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I Don't Recognize This World Anymore
Most people who go to prison don’t go willingly. The same cannot be said for corrections officers, who take on one of the most dangerous jobs in America.
Liam Donnelly’s new profession requires him to spend most of his time in a women’s correctional institution. Norrington houses the worst female offenders in the country, but with his dog in need of cancer treatment, Liam is desperate for cash, and works whatever overtime shifts the captain offers. But it’s simply not enough.
When inmate Zoe Hallister is brought to Liam’s unit, he begins a criminal partnership with her, running dope, cellphones, and other contraband into the prison. Zoe even pairs him with a drug dealer on the outside—her unstable cousin, Dennis.
Tensions rise as the privately-owned prison fills with narcotics. Violent attacks increase. Predators thrive. Prisoners reconnect with their old gang members. Liam knows things are getting too dangerous, but his feelings for Zoe continue him down a dark path. Soon he realizes he’s not as in control of the situation as he thought he was, and finds himself in a world he no longer recognizes as Zoe drives Norrington into chaos.
Liam Donnelly’s new profession requires him to spend most of his time in a women’s correctional institution. Norrington houses the worst female offenders in the country, but with his dog in need of cancer treatment, Liam is desperate for cash, and works whatever overtime shifts the captain offers. But it’s simply not enough.
When inmate Zoe Hallister is brought to Liam’s unit, he begins a criminal partnership with her, running dope, cellphones, and other contraband into the prison. Zoe even pairs him with a drug dealer on the outside—her unstable cousin, Dennis.
Tensions rise as the privately-owned prison fills with narcotics. Violent attacks increase. Predators thrive. Prisoners reconnect with their old gang members. Liam knows things are getting too dangerous, but his feelings for Zoe continue him down a dark path. Soon he realizes he’s not as in control of the situation as he thought he was, and finds himself in a world he no longer recognizes as Zoe drives Norrington into chaos.
398 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 17, 2025
30 people are currently reading
501 people want to read
About the author
Kristopher Triana
68 books2,172 followersKristopher Triana is the author of Gone to See the River Man, Full Brutal, They All Died Screaming, Shepherd of the Black Sheep, Toxic Love, and more.
His fiction has appeared in countless magazines and anthologies and has been translated into multiple languages, drawing praise from Publisher's Weekly, Cemetery Dance, Rue Morgue, Scream, The Ginger Nuts of Horror and others.
Full Brutal won the Splatterpunk Award for Best Horror Novel of 2019, and Triana won the award again in 2022 for The Night Stockers, which he cowrote with Ryan Harding.
He lives in Connecticut.
His fiction has appeared in countless magazines and anthologies and has been translated into multiple languages, drawing praise from Publisher's Weekly, Cemetery Dance, Rue Morgue, Scream, The Ginger Nuts of Horror and others.
Full Brutal won the Splatterpunk Award for Best Horror Novel of 2019, and Triana won the award again in 2022 for The Night Stockers, which he cowrote with Ryan Harding.
He lives in Connecticut.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
December 21, 2025
Triana's ability to instill unease in the reader makes him perhaps my favorite contemporary horror author. Triana also manages to constantly change his game and never draws into a formulaic trap. This book tells the tale of Liam Donnelly, a forty something, recently divorced guy whose only real friend is his aging dog Charlie. Having almost exhausted the money from the settlement with his ex-wife, Liam needs a job, and boy does he get one!
Triana instills the unease/creep factor on two levels here. First, the grim reality of for-profit penal institutions; chronically understaffed with poorly paid correctional officers (COs) and all efforts made to increase the bottom line. We follow Liam as he goes through 'training' as a CO and starting his job, often working mandatory overtime. Working at a female correctional institution in the middle of nowhere Arizona, Liam begins to experience the grim reality firsthand, trying to be professional, but putting himself to sleep at night with booze and edibles.
The second level concerns Liam himself as we learn more of his story while watching him walk down 10 miles of bad road. Liam's wife left him, in part due to chronic depression, and the next shoe to drop involves his dog, diagnosed with cancer; sure, it can be treated, but the bill will be several grand. Early in the novel during Liam's training, he befriends an older woman who previously worked in a federal penal institution and she tells him 1/2 of the COs will 'go crooked' to supplement their income. Well, Liam needs money ASAP for his dog and 'befriends' a new inmate, one Zoe Hallister who has a connection outside to her cousin, a drug dealer among other things. Liam's crimes start off small (smuggling in some cellphones, some K-2, etc.) but soon escalate; you can tell this will not have a happy ending pretty quickly and man does Triana toss in some ugly here!
Finally, Triana always seems to create living, breathing characters, even among his villains, and Liam and Zoe are priceless. No supernatural here, just plain old evil humanity. Finally, loved the twist at the end. 4.5 penal stars!!
Triana instills the unease/creep factor on two levels here. First, the grim reality of for-profit penal institutions; chronically understaffed with poorly paid correctional officers (COs) and all efforts made to increase the bottom line. We follow Liam as he goes through 'training' as a CO and starting his job, often working mandatory overtime. Working at a female correctional institution in the middle of nowhere Arizona, Liam begins to experience the grim reality firsthand, trying to be professional, but putting himself to sleep at night with booze and edibles.
