine.

[Gyalten Lekden · Rating 2 out of 5]

This stream-of-consciousness story tells the worst (but maybe also best?) day of a broken person. It is an uncomfortable ride that forces the reader, or at least forced me, to think about how we are all both victims and victimizers, to varying degrees.

The whole of the story is told in the jacket copy, so there aren’t a lot of surprises, per se. Stream-of-consciousness is a difficult narrative style to pull off well, and Cassidy is successful most of the time, inviting us to be lost in the chaotic but determined mindscape that overwhelms our main characters. Sometimes it does feel a little bit heavy-handed and a little too happy with itself, which is always possible when indulging this narrative style, but for the most part it was effective. Even before the diary entries that finish the story it is clear what is going on, with only the details to be sorted (though there is one little surprise at the end that I didn’t see coming which I enjoyed). While I appreciated those details, the overall story did feel a little too easy, bordering cliché. I won’t spoil anything about circumstances or motivation, but it is exactly what you expect, only magnified in a way that is almost comical in its absurdity and distance from reality… Not that the situations it explores don’t happen, but that to have all of them happen with the frequency and lack of any outside interference again and again is hard to fathom given the time period the story takes place in (it would be easier to believe if set 20 years earlier) and also given that, although small, it takes place in a city large enough to accommodate its own skid row, its own suburban peripheries, and its own McMansion enclaves. If it was in a small town in the middle of nowhere, somewhere with less access, it would also be less absurd, less of a hat on top of a hat on top of a hat. However, even though it feels a little bit piled on, it is still effective, largely due to the choice to have the whole story in this intimate first-person, stream-of-consciousness narration. Since everything is told from one particular viewpoint it is possible to believe that the character’s experiences of what was happening feel larger than what may be objectively observed, making this feel emotionally or experientially true even if an exaggeration.

That said, it did still feel like the easiest and most expected explanation for the whole thing. What I struggled with the whole time, and maybe this is intentional and maybe not, is what an absolute lack of self-reflection the character sems to have throughout the day. He literally spends the whole day judging others, riding a feeling of superiority over everyone whose path he crosses. He critiques others and doesn’t really ever show any sense of empathy for others when they behave in ways that he interprets as inappropriate or beneath him. Actually through the whole story he gives really strong incel energy, the vibes of someone who has been so shunned and ostracized that he lets that ostracization solidify his own impressions that he is better than anyone else, which puts him above the morality expected of others. This reading is somewhat complicated by the ending, but not entirely, which is why it is hard to tell if he is written to be a solipsistic hypocrite or not. That doesn’t justify how others treat him, but it does show how there is a negative feedback loop in play, how he creates an identity to protect himself from the slings and arrows of his life, but that identity makes him quietly monstrous, which just encourages more slings and arrows. Amazingly, at least for the early part of the book, he reminded me of Dostoevsky’s Raskolnikov, someone who believes he is better than others, he is an uber-man, someone who shouldn’t be expected to be confined buy ordinary people’s moralities. He really does position himself as better than basically everyone, but unlike Raskolnikov, who is tortured by guilt when he realizes his dreams of superiority were just that, our main character never feels anything but entirely justified. It makes for a very unsatisfying revenge story, in some ways. Until the very end, the diary entries, i felt this level of ambiguity was intentional. The contradiction between the sheer contempt he has for others and the amazingly lofty pedestal he seems to place himself on is really juicy and serves as a really interesting site for character exploration, for trying to grasp on to the slippery edges of what it means to be complicated and human. But the ending kind of sours this interpretation a little, seemingly implying that he really is angelic and above the fray, in some way. So, I don’t know how I feel about it, really. If the diary entries didn’t suggest an almost cartoonish level of precipitating circumstances then I would have appreciated the complexity and tragedy of his character more, in many ways. It seems like there are black and white lines being pretty clearly drawn, and that is far less interesting than the muddy gray that this kind of story really wants to live in.

