Supernormal: Book 2 of the SUBNORMAL series

Subnormal #2

by Stuart Kenyon

The book: - Nearly half a decade has passed since Paul Kelly and his friends ousted dictator Alison Latham. The deposed Prime Minister and her Unity lackeys are in prison, and after years of war, the people of Great Britain are finally starting to recover. Former Zoner Paul and his surviving Rebel allies crave a normal life, free from the persecution and oppression they suffered before their emancipation. But a new threat is emerging, in the shape of radical faction Revelation. Led by charismatic zealot William Cayde, the army of fanatics aim to restore their idol Latham's version of utopia by sending "subnormals" like Paul back to industrial zones. They are willing to commit unspeakable acts of terror to achieve their goal, attacking the nation's weakest without mercy. Paul's Asperger's Syndrome means that Revelation class him as a "subnormal." Back in 2015, he used his condition to his advantage. And he must do so again if he is to protect his adopted family and expose the unholy alliance which threatens to destroy everything he holds dear. The author: - As the father of a severely autistic son, novelist Stuart Kenyon has pledged to donate a fifth of all royalties from the SUBNORMAL series to his local Special Educational Needs school, who are raising money to provide much-needed sensory equipment for the children. The author - who was tested for Asperger's Syndrome himself - has based some of protagonist Paul's traits on his own. The character of Ally is inspired by Stuart's son. Stuart, who read English Literature at the University of Salford, lives in Greater Manchester, England with his wife, son, daughter and dog. The SUBNORMAL series: - The first book of the series, SUBNORMAL, is also available via Amazon, at http: //www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00QQ8CQ8... It currently holds an average rating of 4.7/5, and has been described by reviewers as "terrifying, disturbing, utterly compelling," "outstanding" and "the most gripping and worthwhile book I've read in a long time." Stuart plans to start work on the third and final part of the SUBNORMAL series in autumn 2015.

258 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2015

About the author

His family, friends and readers aside, Stuart isn't a big fan of people, and he's constantly imagining scenarios involving the end of the world as we know it. Of course, he's not a psychopathic mass murderer, so he settles for annihilating the human race with his twisted imagination and word processor instead.

Since surviving the various zombie apocalypses depicted in late '90s video game franchises, he's fantasised about the rise of the undead. Two decades later, it seems that the dead are destined to stay buried. Mankind will no doubt destroy itself in more mundane ways, but in the meantime, Stuart occupies himself by tormenting his fictional characters with hordes of bloodthirsty monsters. Find out how in the AUGMENTED series, published summer 2019.


Praise for the author's critically-acclaimed dystopian series, SUBNORMAL:

“I would recommend this book this book to everyone who enjoys good writing, and who is interested in realistic dystopian ideas" – BOOK 1 reviewed by Kim Anisi for 'Readers Favorite' – 5 stars
“The writing is excellent, and you can’t stop yourself from reading one page after the other... You will be entertained right to the end, and then you’ll want to know even more" – BOOK 2 reviewed by Kim Anisi for 'Readers Favorite' – 5 stars
“The plot builds expertly, the characters provoke sympathy and contempt in equal measure. I found it hard to put the book down ” – Amazon review
"I simply must repeat, this book should be made into a movie" – Amazon review
“The author has a true gift for story telling and a Kafkaesque gift for plunging the reader into a world of nightmare” – Amazon review

Praise for the author's bestselling dystopian novel, SWIFTLY SHARPENS THE FANG:

“This was one of the most intense books I have read in some time” – Amazon review
“Narrative is raw, disturbing and pulls no punches” – Amazon review
“Excellent writing, this is a gripping story” – Amazon review
“Kenyon’s writing style is excellent, the pace a fast pitched race” – Amazon review

Reviews

[Ken Fry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read Book 1. which was a revelatory synopsis of a dystopian Britain, there was little doubt that I would try out Book 2. I'm so pleased I did.
Mr Kenyon depicts a frightening scenario of a post-nuclear war country struggling with recovery, but, being taken over by a fanatical bunch of nazi style fascists and subjugating its many opponents to 'Subnormal Zones' By our comparisons they seem to be the normal ones.
The social structures are frightening and the characterisations so plausible they could be your cozy next door neighbour.

Mr Kenyon is a star..... roll on Book 3.

[Elaina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read many genres, but this kind of dystopian tale ranks among my favourites, and I wasn’t disappointed. In fact, this is downright frightening, for the events in Supernormal could happen, and some of this has happened in other guises. An eye-opening read, scary, a hugely ‘what-if-this-was-real’ scenario.