The second level concerns Liam himself as we learn more of his story while watching him walk down 10 miles of bad road. Liam's wife left him, in part due to chronic depression, and the next shoe to drop involves his dog, diagnosed with cancer; sure, it can be treated, but the bill will be several grand. Early in the novel during Liam's training, he befriends an older woman who previously worked in a federal penal institution and she tells him 1/2 of the COs will 'go crooked' to supplement their income. Well, Liam needs money ASAP for his dog and 'befriends' a new inmate, one Zoe Hallister who has a connection outside to her cousin, a drug dealer among other things. Liam's crimes start off small (smuggling in some cellphones, some K-2, etc.) but soon escalate; you can tell this will not have a happy ending pretty quickly and man does Triana toss in some ugly here!
Finally, Triana always seems to create living, breathing characters, even among his villains, and Liam and Zoe are priceless. No supernatural here, just plain old evil humanity. Finally, loved the twist at the end. 4.5 penal stars!!
December 3, 2025
“I was changing, my time as a criminal was altering my personality….when I saw females at stores I was sure they were shoplifting, when I drove past bars where they were all dolled up, I saw only diseased sluts who would hurl their feces and used tampons at me if I dared to say hello.”
January 3, 2026
I DON’T RECOGNIZE THIS WORLD ANYMORE (2025) by Kristopher Triana
MY REVIEW FIVE STARS
The first book I read by Kristopher Triana was his Splatterpunk Award-winning Gone to See the River Man (2020) . I had been ferreting out the most chilling serial killer thrillers to feed my growing desire for darkness, and the psychological horror novels I had been whetting my appetite on had become as black as onyx at midnight. In 2022 when I cracked the pages of (River Man) I knew that it was a gateway novel and a one-way road to the dark side of horror genre fiction.
Four years down the road I can frequently be found lounging in the huge Horror Genre Stadium, reading and eating popcorn while loafing on the left side of the bleachers housing fans of Splatterpunk/Extreme Horror. I have been a fan of Triana’s for years.
Did you know that “penitentiary” is derived from “penance”? It was a coincidence that I read I DON’T RECOGNIZE THIS WORLD ANYMORE during the third week of December. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that a guy I admire happened to be reading it. The title was new to me and the Cover Art by Scott Cole drew me in for a closer look. I purchased the novel the same day. I learned that Bad Dream Books had just published the 1st Edition in mid-June of 2025.
I would suppose that you might find Triana in a lot of places but caught in a formulaic trap is not one of them. When I read the tagline “This spring, Kristopher Triana goes to prison” I was speechless for a few seconds. His skillful, agile talent for tuning his writing style, dialogue, and rich characterization to fit diverse sub-genre horror designations is amazing, but his gift for writing in alternative genres altogether i.e., Westerns, Organized Crime is simply incredible.
Do you have a conscious thought of the correctional facilities in your country often? Sometimes? Ever? Tell the truth and shame the Devil. I cannot remember ever giving the topic any serious thought in the manner in which my question was posed. Naturally, the first task on my agenda was to educate myself a bit about prisons, but more importantly to delve into Triana’s inspiration for writing the novel.
Triana disclosed that with the exception of his horror westerns, he had conducted more research for this novel than anything else he’d written . The research Triana conducted for this novel was both extensive and exhaustive. Triana shared that he had a friend who was employed as a corrections officer. His buddy was consulted to read the draft and submit suggestions to render the book as accurate and realistic as possible. Triana did not say when he learned about America’s “for profit prison system” but focused on how it really disturbed him and the viciousness of the novel would tend to validate his anger.
The author’s fictional creation of a prison that houses the worst female offenders in the country translates into a fascinating “on the edge of your seat” reading experience. It is as the man says “Ultra-violent, depraved, and sadistic…”
The human emotional inspiration for the book caught in my throat because it hit so close to home. Triana was inspired by the experience of his dog Bear going through chemo treatment and “the toll it took on both of us”. He points out that the book highlights the lengths some people will go to take care of their beloved pets. The book was dedicated to his sweet girls (BEAR and SHADOW).
The protagonist in this gripping tale is Liam Donnelly, a man in his forties who has “walked down 10 miles of bad road” as one reader posited it. His heartbreaking past, chronic depression, dark obsession with suicide, financial woes all surround him like a bleak oppressive cage. It is only when his beloved aging dog is diagnosed with cancer that Liam feels his back slammed squarely against a concrete wall. The reader rides along with Liam as he is hired as a CO (correctional officer) in a female correctional institution and the cages and concrete become literal in his hard, dangerous new line of work. Potential readers do not necessarily hanker for a synopsis of a 400-page novel but rather want to know why that they will miss out on one of the best books they will ever read if they walk on by. This vicious narrative unfolds against the backdrop of a special construct of Hell in the Arizona heat, and this storyline is a roller coaster ride from start to finish, a riveting, dynamic, hold-your-breath at times momentum that is hard to describe but impossible to mistake when you are in the eye of the hurricane.