I don’t think you’re in for any wild surprises in this story, but it is an uncomfortable ride that will give you food for thought. If you especially like the disorientation that stream-of-consciousness narration can evoke, coupled with questions about moral culpability, then you will probably get something out of this story and should check it out.

I want to thank the author for providing a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Mika (Hiatus) · Rating 1 out of 5]

*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*

Honestly, I expected something completely different before reading this, so that's probably why I didn't like it as much as I hoped.

Nevertheless, I think the concept behind it and how disturbing it was interesting to read about.

Overall, I didn't like the writing style. I found it sometimes hard to follow. Not sure how to describe it to someone who hasn't read it, but it feels a bit too slow and stretched out sometimes. But I think some people might like it nevertheless, just wasn't for me.

I also found that too many things were mentioned or occured a bit too often, like:
music (blasting)
reversed words
some memory/flashback (which often wasn't important)

Also a bit disappointed that this book dispictured Schroeder like a stereotypical serial killer, I expected more honestly.

If you decide to read this book, please look up the content warnings, as it is quite disturbing. Even though I thought it wouldn't trigger me, I found some scenes a bit triggering (the sexual stuff).

Thank you for the advanced reader copy of SCHROEDER by Neal Cassidy.

Started the book: 09. November 2024
Finished the book: 09. November 2024
Wrote the review: 10. November 2024

[Horror Haus Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always love when books are written in the serial killers perspective. This one has an interesting spin to it and while it probably won’t be for everyone. The pace is a little off but I quite enjoyed it for the most part.

[ScarlettAnomalyReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up on a whim from Netgalley and loved it.
Instead of seeing all the thrilling crazy things a killer is up too from the victim or the investigator, you are getting the story from the killers POV.

I enjoyed that switch up, it was refreshing.
This was such a fun but imo fast paced thriller and I need more written like this.
Is this random, is there a pattern and why...
Why is a killer?

[Rachel the Page-Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished this with an involuntary “wow”, so that says something about this short novel. When I started this book, I wasn’t impressed. The writing isn’t my style - it was more a stream of consciousness, a meandering of thoughts that our character Schroeder is having. How it affected my feelings on the book soon changed, though…

It’s a Thursday, and Schroeder has plans. He has people to kill, and he’s going to spend the whole day (or as much as he can before getting caught) doing just that. The murder scenes were fantastic, and did not disappoint. Schroeder begins his jaunt around his unnamed town, killing people in very brutal ways. In between, as he’s going from victim to victim, we get to know Schroeder, though Schroeder is a hard man to read (literally).

To me, he felt neurodivergent, though that was never touched on. From the beginning, we know he was bullied, that he is a loner, that he is a perfectionist and maybe, despite his killing spree, not such a bad guy? There was such a dichotomy between how he treated some people versus the horrific things he was doing, and I found that intriguing. While reading, I also wondered why this massacre was taking place. Then I got to the end…

The diary entries almost broke me. You may end this book loving Schroeder, or if not loving him, at least having some empathy for him. For me, that was the best part of the book - most of you know I love “horror with heart”, but is it possible that this was “splatterpunk with heart”? I believe so!

While the writing style of this book wasn’t to my liking, and Schroeder and Patrick Bateman have little in common but keeping neat when murdering people, this reminded me a lot of “American Psycho”. The constant internal narrative is the same, and this would probably make a great movie. I started this book with some annoyed trepidation, but I finished it with great respect. 3.5 stars, rounded up.

(Thank you to M&S Publishing, Neal Cassidy and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)

[Michael J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a little longer to read SCHROEDER, partly because the font was so small and my NetGallery reader app did not have a magnifying feature (that I could find), and partly because I decided the best way to read this was one chapter at a time - and glad I did.
The story is told by the main character (Schroeder) and is written in stream-of-consciousness narration. Neal Cassidy's novel takes us into the mind of a serial killer, constantly raising questions regarding the who, what, when, where, and why of his one-day killing spree - and eventually answering them in the daily, monthly, yearly diary notes of Schroeder.
Schroeder is an ultra-conscious observer of both the mundane and detailed sights and scenes of everyday life in a busy community, and we begin to build a profile of his character through his shared observations and social commentary. Not everything is negative. He's bright and intelligent, which makes readers wonder why he is engaging in such brutal activity. Not until the end do we begin to receive any answers.
Graphic, disturbing, revelatory. Not your usual day-in-the-life of a serial killer. Both the character and the method of story-telling are the difference.

[McKenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Neal Cassidy and M&S Publishing.

This was a tough one to get through, and was honestly not my cup of tea, but it may be yours.

This is a first person stream of consciousness with considerable detail paid to the main character's feelings and observations throughout.

Though the premise was interesting, the meandering narrative pulled me from the story as I had to re-read paragraphs numerous times to keep up.

If you are into Beat-style writing you may enjoy this novel.

[Chelsey (a_novel_idea11) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an odd little book. The description captivated me as I'm always up for a unique and twisted novel, and mostly, this delivered.

Schroeder - really an unnamed narrator but it's the dang name of the novel so I stand by that I'm not giving anything away! - starts his day like any other with his exercises and breakfast. We learn quickly that he's a quirky fellow who likes his structure and routines. His quirkiness and inner monologue makes him nearly likable. But then he embarks on a journey of sheer terror.

Schroeder has a well-crafted plan to murder several people and he takes the reader on that journey. Each death is graphic, over the top, completely personal, and wholly unique. In between the gruesome murders, Schroeder casually rides his bike, eats his lunch, and people watches. It's truly odd and the mundane-ness of much of the novel is unsettling.

Throughout Schroeder's killing spree, we learn nothing of his victims. It's clear to the reader they are quite intentional and they all know Schroeder, but he gives us no indication of why he selected who he did. He also never goes out of his way to kill anyone who wasn't part of his original plan. For a while, I wondered if we'd be left hanging, but the novel does end with Schroeder's personal diary through boyhood detailing the traumatic events of his past. It's left to the reader to put the pieces together as to which victim was which.

The novel really ended with a bang and I appreciated the diary entries. You're left feeling hurt and sad for this tortured boy, despite reading about the torture and mutilation he just afflicted on several people as they painfully departed this earth at his hands.

This book won't be for everyone and if you have trigger warnings (any) that make you shy away from books, just don't even try! But, if you like books that are graphic, very unique, and entirely unsettling, this will be perfect for you.

Thank you to M&S Publishing and NetGalley for the copy of this book.

[Jordan Gregoire · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to DNF this book.
The amount of just run on sentences that had 12 commas in them, taking up a full page or more at times, made this book extremely hard to read and keep my attention. I think it was meant to mimic train of thought, but it was just a bit much. And I’ve only ever DNF’d one other book before. I just couldn’t do it I am so sorry. Definitely a very interesting topic, and what I was able to read and understand without being trailed off onto 12 other things was good. Just way too hard to follow for me.

[Lackof_shelf_control · Rating 4 out of 5]

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‼️ᴛᴡ: ɢʀᴀᴘʜɪᴄ ᴠɪᴏʟᴇɴᴄᴇ, ᴀʙᴜsᴇ, ʙᴜʟʟʏɪɴɢ, ᴛᴏʀᴛᴜʀᴇ, ᴍᴜʀᴅᴇʀ ‼️

•ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ•
“ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴏʙʟᴇᴍ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛᴏᴅᴀʏ ɪs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɢᴏᴏᴅ, ᴅᴇᴄᴇɴᴛ ʜᴜᴍᴀɴs ᴀʀᴇɴ’ᴛ ᴄʜᴇʀɪsʜᴇᴅ. ᴛʜᴇʏ’ʀᴇ ᴜsᴇᴅ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴇʟᴛɪɴɢ ɪᴄᴇ ᴄᴀᴘs ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴀʀᴍɪɴɢ ᴏᴄᴇᴀɴs ᴡᴇ’ʀᴇ ғᴀᴄɪɴɢ, ᴡᴇ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴡʜᴀᴛ’s ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀʟsᴏ ʜᴏᴡ ᴛᴏ ᴀʟʟᴇᴠɪᴀᴛᴇ ɪᴛ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴡᴇ ᴄʜᴏsᴇ ɴᴏᴛ ᴛᴏ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀᴊᴏʀɪᴛʏ ᴏғ ᴏᴜʀ ᴅᴇᴄɪsɪᴏɴs ʙᴀsᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ɢʀᴇᴇᴅ, ᴅᴇsɪʀᴇ, ʜᴀᴛᴇ; ᴛᴡᴏ ғɪɢʜᴛ ғᴏʀ ᴏɴᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ɴᴏɴᴇ. “

ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ ɪs ʜᴇᴀᴠʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴏᴏᴋ ᴍᴇ ʟᴏɴɢᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴜsᴜᴀʟ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ᴏғ ʜᴏᴡ ᴛʀᴜʟʏ ʜᴇᴀᴠʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ ɪs. ᴛʜɪs ɪs ᴏɴᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴏsᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋs ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʀɪɢʜᴛ ᴍᴏᴏᴅ ғᴏʀ ᴏʀ ɪᴛ’ʟʟ ᴅᴇsᴛʀᴏʏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴇɴᴛᴀʟʟʏ. ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ ɪɴᴠᴏʟᴠᴇs ᴍᴜʟᴛɪᴘʟᴇ ᴍᴜʀᴅᴇʀs ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀʀᴇ ᴘʀᴇᴛᴛʏ ɢʀᴀᴘʜɪᴄ ᴀɴᴅ ɪɴᴄʟᴜᴅᴇ ᴛᴏʀᴛᴜʀᴇ, sᴏ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴡɪʟʟ ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏʙᴏᴅʏ. ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴡᴀs sᴛʀᴜᴄᴛᴜʀᴇᴅ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴇsᴛɪɴɢʟʏ ᴀs ᴛʜᴇ ᴡʜᴏʟᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ɪ ᴡᴀs ᴛʜɪɴᴋɪɴɢ ɪ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴡʜʏ, ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴡᴇ ᴅᴏ ɢᴇᴛ, ʙᴜᴛ ɴᴏᴛ ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ. ɪ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄᴜʀʀᴇɴᴛ ʀᴇғᴇʀᴇɴᴄᴇs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ɪᴛ ғᴇᴇʟ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ ɪs ʜᴀᴘᴘᴇɴɪɴɢ ɪɴ ʀᴇᴀʟ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏᴠɪᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀᴛғᴏʀᴍ ᴏɴ ɴᴇᴛғʟɪx. ɪ ᴀʟsᴏ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ʙʀᴇᴀᴋs ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴅᴇғɪɴɪᴛɪᴏɴs ᴛʜᴀᴛ sᴘᴇʟᴛ ᴏᴜᴛ ʜɪs ɴᴀᴍᴇ. ɪ ᴀʟsᴏ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ʟɪᴋᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ sᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴇ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ʟᴇᴀʀɴɪɴɢ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʜɪɴɢs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʙʀɪɴɢ sᴄʜʀᴏᴇᴅᴇʀ ᴊᴏʏ. ᴀɴ ᴇxᴀᴍᴘʟᴇ ʙᴇɪɴɢ : “ᴇᴀᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀɪʀʏ ᴘᴜғғʙᴀʟʟs ᴛʜᴀᴛ sᴘᴏʀᴀᴅɪᴄᴀʟʟʏ ᴀᴘᴘᴇᴀʀ ᴏɴ ᴘɪᴢᴢᴀ” ᴛʜɪs ʜᴇʟᴘᴇᴅ ʜᴜᴍᴀɴɪᴢᴇ ʜɪᴍ ғᴏʀ ᴍᴇ. ɪ ᴡᴀs ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ʜɪs ʟɪsᴛs ᴏғ ᴊᴏʏs ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜɪɴᴋɪɴɢ ʏᴇs ɪ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘɪᴢᴢᴀ ᴏɴᴇ ɢᴏᴛ ᴍᴇ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ɪᴛ’s ɴᴏᴛ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪ ʜᴀᴅ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ʜᴇᴀʀᴅ ᴀɴʏʙᴏᴅʏ sᴀʏ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴀɢʀᴇᴇᴅ 𝟷𝟶𝟶%. sᴄʜʀᴏᴇᴅᴇʀ ɪs ᴀ ᴛᴀʟᴇ ᴏғ ᴀ ғᴀɪʟᴇᴅ sʏsᴛᴇᴍ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴘʀᴇᴠᴇɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴠᴇɴᴛs ɪɴ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ, ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ɪs ᴀʟʟ ᴛᴏᴏ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛᴀʙʟᴇ ɪɴ ᴛᴏᴅᴀʏ’s ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ. sᴄʜᴏᴏʟs, ғᴀᴍɪʟɪᴇs, ᴡᴏʀᴋ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇs, ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴏʟɪᴄᴇ ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ʟɪᴠᴇ ᴜᴘ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴏᴛᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ᴛʜᴀᴛ sʜᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ғᴏʀ sᴄʜʀᴏᴇᴅᴇʀ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜᴏᴜᴛ ʜɪs ʟɪғᴇ. ᴜʟᴛɪᴍᴀᴛᴇʟʏ, ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ ɪs ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴏsᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴇxᴘʟᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘsʏᴄʜᴏʟᴏɢɪᴄᴀʟ ᴅɪsᴛʀᴇss ᴏғ ᴀ ғɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ (ʏᴇᴛ ʀᴇᴀʟɪsᴛɪᴄ) ʙᴜʟʟɪᴇᴅ sᴏᴜʟ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪᴛ ᴄᴀᴜsᴇs ʜɪᴍ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʜᴇ ғᴇᴇʟs ᴜᴛᴛᴇʀ ʜᴏᴘᴇʟᴇssɴᴇss. ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ ɪs ᴅᴀʀᴋ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴄᴀɴ’ᴛ ɪᴍᴀɢɪɴᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴏʟʟ ɪᴛ ᴛᴏᴏᴋ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ.