From a story point of view, it’s edge-of-your-seat stuff! Cleverly plotted and well delivered indeed. Mr Kenyon has a remarkable ability to scare the daylights out of you, while keeping you utterly fascinated. The characters become people you know and every situation is clear before your mind’s eye – as reader you become involved, and that is proof of a great storyteller, in my book.

If you like action, read this. If you like dystopian, read this. If you like characters you can identify with, read this.

I will be reading the next book!

[James Bizzell]

Stuart Kenyon ended Book 1 of the Subnormal trilogy with a bang, a shocking event that masterfully established the status quo for Book 2. Now that I’ve read Book 2, I can say that ‘Supernormal’ kicks off with an even more devastating event. Paul Kelly (Book 1’s bright, young hero with Aspberger’s syndrome) and his friends are left picking up the pieces from this event, and left facing a threat that is more insidious than ever before.

The tone of this book feels a bit different than the last one. I felt like it was more of a cat-and-mouse thriller as opposed to a dystopian book. There are a few sci-if/[paranormal aspects to the story, but not as many as in ‘Subnormal.’ Instead of brain-controlling fascists, the villains of Supernormal’ feel even more relevant and more despicable. Cayde is a demagogue who uses his charisma to move his cult-like followers, and he’s not above using terrorism to further his aims. Welham is his sociopathic enforcer, who’s arrogance and paranoia make him more interesting and even more loathsome than Subnormal’s Mr. Daniels.

I enjoyed ‘Subnormal’ very much, but ’Supernormal’ is an even more immersive, pulse-pounding experience. Kenton adeptly introduces new characters, like Holly and Mike, and makes us understand why any person could find themselves joining a nationalist group. Then he puts those characters into breakneck twists to complicate the story. Another new character is Ally, who, along with Paul, presents another aspect of the autistic spectrum. Kenyon’s deep understanding and intimate of characters with autism is another highlight of the book. Highly recommended!

[Grant Leishman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Supernormal, by Stuart Kenyon, is the second book in the Subnormal Series focused on a dystopian Great Britain. I'm reading the series in chronological order and I would definitely recommend that readers do that, as Book Two flows on very nicely from where Book One finished off.
We rejoin our unlikely heroes, after the fall of the evil Lambeth Government. Unfortunately, the demise of the Unity Government was the presage to a nuclear war with Russia, which devastated several Great Britain cities and killed untold people. Following a civil war between the rebels and the Government, order has been restored and Britain is slowly, inexorably clawing its way back to normality.
It's 2020 and our Asperger's Syndrome sufferer Paul Kelly is living the quiet life now, with his late brother's wife Jenni and her autistic son Ally, when evil starts to rear its ugly head again. A new terrorist group called the Revelationaries, who espouse similar philosophies to the toppled Unity Government is hell-bent on destruction and it seems only the tattered remnants of the "SubNormals" can stop them.
This is a thrilling, fast-paced story that brings us naturally to the third book in the series, which I am so looking forward to reading. I loved SubNormal, but Supernormal was another step up in my opinion. The writing was crisper, tighter and the action furious, without losing that wonderful character development that Kenyon did so well in SubNormal. As with the first book, the star of this book is definitely Paul Kelly, whose foibles and structured lifestyle give us, the reader, a fascinating glimpse into the world of someone who thinks differently to you and me.
I can highly recommend this excellent book and this series. It is a frightening peek into what the future might hold for us, if "good men do nothing". A great job Mr. Kenyon.

[Ian Honeysett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A REVELATION!

“Supernormal” grabbed my attention from the start with its intriguing combination of central
characters : Paul, who has Asperges, his sister-in- law Jenni and her son, Ally, who is autistic. It’s a rather unusual group but their conditions play an important part in the story and do give it a very
different feel to most action novels. And there is certainly plenty of gripping action. It’s Britain in
2020 but rather different to the one we know. For a start, there has been war with Russia and a Civil War which have led to mass destruction, casualties, poverty, unemployment, rising crime and the growth of political extremism. So, very different to the real Britain.There are some delightful
descriptions of all these troubles eg “a gangrene had taken hold, withering Britain’s extremities.”
The Coalition government, not surprisingly, is struggling to cope. Its opponents claim it’s paralysed by fear. In the (right) wing are the Revelationaries who want a return to the re-segregation of “subnormals” (who include the disabled and the elderly).

The story moves quickly, constantly switching focus, against a background of a struggle for power
and a series of appalling outrages. But who is behind them? How can they be stopped? There are
some wonderfully nasty characters such as the Fuhrer-like William Cayde and, my favourite,
Matthew Welham, gambler, seductor and sociopath (and those are just his good points). And I’ve
not even mentioned putting the mind-control drug, Save-All, into the country’s water supply. So, if you like action-packed novels (set in a Britain that makes our actual problems seem quite
manageable!) with some fascinating and unusual characters (and a good deal of violence), then this
is definitely one for you.