Triana is an absolute genius at creating unforgettable characters that are so real they walk off the page. The transformation of Liam Donnelly is so real and a blow to the solar plexus that you only afterwords realize you have witnessed Jekyll shed his suit coat for a prison shiv and gaze up from the page as Hyde. This is my favorite book of 2025 hands down. It is in my opinion a masterpiece, the plot, the premise, the vivid fully fleshed out villains and other characters, an incredibly powerful read. The depression and consummate seduction of suicide inside the walls of hopelessness was poetic and beautifully written as only Triana could deftly use a fine brush of descriptive prose to paint.
The ending was nothing short of incredible . Triana fans know about book endings penned by Triana. He knocked it out of the ballpark.
FAVORITE BOOK FOR 2025 FROM THE TALENTED TRIANA
MY REVIEW FIVE STARS
This was a different world I’d grown up in. Life hadn’t passed me by---it had stabbed me in the back. I don’t recognize this world anymore.
The first book I read by Kristopher Triana was his Splatterpunk Award-winning Gone to See the River Man (2020) . I had been ferreting out the most chilling serial killer thrillers to feed my growing desire for darkness, and the psychological horror novels I had been whetting my appetite on had become as black as onyx at midnight. In 2022 when I cracked the pages of (River Man) I knew that it was a gateway novel and a one-way road to the dark side of horror genre fiction.
Four years down the road I can frequently be found lounging in the huge Horror Genre Stadium, reading and eating popcorn while loafing on the left side of the bleachers housing fans of Splatterpunk/Extreme Horror. I have been a fan of Triana’s for years.
Did you know that “penitentiary” is derived from “penance”? It was a coincidence that I read I DON’T RECOGNIZE THIS WORLD ANYMORE during the third week of December. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that a guy I admire happened to be reading it. The title was new to me and the Cover Art by Scott Cole drew me in for a closer look. I purchased the novel the same day. I learned that Bad Dream Books had just published the 1st Edition in mid-June of 2025.
I would suppose that you might find Triana in a lot of places but caught in a formulaic trap is not one of them. When I read the tagline “This spring, Kristopher Triana goes to prison” I was speechless for a few seconds. His skillful, agile talent for tuning his writing style, dialogue, and rich characterization to fit diverse sub-genre horror designations is amazing, but his gift for writing in alternative genres altogether i.e., Westerns, Organized Crime is simply incredible.
Do you have a conscious thought of the correctional facilities in your country often? Sometimes? Ever? Tell the truth and shame the Devil. I cannot remember ever giving the topic any serious thought in the manner in which my question was posed. Naturally, the first task on my agenda was to educate myself a bit about prisons, but more importantly to delve into Triana’s inspiration for writing the novel.
Triana disclosed that with the exception of his horror westerns, he had conducted more research for this novel than anything else he’d written . The research Triana conducted for this novel was both extensive and exhaustive. Triana shared that he had a friend who was employed as a corrections officer. His buddy was consulted to read the draft and submit suggestions to render the book as accurate and realistic as possible. Triana did not say when he learned about America’s “for profit prison system” but focused on how it really disturbed him and the viciousness of the novel would tend to validate his anger.
The author’s fictional creation of a prison that houses the worst female offenders in the country translates into a fascinating “on the edge of your seat” reading experience. It is as the man says “Ultra-violent, depraved, and sadistic…”
The human emotional inspiration for the book caught in my throat because it hit so close to home. Triana was inspired by the experience of his dog Bear going through chemo treatment and “the toll it took on both of us”. He points out that the book highlights the lengths some people will go to take care of their beloved pets. The book was dedicated to his sweet girls (BEAR and SHADOW).
The protagonist in this gripping tale is Liam Donnelly, a man in his forties who has “walked down 10 miles of bad road” as one reader posited it. His heartbreaking past, chronic depression, dark obsession with suicide, financial woes all surround him like a bleak oppressive cage. It is only when his beloved aging dog is diagnosed with cancer that Liam feels his back slammed squarely against a concrete wall. The reader rides along with Liam as he is hired as a CO (correctional officer) in a female correctional institution and the cages and concrete become literal in his hard, dangerous new line of work. Potential readers do not necessarily hanker for a synopsis of a 400-page novel but rather want to know why that they will miss out on one of the best books they will ever read if they walk on by. This vicious narrative unfolds against the backdrop of a special construct of Hell in the Arizona heat, and this storyline is a roller coaster ride from start to finish, a riveting, dynamic, hold-your-breath at times momentum that is hard to describe but impossible to mistake when you are in the eye of the hurricane.
“Under the right conditions we go right back to ripping each other’s guts out with hot irons.”
“There’d been a recall inside my head, the modern man ejected so the reptilian brain could return to power. Kill or be killed.”
Triana is an absolute genius at creating unforgettable characters that are so real they walk off the page. The transformation of Liam Donnelly is so real and a blow to the solar plexus that you only afterwords realize you have witnessed Jekyll shed his suit coat for a prison shiv and gaze up from the page as Hyde. This is my favorite book of 2025 hands down. It is in my opinion a masterpiece, the plot, the premise, the vivid fully fleshed out villains and other characters, an incredibly powerful read. The depression and consummate seduction of suicide inside the walls of hopelessness was poetic and beautifully written as only Triana could deftly use a fine brush of descriptive prose to paint.