📖 ʜᴜɢᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ @ɴᴇᴀʟᴄᴀssɪᴅʏ ғᴏʀ sᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ ɪɴ ᴇxᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴀɴ ʜᴏɴᴇsᴛ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ 📖

[Mackenzie Paul-Majors · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is dark. Read those trigger warnings folks! But, if you can manage the content - this book is very unique, very well done. Definitely worth your time if you like the genres it contains.

Thank you so much to #booksirens for this digital copy in exchange for an honest review! I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[♡Heather✩Brown♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Horror/Thriller WTF?! Did I Just Read … But I Need More!

Deliciously dark and totally twisted I could not put this book down once I got started. The story follows Schroeder who wakes up one day feeling compelled to carry out a series of actions - that he and certainly everyone else - will never be able to forget.

The story takes place in a single day. Schroeder is exact and disciplined with his plan and movements. As he travels around on his bike the places and targets he has zeroed in on will be obsolete coming tomorrow.

I loved how we got to see inside the MC’s mind. The author uses several real-world issues as a backdrop to the story which only made the story feel more real. Be prepared to go down the rabbit hole with this one!

If psychological thrillers are your thing, you NEED to read this one! Schroeder is one interesting character - or something like that. The reversing of phrases or titles was interesting. This whole book was actually. It really is one of those books you could take a deep dive into and come back up with new theories or findings each time.

The diary entries at the end help shed light on some of the “whys” of things that have happened in the book. But don’t really reveal the full reasoning. It’s a thought-provoking read. Did the world shape who he is or was he always going to end up here?

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not a fan of the endless stream-of-consciousness narration. It was interesting at first to be in the mind of a killer, but also kind of boring at times as outside of killing you’re subjected to all his thoughts and opinions on mundane things.