[Pamela Canepa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as in book 1, this installment in Kenyon's tale of a dystopian Great Britain involved me as a reader by drawing me in to the characters and the presentation of non-stop suspense and action. Our main characters are the same as those of book 1, such as Paul, the protagonist with Aspergers, and Jenni with her young son who deals with Aspergers personally as well. The writer's depiction of Asbergers seem to be realistic, and the characters are so endearing, you will root for them the whole way. It does seem to me that you'd need to read Book 1 before this one, as there are a lot of references to what happened in that first installment.
Of course there are new characters in this book, as the enemy has taken a new name, so there are new enemies and foot-soldiers with corruption and evil intent. It's scary to think a nation could be manipulated so easily by whomever controls the media. I enjoyed this book and found it quite hard to put it down until the very end.

[Mistral Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the events of Subnormal, Paul Kelly and his brother's widow, Jenni, are trying to raise her non-verbal, autistic son in post-war England. The country is reeling after their civil war and the bombing by Russia, and times are tough. The public's memories of the horrors of life under the Unity party and the dictator, Alison Latham, are fading, and people are looking for someone to blame for their current troubles. Will that scapegoat turn out to be the very people who rescued them from slavery?

What do you do if you're accused of a crime that you're innocent of, but the entire media seems bent on spreading a false narrative in which you're guilty? What happens when facts cease to matter and no one bothers to consider the evidence? How do you convince people of the truth when you aren't allowed to have a voice? These are just some of the questions that Supernormal seeks to explore.

Once again, Stuart Kenyon explores some of the most frighteningly relevant themes in our current political climate. The effect of a corporate media beholden to the government is examined. When those in power have a stranglehold on information, what happens when they lie to the people? And how long does it take before an oft-repeated lie is widely accepted as the truth?

Mr. Stuart also uses Supernormal to explore one of the ugliest parts of human nature. Namely, the inevitable search for a scapegoat during difficult times and how that tendency can be used by those who seek to control and manipulate others for their own ends. And how easily people allow themselves to be deceived this way simply through complacency and a lack of healthy skepticism towards claims made by those in power.

This book repeatedly brought to mind parallels in current events. The way Noam Chomsky's Manufacturing Consent seemed to play out with terrifying accuracy during this last election was something that I thought of often while reading Supernormal. The way the media manipulated voters and how evidence and facts were rarely asked for or offered.

But the scariest thing, to me, were the similarities I saw between how those classified as Subnormal were talked about and treated in this story and how certain minority groups are being treated and spoken of now. Because Mr. Kenyon is correct. When people are in hard times, they do look for someone to blame. And someone with bad intentions can use that to cause a lot of harm. Hitler did it with the Jews in Nazi Germany. And, from his rhetoric, I fear that Donald Trump is trying to do it now with Muslims and Mexicans.

The problem is, as Mr. Kenyon's story illustrates, it isn't those in worse circumstances who cause the trouble. It's those who benefit from that trouble, those in power, who cause it. And all scapegoating innocent minorities does is allow those who would fleece a populace for their own ends to continue doing so without interference or being held responsible for their actions.

As is also demonstrated in Supernormal, those who speak the truth under such circumstances are rarely thanked. In fact, people tend to resent them for making them feel uncomfortable. But facts don't depend on popularity, they are what they are. And Mr. Kenyon did a fabulous job of underscoring that conundrum.

Once again, this was a riveting, thought-provoking story that I thoroughly enjoyed. The action was a little slower to build in this book than it was in Subnormal, but it's definitely worth the wait. If I had one criticism, it would be that I don't think Mr. Kenyon's portrayal of a post-nuclear attack is terribly realistic. If Russia truly nuked England, I doubt very much anyone would be able to live there afterwards, or anywhere else in Western Europe, for that matter. And that's if it was a relatively restrained attack. But this is fiction, so that's probably a minor detail. Overall, this is definitely another five star read by Mr. Kenyon, and I can't wait to see how this series ends!

[Jo Hurst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part 2 of the subnormal trilogy was as good as part 1. It was however very dark and at times I found it difficult to read. With the current news being filled with terror attacks that sadden me to my core, reading about attacks on home ground albeit fictional I found almost too hard and a few times I nearly had to give up. I am glad I carried on though. It was great to see Paul and his friends back to save the day and I loved Hollys character. I hope to see more of her in part 3. These books are great and I really enjoyed the perspective from Paul and found I could relate to him well.

[Carly Compass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action packed suspense! Could all of their efforts been in vain? Not wanting to give any spoilers, I will say that this book is well written and researched with in depth character development! Moving on to book 3 immediately!