“Killin’ myself ain’t taking a life”, Cherry said. “Can’t take away what somebody ain’t got.”
I too had always held a certain fascination with (and even respect for) those who followed through with killing themselves” …
I looked out the window at a world I no longer understood. I thought of what Cherry Campbell had written before she’d killed herself. “I don’t recognize this world anymore,” I said aloud.
The ending was nothing short of incredible . Triana fans know about book endings penned by Triana. He knocked it out of the ballpark.
FAVORITE BOOK FOR 2025 FROM THE TALENTED TRIANA
July 11, 2025
The true horrors. Triana is the best there is at writing characters. Admittedly, I didn’t quite want to read this right away due to the synopsis not sounding like the best. However, this was close to being a masterpiece. Such a roller coaster from start to finish.
Man prison really does change you. Liam, the main character, who gets a job as a CO in a women’s prison soon finds out that applies to CO too. This is for fans of Netflix Orange is the New Black, dog lovers, and a strong main character. Totally worth the read. I couldn’t stop reading and the ending was unexpected to say the least.
Likes: The plot, the premise, the characters, powerful read.
Man prison really does change you. Liam, the main character, who gets a job as a CO in a women’s prison soon finds out that applies to CO too. This is for fans of Netflix Orange is the New Black, dog lovers, and a strong main character. Totally worth the read. I couldn’t stop reading and the ending was unexpected to say the least.
Likes: The plot, the premise, the characters, powerful read.
October 26, 2025
Brilliant piece of writing.
June 3, 2025
I tore through this book in just six days! I found myself reaching for it every spare moment I had. There’s something incredibly addictive about Triana’s writing and the way he brings his characters to life (no surprise considering he’s one of my favorite authors). It felt like watching an intense TV series I was hooked on and couldn’t wait to see what happened next. If I had to compare the experience to anything, it’d be like binge-watching a darker version of Orange is the New Black or Breaking Bad. Themes of prison life, drugs, and a man unraveling into a darker version of himself— and it all starts with one heartbreaking motivation: his love for his dog Charlie, who got diagnosed with cancer. In a desperate attempt to pay for treatment, he takes a job as a corrections officer, which sets everything in motion.
Liam was a great character, and there was always this underlying tension around how his decisions might ripple into bigger consequences. The people he got mixed up with kept throwing him into unpredictable situations, and I was constantly on edge waiting for something wild to go down— and it most certainly did! While this book is tamer compared to some of Triana’s more brutal works, it still delivers with its suspenseful moments, bursts of violence, and a gripping look at corruption in private prisons and the darker side of human nature.
I do wish there had been more scenes between Liam and his dog, Charlie- the emotional core of the story felt a bit sidelined at times. However, I was thoroughly entertained by the chaotic situations Liam kept stumbling into. The ending genuinely caught me off guard! While it might have come together a little too easily, it was still a surprising and satisfying conclusion.
Overall, this is a fantastic read! I’m actually a bit sad it’s over and wish there were more pages to tear through. I’d even love to see a sequel! If you’re looking for a dark thriller set in a women’s prison, this one is definitely worth picking up!
4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Liam was a great character, and there was always this underlying tension around how his decisions might ripple into bigger consequences. The people he got mixed up with kept throwing him into unpredictable situations, and I was constantly on edge waiting for something wild to go down— and it most certainly did! While this book is tamer compared to some of Triana’s more brutal works, it still delivers with its suspenseful moments, bursts of violence, and a gripping look at corruption in private prisons and the darker side of human nature.
I do wish there had been more scenes between Liam and his dog, Charlie- the emotional core of the story felt a bit sidelined at times. However, I was thoroughly entertained by the chaotic situations Liam kept stumbling into. The ending genuinely caught me off guard! While it might have come together a little too easily, it was still a surprising and satisfying conclusion.
Overall, this is a fantastic read! I’m actually a bit sad it’s over and wish there were more pages to tear through. I’d even love to see a sequel! If you’re looking for a dark thriller set in a women’s prison, this one is definitely worth picking up!
4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
May 25, 2025
Hooked from the first sentence. I absolutely love Triana’s writing. I was itching to get a prison book and this thing delivered. Had everything I wanted. Bravo.
June 27, 2025
Triana never disappoints. 4.25 stars!
This is more of a "normal" dark crime-thriller, as opposed to the splatterpunk and extreme horror that Triana is more commonly known for. It's also a scathing critique of the private for-profit prison system in the US. Highly entertaining, with a devilishly twisted ending!
This is more of a "normal" dark crime-thriller, as opposed to the splatterpunk and extreme horror that Triana is more commonly known for. It's also a scathing critique of the private for-profit prison system in the US. Highly entertaining, with a devilishly twisted ending!
December 31, 2025
This is not an extreme horror novel like much of Triana’s work, it takes a look at the horrors of the private prison industry that has the primary goal of profit. Great story and characters showing the real life horrors of correction officers and inmates. Well worth the read.
December 17, 2025
As Taylor swift once said “it must be exhausting always rooting for the antihero”
October 11, 2025
4.5⭐️ - What an absolute ride this book was. It hooked me immediately and I absolutely tore through it. At its core, this is a prison story, but Triana turns it into something far more intense, weaving grief, violence, and desperation into a narrative that’s as gripping as it is brutal.