The diary entries at the end felt so over the top and fake. The endless trauma and abuse, everyone laughing at him and his mom- ya it’s not realistic.

Anyways, if you want to get into the mind of a murderer, there are many other books out there that actually keep the plot and narrative interesting and less plodding.

Thank you anyways to the author, NetGalley, and M&S Publishing for a copy.

[C.J. Daley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author very kindly offered me a physical ARC. And after reading a Grind reference 7 pages in, I knew I made a good decision. And then later an Underoath reference. And the G-2 07 Pilot is truly the best pen. I hope these are references where I am like the author, cause otherwise it means I’m like Schroeder…

This novel is a psychological trip of stream of consciousness. With winding, incredibly longwinded sentences, paragraphs, chapters even. It took some getting used to, but I’m absolutely enthralled by how the author was able to go on such runs. I can only assume he spent huge chunks of time just thinking, watching, being. And the way he was able to make it almost compulsive to read, while often the character himself is even losing the strain, is truly something.

Schroeder is riding his bike through town, making pit stops, and ending lives. He’s described as a kind of normal guy, but all I could think of was how much stamina he had for biking all day long. Not to mention the other exercising he was stopping to do. It’s clear that he’s a pretty traumatized person, as who else would do the things he does, however he has a pretty positive outlook on the world it seems, or perhaps it’s because he knows what he’s doing. A day long bike ride that’s a propulsive revenge tale.

The one thing I struggled a bit with was the why. At first I thought it was strange that I didn’t really understand why he was doing these things, and then I understood that it was a decided choice from the writer. And as my curiosity continued to peak, I arrived at the end of the novel, which features a great deal of explanation and heartbreak. It works well, but I wonder if it would have made the earlier bits just that much stronger if these tidbits were making themselves present during all his musings on the bike? I for one, never get far before my troubles make themselves present at the forefront of my mind.

I think the biggest win here for me, is the fact that the author takes you through Shroeder’s musings for pages on end, and then they are broken up with these almost blissful moments for him while he’s doing harm to others. Harm that is bordering on extreme or even the splatterpunk edge, without going too nasty for readers. It’s this fine edge of walking that line between extremes—the extreme of thought, and the extreme of revenge. It works quite well. And while I wouldn’t say I necessarily agree with him, I do understand the lengths he’s been pushed.

https://fanfiaddict.com/review-schroe...

[Ty Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first read by Neal Cassidy.
The cover and synopsis are what drew me to request and read this book, In the beginning, it seems to start as a normal day for him; then his plan comes to light with each incident. You literally take a "ride" with Schroeder for the entire day.
All of which makes sense when nearing the end of the book.
It is very descriptive in conveying Schroeder's feelings and the surprise when his victims realize what is about to happen.
Schroeder definitely had a troubled past. One can begin to assume this by his meticulous habits and his "planned day".
You don't uncover why he is troubled until the end; which brought EVERYTHING to light!
For me, it was engaging, but difficult to read at the same time. Yes, it has TRIGGERS, but at times the writing didn't seem to convey what the author wanted us to feel or understand. I had to re-read certain parts 2-3 times to grasp it and understand what was, or about to happen.
I needed full closure at the end, given the circumstances. Yes, one can assume, but I don't like to assume in this instance, I needed to know exactly.
All in all 3 star read for me.
If you are not a reader that can read/listen to books with triggers, this is NOT for you.

Thank you NetGalley for this Advanced Reader Copy; my review is strictly my own and given voluntarily.

[Suzi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm so sad that it's been the same issues I've noticed from the last few books I've been awarded. Netgalley had lead me to believe they were as discerning with the books they ask us to read as those of us they allow to read them, but I feel now this is not the case.

This book was poorly written and I am surprised it made it to publishing. All of the mistakes were things a good editor and a good publisher should have picked up on.