The story follows Liam, who, in a desperate attempt to pay for cancer treatment for his dog Charlie, takes a job as a corrections officer. Watching his life spiral out of control was both wildly entertaining and anxiety-inducing in equal measure. Triana’s characters are written with such depth that you feel like you know them. The loneliness, the yearning for connection, and the way that longing mutates into obsession and danger are portrayed with devastating clarity.
Triana doesn’t hold back on the grit either. The manipulation, the snitching, the staffing shortages, and that ever-present threat of violence create an atmosphere of constant tension. The dehumanisation and hopelessness of prison life bleed through every page, making this book feel raw and uncomfortably real. It shines a harsh light on the corruption within private prisons and the darker sides of humanity.
It’s violent, unhinged, darkly hypnotic, and surprisingly emotional at times. If you enjoy a wild, prison story that drags you straight into the depths of human depravity, this is one you need to read!
Thank you to Kristopher Triana for the gifted ebook. I did immediately purchase a physical copy because I needed this masterpiece on my shelf!
The story follows Liam, who, in a desperate attempt to pay for cancer treatment for his dog Charlie, takes a job as a corrections officer. Watching his life spiral out of control was both wildly entertaining and anxiety-inducing in equal measure. Triana’s characters are written with such depth that you feel like you know them. The loneliness, the yearning for connection, and the way that longing mutates into obsession and danger are portrayed with devastating clarity.
Triana doesn’t hold back on the grit either. The manipulation, the snitching, the staffing shortages, and that ever-present threat of violence create an atmosphere of constant tension. The dehumanisation and hopelessness of prison life bleed through every page, making this book feel raw and uncomfortably real. It shines a harsh light on the corruption within private prisons and the darker sides of humanity.
It’s violent, unhinged, darkly hypnotic, and surprisingly emotional at times. If you enjoy a wild, prison story that drags you straight into the depths of human depravity, this is one you need to read!
Thank you to Kristopher Triana for the gifted ebook. I did immediately purchase a physical copy because I needed this masterpiece on my shelf!
May 23, 2025
4.5 stars rounded up! Wow! What a fun prison story this was. Watching Liam’s life spiral out of control and seeing the story end the way it did was wild! I absolutely loved this book and the writing style, I felt like I really knew these characters throughout. You need to read this one if you enjoy a crazy prison story.
November 13, 2025
I don’t recognise this world anymore 🐦⬛
Firstly thank you so much to Triana for sending me an audible code for this! Secondly, WOW this was the gift that kept on giving 😯
Liam is at a crossroads in life, having broke down & doing a brief spell in a mental hospital his wife decides this isn’t what she signed for and a divorce is needed. He’s had to find a new home & a new job but he has his best friend Charlie, the beautiful Labrador that has been with him since a pup. He is his reason for living.
Finding a job as a corrections officer in a woman’s prison is his only option right now. He settles in quickly, and soon starts connecting with inmates. Liam is a little on the soft side & takes to Zoe very fast. What starts as an act of kindness leads to him questioning his whole character.
When he finds out Charlie has cancer and the treatment is more than he could ever afford, he goes against the grain & starts a business with Zoe & her cousin Dennis, smuggling drugs into the prison for Zoe to distribute. He soon sees how much money he is earning & it takes ahold of him, he gets greedy!! How far is he willing to go though & can he actually trust Zoe & Dennis?!
All good things must come to an end for some 👀
Omg I LOVED this so much! It’s been on my tbr for so long & I’m sad it’s ended, I want to read it again already 😭 The situations Liam got himself into! Oh I wanted to shake him at times, how naive can one person be?!
It’s crazy because this obviously does happen, which makes the story all the more compelling. I do love when you read something that makes you think like wow this stuff really does happen, it can be as simple as needing to do something for a good reason that can then end up taking over your life!
I didn’t expect the ending in the slightest! It was an ohhhhh that’s NAUGHTY. It did make me wonder if we’ll maybe get a sequel in time? 🤞🏼
Anyway, go read it, it’s amazing ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me! Thanks again for the code, it’s very much appreciated 🫶🏻🤎
Firstly thank you so much to Triana for sending me an audible code for this! Secondly, WOW this was the gift that kept on giving 😯
Liam is at a crossroads in life, having broke down & doing a brief spell in a mental hospital his wife decides this isn’t what she signed for and a divorce is needed. He’s had to find a new home & a new job but he has his best friend Charlie, the beautiful Labrador that has been with him since a pup. He is his reason for living.
Finding a job as a corrections officer in a woman’s prison is his only option right now. He settles in quickly, and soon starts connecting with inmates. Liam is a little on the soft side & takes to Zoe very fast. What starts as an act of kindness leads to him questioning his whole character.
When he finds out Charlie has cancer and the treatment is more than he could ever afford, he goes against the grain & starts a business with Zoe & her cousin Dennis, smuggling drugs into the prison for Zoe to distribute. He soon sees how much money he is earning & it takes ahold of him, he gets greedy!! How far is he willing to go though & can he actually trust Zoe & Dennis?!
All good things must come to an end for some 👀
Omg I LOVED this so much! It’s been on my tbr for so long & I’m sad it’s ended, I want to read it again already 😭 The situations Liam got himself into! Oh I wanted to shake him at times, how naive can one person be?!
It’s crazy because this obviously does happen, which makes the story all the more compelling. I do love when you read something that makes you think like wow this stuff really does happen, it can be as simple as needing to do something for a good reason that can then end up taking over your life!
I didn’t expect the ending in the slightest! It was an ohhhhh that’s NAUGHTY. It did make me wonder if we’ll maybe get a sequel in time? 🤞🏼
Anyway, go read it, it’s amazing ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me! Thanks again for the code, it’s very much appreciated 🫶🏻🤎
September 17, 2025
Another great book by Kristopher Triana. I love his storytelling, especially when he writes a first-person POV. Being inside a prison in first-person was an unnerving experience. The book is not quite as extreme as some of his other books and doesn’t even get to be more than noir until quite a ways in, but it's still an interesting story. The only thing I could ding it on is that it was quite a bit longer than his typical books, and there were some parts that could’ve been cut without sacrificing the plot or character development. My wife and I listened to this on Audible, and we’re also big Chuck Brugee fans. He pulled off another excellent performance.
May 24, 2025
I actually thought this was a political fiction book, but I was way wrong.
Prison, drugs, corrupt correction officers and lots of insane female prisoners.
Liam a newly hired CO, wants to be his best but life always gets in the way. His dog has cancer and his new job even with overtime doesn't pay that well. He only has one option and he has to cross into the darkside of society.
Great book Liam, Zoey and Dennis, were all beautifully written characters.
Prison, drugs, corrupt correction officers and lots of insane female prisoners.
Liam a newly hired CO, wants to be his best but life always gets in the way. His dog has cancer and his new job even with overtime doesn't pay that well. He only has one option and he has to cross into the darkside of society.
Great book Liam, Zoey and Dennis, were all beautifully written characters.
June 20, 2025
3.5
I enjoyed this book but having read several Kristopher Triana books I was expecting and hoping for more gore. It's set in a prison, it lends itself to this. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot, but..... me wanted more. Triana is an excellent storyteller though and I enjoyed the ride.
I enjoyed this book but having read several Kristopher Triana books I was expecting and hoping for more gore. It's set in a prison, it lends itself to this. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot, but..... me wanted more. Triana is an excellent storyteller though and I enjoyed the ride.
June 27, 2025
That ending.... Prison really does change people.
July 10, 2025
I really don’t understand all the good reviews. I read almost strictly horror/thriller books, and I found this absolutely juvenile and disgusting, and not in a good way. This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and I don’t plan on reading more. I get the feeling this guy really hates women, and that alone made me not even want to finish. I also have a feeling this didn’t have a copy editor, with mistakes like “subscription” instead of “prescription”, and “penile” instead of “penal”. Like, seriously? I wanted this book to just end by the time I got about 40% through, but I trudged through because I was curious about the ending. Well, that was a major disappointment as well. This was not anything like what I expected it to be, and I regret reading it. Waste of time.
July 11, 2025
If you have pets and love them the way most pet owners do, you’d probably do damn near anything for them. I would sell everything I own to save my cats if I had to. But would you go as far as criminal acts? Chancing your safety and career and morality? In this book the main character Liam has to decide what he will do when his dog Charlie has cancer and needs treatment. He may end up risking it all. He may end up getting caught. But what he knows is that if he takes this opportunity nothing will be the same again.
Liam is starting over, he’s in his mid-forties, divorced and alone with just his best friend and dog, Charlie. He takes a job at Norrington, a maximum security women’s prison as a correctional officer. With zero experience and not a hell of a lot of pay, he’s still ready to give it a try and start over. Early on in this new journey is when he finds out about Charlie’s cancer. Conveniently, he’s been propositioned by more than one female inmate at Norrington to test the waters and see how “dirty” of a CO he can be. He finally caves when he starts bonding with Zoe. She’s ready to do business with Liam and has many different ways of showing it. With her crazy criminal cousin Dennis on the outside for a way to get the things needed for Zoe to sell, and for Liam to get his cut of money, Liam will be figuring out ways to move product for Zoe.
Without going into too much more detail, you can imagine how messy things get. Liam did start out with the desperation of wanting to save Charlie but as the money and power and control start influencing Liam even more, things get more serious. And more deadly. And there is not a sliver of morality at this point.
Triana definitely has a great style and kept me wanting more. I knew I would be hooked simply as the backdrop is a prison and it is a trope we don’t see as much and when I find very underrated. Sometimes this story being told from Liam’s perspective pissed me off because I didn’t like the way he started changing. And changing how he feels about people, criminals, addicts and especially how he views women in general now.
The ending!! It is one where you don’t want it to happen but it was totally ended exactly how it should be. I hope to see more thick books like this from Triana in the future! Maybe a sequel to see where everyone is at years later?! Nahhh not every book needs a sequel. But I’m okay and supportive if it happens. Ha!
Enjoy this book, happy reading!