Including but not limited to:
⭕Filled with obnoxiously long and clunky sentences that just ruined the movement of the story.
⭕Too many adverbs
⭕Again, PLEASE PLEASE, less commas, more fullstops. Even the voice in my head is out of breath.
⭕More often than not, the simplest/ most common word is the best. No need to sound as though you've swallowed a thesaurus, it detracts from the story. And just sounds awkward in the end. Particularly in the shooting scene where it's supposed to be filled with explosive action, all the adverbs and fancy words ruined it by slowing it to a stagger.
⭕Too much telling

And one last thing, the narrator just gives entitled incel man baby vibes. Gross.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Schroeder is quite the lovable character, he has an amusing morning routine that makes you chuckle, he has this day-dreamy outlook on life, spotting the sort of every day things we all miss whilst being absorbed in our own lives, he is a nerdy comic book loving guy straight out of the big bang theory and all he wants is everybody to be nice to each other. He is the sort of guy you could really get behind and cheer on…it’s a shame he is on a brutal killing spree.

The writing is very strong from Cassidy, the way Schroeder thinks works well, long poetic sentences kept making me smile and when the next bit of violence started I was surprised I had forgotten all about the previous one, what with me being caught up in Schroeder’s thoughts. The events that Schroeder witnesses on his last day, angry drivers, rude and selfish people are all things we have witnessed ourselves, but when he witnesses an act of kindness you can sense just how happy that moment made him, he really lights up the page. My favourite part was when Schroeder lists the little things that make him happy, so many of these were spot on, best one was putting on a brand new pair of socks…feet at maximum comfort levels. Luckily nobody at home spotted me smiling so much and hen having to explain that the book is about a violent killer.

Now for the killing, it was so graphic, so much gore and such a calm killer, American Psycho has nothing on this guy. I won’t go into detail here but it was not what I was expecting. The whole time that events are playing out, the reader is left clueless as to the reasons…you do get certain vibes from the victims and not once did I have any empathy towards them. The book ends with a big 30-page reveal that makes for some of the most heart-breaking, all too real shouts for help I have ever read. 100% drained of emotion after this ride.

Bravo to Cassidy here for writing one hell of book for Schroeder.

Blog review: https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2024...

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like 4 1/2 ⭐️
This is an inside look to thoughts of a killer. Basically the inner workings of someone who has snapped and decided to go on a killing spree. First, this felt very real, very authentic. I could definitely see this being how someone who has been abused and bullied would think about things. My biggest complaint is how it’s written…run on sentences galore! So. Many. Commas. It literally gave me a feeling of panic reading it, to the point where my brain (in some weird self preservation) would almost turn off and begin to wander. It was very frustrating. The content wasn’t bothersome, just how he wrote it. It is very hard to stay focused when there aren’t any paragraphs also. These chapters were semi long and only consisted of a few paragraphs. There were times where it seemed one paragraph was 3 or 4 pages. Combine that with so many run-on sentences and it was very difficult to stay focused.
It is gory, which doesn’t particularly bother me, in fact, it really is needed in this type of story and I appreciated it being just gory enough where it helped the story along. Also, I did become invested in the main character. It’s a strange ability for an author to be able to write such a likable character that you want to root for, but at the same time disgusted and appalled by what he does.
Then the ending…damn. The ending was what did it for this book. I think if the ending part was at the beginning, it would have had a much different effect. The way Cassidy did it though, it was perfect. Super emotional impact. Definitely put things into perspective.
Overall, if you can get past some of the, I feel, writing issues (they probably bothered me more than most), I do recommend this for the story. This was my first time reading a book by Cassidy, but this made me want to read more of his books.
***Thank you NetGalley, M&S Publishing, and Neal Cassidy for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.***

[Kate | Date With A Thriller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Throughout this book, the reader has a front row seat into the mind of Schroeder as he goes about his thoughtfully planned out day. And what a dark day that is! There are some flickers of light in that darkness though too!

Was what Schroeder did during the course of this day the right thing to do? No. Were the reasons behind his actions justified? I may dare to say yes.