Liam is starting over, he’s in his mid-forties, divorced and alone with just his best friend and dog, Charlie. He takes a job at Norrington, a maximum security women’s prison as a correctional officer. With zero experience and not a hell of a lot of pay, he’s still ready to give it a try and start over. Early on in this new journey is when he finds out about Charlie’s cancer. Conveniently, he’s been propositioned by more than one female inmate at Norrington to test the waters and see how “dirty” of a CO he can be. He finally caves when he starts bonding with Zoe. She’s ready to do business with Liam and has many different ways of showing it. With her crazy criminal cousin Dennis on the outside for a way to get the things needed for Zoe to sell, and for Liam to get his cut of money, Liam will be figuring out ways to move product for Zoe.
Without going into too much more detail, you can imagine how messy things get. Liam did start out with the desperation of wanting to save Charlie but as the money and power and control start influencing Liam even more, things get more serious. And more deadly. And there is not a sliver of morality at this point.
Triana definitely has a great style and kept me wanting more. I knew I would be hooked simply as the backdrop is a prison and it is a trope we don’t see as much and when I find very underrated. Sometimes this story being told from Liam’s perspective pissed me off because I didn’t like the way he started changing. And changing how he feels about people, criminals, addicts and especially how he views women in general now.
The ending!! It is one where you don’t want it to happen but it was totally ended exactly how it should be. I hope to see more thick books like this from Triana in the future! Maybe a sequel to see where everyone is at years later?! Nahhh not every book needs a sequel. But I’m okay and supportive if it happens. Ha!
Enjoy this book, happy reading!
July 11, 2025
This was, heartbreaking.
They say that prison changes a person, even if you’re not an inmate.
Liam gets a job as a CO at a women’s for profit prison.
The reason he got the job, is to hold desperately onto the one thing he has left after a series of tragedies, his dog, Charlie, who has cancer.
His morality is challenged when he befriends Zoe, an inmate, and her MESSSSY cousin, Dennis. From there we are exposed to the travesties and workings of a high volume low staff women’s prison. Everything spirals, and it just, hurts in the best way.
You feel the twist in their humanity.
It’s best not to know what they’re in there for, and
Once you do, you won’t recognize this world anymore.
It’s a pure showcase of the racism, corruption, sexism, misanthropy, substance abuse, mental illness, and violence that occur within barbed wire fences.
It was cruel. Bleak. Amazing.
They say that prison changes a person, even if you’re not an inmate.
Liam gets a job as a CO at a women’s for profit prison.
The reason he got the job, is to hold desperately onto the one thing he has left after a series of tragedies, his dog, Charlie, who has cancer.
His morality is challenged when he befriends Zoe, an inmate, and her MESSSSY cousin, Dennis. From there we are exposed to the travesties and workings of a high volume low staff women’s prison. Everything spirals, and it just, hurts in the best way.
You feel the twist in their humanity.
It’s best not to know what they’re in there for, and
Once you do, you won’t recognize this world anymore.
It’s a pure showcase of the racism, corruption, sexism, misanthropy, substance abuse, mental illness, and violence that occur within barbed wire fences.
It was cruel. Bleak. Amazing.
September 14, 2025
Fully enjoyed
A fascinating storyline with amazing characters. A man now divorced, struggling on his own, no job no prospects and suffering with depression. His only saving grace is Charlie. His doting dog that is like a part of him. He sees an ad for postings in a prison for officers. He applies and his life begins to change. This read is full to brimming with deceit, sex, and violence. Your dragged into a world of hate, misguided ways and bloody need. Innocence and criminality are twisted to become a must to save life and cause death. But can it go on? Things start to go awry and struggles are made.
My favourite characters have to be the brazen Lily and Liam. Lily as she has such a care free way about her and knew what she wanted form the get go, never wavering. Recommended to anyone who loves a good gritty read.
A fascinating storyline with amazing characters. A man now divorced, struggling on his own, no job no prospects and suffering with depression. His only saving grace is Charlie. His doting dog that is like a part of him. He sees an ad for postings in a prison for officers. He applies and his life begins to change. This read is full to brimming with deceit, sex, and violence. Your dragged into a world of hate, misguided ways and bloody need. Innocence and criminality are twisted to become a must to save life and cause death. But can it go on? Things start to go awry and struggles are made.
My favourite characters have to be the brazen Lily and Liam. Lily as she has such a care free way about her and knew what she wanted form the get go, never wavering. Recommended to anyone who loves a good gritty read.
July 19, 2025
Minor Spoilers
The new Triana treads into territory similar to its predecessor, The Old Woman, a personal favorite from the author. This time, we're thrust into the Norrington women's correctional facility, rife with disloyalty from both inside and out. While some reviews criticize the motives behind Liam and his dog's relationship, I found their financial struggles entirely plausible. The symbolism of crows interwoven with America's broken healthcare system and historical native bloodshed adds an ominous texture to the novel. However, despite these high-stakes elements, I was somewhat let down by the farcical (though plausible) dialogue when the warden appeared for a final chat. This felt like poor taste for the culminating confession.
Another nailbiter from KT that I recommend!
The new Triana treads into territory similar to its predecessor, The Old Woman, a personal favorite from the author. This time, we're thrust into the Norrington women's correctional facility, rife with disloyalty from both inside and out. While some reviews criticize the motives behind Liam and his dog's relationship, I found their financial struggles entirely plausible. The symbolism of crows interwoven with America's broken healthcare system and historical native bloodshed adds an ominous texture to the novel. However, despite these high-stakes elements, I was somewhat let down by the farcical (though plausible) dialogue when the warden appeared for a final chat. This felt like poor taste for the culminating confession.
Another nailbiter from KT that I recommend!
August 16, 2025
What would you do to save your best friend? Would you turn your back on your morals to extend their life by an unforeseen amount of time. These are the questions Liam Donnelly must answer when his dog Charlie is diagnosed with cancer. Liam is a correctional officer at Northington's women's prison, a divorced man struggling with his mental health. When he finds out his dog has cancer, Liam is willing to do whatever it takes to raise the money for his treatment, but how far is Liam really willing to go. Will the corruption get to him, or will his morals prevail.
Triana takes us into the seedy world that is the American prison system. This book is beautifully written and plays with your emotions from start to finish. This is in my top 5 reads for 2025.
Triana takes us into the seedy world that is the American prison system. This book is beautifully written and plays with your emotions from start to finish. This is in my top 5 reads for 2025.
November 12, 2025
The ending completely caught me off guard, yet perfectly aligns with the corruption of the American penitentiary system. The protagonist’s transformation captures the powerful reflection of the psychological horror of being on either side of the bars. Once again, Triana made me question if humanity even exists anymore and can destroy your soul within ~3 pages.
"Humanity likes to delude itself into believing it has matured, that it has evolved from the dark ages of torture and persecution. But anyone who has spent time in prison on either side of the bars can tell you just how brutal human beings remain at their core. Under the right conditions, we go right back to ripping each other's guts out with hot irons."
January 8, 2026
This is the 4th or 5th Triana book I’ve read. My rule going into every book I read is to know as little as possible before I begin.
So when I cracked this one open and realized it took place in a Women’s Prison, I flinched due to Triana’s previous writings knowing the dark places his books can go.
I was very pleasantly surprised by this book and its subject matter. Triana is such a masterful writer and doesn’t ever make the reader feel like they’re having to wade through filler. Each sentence serves a purpose and drives the story further.
In regards to this book as opposed to his previous, when I found out it’s subject matter, I braced for a gut punch like I have with all his other books. It was nice only to receive a “hard slap”.
So when I cracked this one open and realized it took place in a Women’s Prison, I flinched due to Triana’s previous writings knowing the dark places his books can go.
I was very pleasantly surprised by this book and its subject matter. Triana is such a masterful writer and doesn’t ever make the reader feel like they’re having to wade through filler. Each sentence serves a purpose and drives the story further.
In regards to this book as opposed to his previous, when I found out it’s subject matter, I braced for a gut punch like I have with all his other books. It was nice only to receive a “hard slap”.
July 2, 2025
the true horrors
This feels very different compared to the handful of Triana’s other books I’ve read. Instead of diving deep into the deplorable acts people can be capable of, with intensity and grotesqueness, this story is rather tame in the realm of extreme horror. The true horror of this story, the known villain, a living nightmare for so many people- is the Privatized Prison Industry.
While this book didn’t have me at the edge of my seat like some of my Triana favorites, I still enjoyed this read. If you’re looking for a story that starts a little slow before snowballing down a hill of chaos, pick this up!
This feels very different compared to the handful of Triana’s other books I’ve read. Instead of diving deep into the deplorable acts people can be capable of, with intensity and grotesqueness, this story is rather tame in the realm of extreme horror. The true horror of this story, the known villain, a living nightmare for so many people- is the Privatized Prison Industry.
While this book didn’t have me at the edge of my seat like some of my Triana favorites, I still enjoyed this read. If you’re looking for a story that starts a little slow before snowballing down a hill of chaos, pick this up!
April 30, 2025
If it's Triana, you just know you're going to get an amazing, authentic, dark, bloody and powerful read. I DON'T RECOGNIZE THIS WORLD ANYMORE is just more proof of this. Liam has one of the best character arcs I've read in a very long time. We get a look inside a for profit prison where things don't run quite as they probably should. Where the feral women within take charge. Liam has to adjust to things as they adjust to him. All for the love of a dog.
Make sure to add this to your TBR and absolutely give this a read. I couldn't recommend it more.
Make sure to add this to your TBR and absolutely give this a read. I couldn't recommend it more.
June 17, 2025
I just finished up Kristopher Triana's new prison novel "I Don't Recognize This World Anymore," and man, was it stellar! Definitely a contender for novel of the year. The story follows, a man who takes a job at a woman's prison, known to house some of the most violent inmates in the system, in order to help pay for his dog's cancer treatments. What follows is a fast-paced Breaking Bad-esque tale that descends into crime, chaos, and corruption with a strong message about the American criminal justice system.
May 29, 2025
triana always delivers on depravity but i felt like there wasnt enough in here. it’s clear none of the characters are good people (they’re in prison obviously); with liam, i felt like we needed to spend more time with him and his descent into madness. the ending felt a bit abrupt but it wrapped up in a way that i’m still satisfied. i almost want a book that’s just profiles on the inmates so we get an insight into their crimes, maybe that’s just me craving more depravity.
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