This book highlights just how horrible human beings can be to one another, while also sprinkling in proof that not everyone is bad - there is some good still left in this world. ❤️

This one is definitely gory and brutal at times, so be forewarned! But I highly recommend it!!! 🙌

Thank you so much to Neal Cassidy for sending me a physical copy of the book in exchange for my honest review!! I look forward to reading more from you, sir!!

TW: physical abuse, mental abuse, sexual assault, suicide

[Haley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I honestly thought this was going to be more horror & gory or detailed, since he goes on a killing spree, but I was let down. This ended up being more about Schroeder’s life & him ending up at different places to kill them. I was just hoping for a lot more action, or more to happen then just this guys life & riding around on a bike going to different places, and I don’t even think it did a great job of explaining why he felt compelled to do this or why he chose the people he did. This story was also quite confusing, the “chapters” if you can call them that were way too long and I’m still questioning what I just read. I honestly wouldn’t recommend this, sadly, it’s just not worth the read if you’re wanting a horror or gory story because that is not what you get with this story.

[Blaque Ace · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stupid, pretentious, an absolute waste of time.

Oh my god, this book annoyed the shit out of me. It was chock full of long winding sentences, endless commas and barely any paragraph breaks. If that was the extent of it, I would have been fine but nooo, it has to be boring too.

Schroeder (or Schrodinger, as I keep calling him in my head) follows a guy who is about to commit a mass shooting. He kills several black guys, a woman, some white guy and some other people I can't remember because I was skimming at that point. We don't know why he's killing these people, we get the sense that they've done something wrong to him so we're supposed to be perplexed as we await our answers.

These people that Schroeder killed are in different locations but somehow he's able to gun them all down without law enforcement or anyone catching on to him. Sure, whatever, I've suspended my disbelief for less.

In the end, we are shown Schrodinger's diary since he was ten or something all the way to his adulthood. In each entry, we are treated to the worst case of abuse a person and their mother can go through. We are told Schrodinger was abused as a kid by his father, his mother was abused by his father, he was bullied by the richest boy in his class and all the teachers could do nothing because his bully was rich. Schrodinger was bullied from the age of ten to I think he's in his twenties now. I went from sympathetic to rolling my eyes at every entry detailing the abuse from his childhood bully, his co-workers, some teenage girl and basically everybody he ever comes in contact. Also, his mother was SAed by her boss which is bad, of course but you can tell the author is just making a checklist of every trauma these people can go through. Eventually, his mother died and that's when Schneider decides he's had enough of being bullied by the entire town basically and decides to kill everyone.

As someone who has been the victim of CSA and parental abuse and even suffered mild bullying growing up, I call bullshit on Schroeder's trauma porn of a diary.

Do I think people don't go through awful shit like this in lives? Of course, I don't but not to the extent it was written in this book. I hate when authors write characters as trauma personified instead of a fully fledged person.

Schroeder's mother is not a developed character. She's a sad woman whose entire existence is to justify Schroeder's rampage. We don't get to see her personality, her happy moments, her resilience. All we see is trauma, trauma, trauma. So much trauma it actually becomes annoying.

Schrodinger himself has no personality other than the fact that he has faced horrendous abuse all of his life. He doesn't have friends, he doesn't have interests or crushes or favorite things. All he has is an abusive father, an abused mother, a bully that torments him all the way into adulthood, co-workers who beat and make fun of him, customers who laugh at his abuse and two people who don't torture him, I guess.

It's essential that Schroeder be the most traumatized person to ever been to traumatized ever. That way the author doesn't have to do much mental gymnastics when trying to convince you that this particular mass shooting is not like the other girls.

In theory, I would have loved to see this explored. Bad people getting their comeuppance and all that. The problem is this isn't really explored. This people are killed in gruesome ways and we only get a footnote to explain why. It feels very lazy to me.

I wanted to give this three stars to be kind but I'm starting to realize I actually hated every moment I read it. Well, not every moment. The beginning hooked me, I won't lie.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.