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Freaks #1
Freaks
Four high-school friends suffer daily humiliation at the hands of three bullies. When the friends accidentally open a portal to another dimension, they unintentionally allow terrifying, other-worldly creatures to invade their small Arkansas town. Discovering that they are now endowed with strange superpowers, the four teens dub themselves “Freaks,” the very name their tormentors used to ridicule them. The Freaks must fight to save the lives of family and friends now in mortal peril and thwart a secret government task force that appears to be hunting them.
290 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2022
26 people are currently reading
9041 people want to read
About the author
Brett Riley
11 books124 followersBrett Riley is a professor of English at the College of Southern Nevada. He grew up in southeastern Arkansas and earned his Ph.D. in contemporary American fiction and film at Louisiana State University. His short fiction has appeared in numerous publications including Folio, The Wisconsin Review, and The Baltimore Review. He has also won numerous awards for screenwriting. Riley’s debut novel, Comanche, was released in September 2020. Lord of Order, a dystopian novel set in New Orleans was published in April 2021. Freaks, a superhero thriller featuring dangerous aliens and badass high school kids will be in stores and online March 2022. The second novel in the Freaks series, Travelers, will be released later in the summer. Riley lives in Henderson, Nevada.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 178 reviews
August 27, 2021
Thanks to NetGalley and the editors at Imbrifex books for providing this copy of Freaks in exchange for an honest review.
The book, written by Brett Riley, follows the lives of four friends who are regularly bullied and humiliated by three high school bullies. When they follow the arcane ritual described in an ancient book, they let free in this world a monster of nightmare, gaining some powers in return.
They face a great dilemma: Will they use their powers to pursue this devilish creature, risking being captured by enigmatic government agents? Or will they take a very deserved revenge on their tormentors, even if that makes them bullies themselves? The answers are all in this novel.
Having been a victim of bullying myself when I was a kid, I could sympathize with the protagonists of this tale. That said, if I must judge the book honestly (which I always try to do), there are a number of things that put me off.
The plot is very linear and without true depth, predictable and simple. Characters and dialogues are a little flat, one-dimensional. The pace is fast, and makes for easy reading, even if it starts a little slow. The writing is ok, not very good, but not awful either. There are a number of holes in the plot, presumably to be addressed in future installments. Typical ending, not a lot of twists and turns. When all is said and done, it allows for some hours of fun reading if you don't expect too much from it.
The book, written by Brett Riley, follows the lives of four friends who are regularly bullied and humiliated by three high school bullies. When they follow the arcane ritual described in an ancient book, they let free in this world a monster of nightmare, gaining some powers in return.
They face a great dilemma: Will they use their powers to pursue this devilish creature, risking being captured by enigmatic government agents? Or will they take a very deserved revenge on their tormentors, even if that makes them bullies themselves? The answers are all in this novel.
Having been a victim of bullying myself when I was a kid, I could sympathize with the protagonists of this tale. That said, if I must judge the book honestly (which I always try to do), there are a number of things that put me off.
The plot is very linear and without true depth, predictable and simple. Characters and dialogues are a little flat, one-dimensional. The pace is fast, and makes for easy reading, even if it starts a little slow. The writing is ok, not very good, but not awful either. There are a number of holes in the plot, presumably to be addressed in future installments. Typical ending, not a lot of twists and turns. When all is said and done, it allows for some hours of fun reading if you don't expect too much from it.
April 13, 2022
Thanks to the publisher - Imbrifex Books for providing ARC in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.
2/5 stars
It was cliche.
The story was quite fast-paced keeping all its motives clear in front. Although, there was not much going on in the story apart from these four friends talking about being bullied. It looked juvenile too in terms of the writing style. Personally, I'm not much into books talking about/dealing with school kids and not having any depth in the story. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy YA, it just didn't happen with this one.
There were many things I had problems with within Freaks. To begin with, there was no build-up within the story. The characters were a little flat and simple without any development at all. There was little to no setting with a predictable storyline that didn't excite me as much as I'd intended to. Oh, and yes, the biggest issue that I faced reading Freaks was that I didn't feel emotionally connected to any of the characters. The only thing that interested me was the monster.
It didn't click with me. I'm not sure if I'm interested anymore in Freaks' future installments(I already have 'Travellers' on my shelf) that Brett has for us. I like going into the story blindly without knowing anything about the synopsis or the blurb. And, here I'm. Had I read the blurb or something about what the story was dealing with, I wouldn't have picked it up. I mostly pick up books on the basis of ratings, good recommendations, and covers. In this case, it was because of the cool cover. The good news is that I quite liked the audiobook narrator of the book.
I wouldn't recommend this to you if you like reading into well-written and developed plots. However, if you are in the mood of reading easy and simple coming-of-age stories, this one might be the one for you.
Release Date : 01 Mar 2022.
Review Posted : 02 Feb 2022.
Visit My Blog to read this and all my other reviews.
2/5 stars
It was cliche.
The story was quite fast-paced keeping all its motives clear in front. Although, there was not much going on in the story apart from these four friends talking about being bullied. It looked juvenile too in terms of the writing style. Personally, I'm not much into books talking about/dealing with school kids and not having any depth in the story. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy YA, it just didn't happen with this one.
There were many things I had problems with within Freaks. To begin with, there was no build-up within the story. The characters were a little flat and simple without any development at all. There was little to no setting with a predictable storyline that didn't excite me as much as I'd intended to. Oh, and yes, the biggest issue that I faced reading Freaks was that I didn't feel emotionally connected to any of the characters. The only thing that interested me was the monster.
It didn't click with me. I'm not sure if I'm interested anymore in Freaks' future installments(I already have 'Travellers' on my shelf) that Brett has for us. I like going into the story blindly without knowing anything about the synopsis or the blurb. And, here I'm. Had I read the blurb or something about what the story was dealing with, I wouldn't have picked it up. I mostly pick up books on the basis of ratings, good recommendations, and covers. In this case, it was because of the cool cover. The good news is that I quite liked the audiobook narrator of the book.
I wouldn't recommend this to you if you like reading into well-written and developed plots. However, if you are in the mood of reading easy and simple coming-of-age stories, this one might be the one for you.
Release Date : 01 Mar 2022.
Review Posted : 02 Feb 2022.
Visit My Blog to read this and all my other reviews.
February 12, 2022
This book was like reading an episode of Freaks and Geeks with a touch of X-Men. I liked the togetherness of the group for sure. The 4 friends definitely have a bond like no other.
There were a couple of things I was really happy about! Although these kids go thru so much, they definitely ended up in a found family trope. I think it helps understand the anger spurts. Lets be honest, high school isnt easy. Another detail I loved was the inclusion! We have Jewish, Latina, Black, and LGBTQ inclusion in this book. It's so important to have representation now a days.
This book is perfect for readers that love supernatural setting, super powers, and fight for justice. I was a little bit taken by surprised at the constant need for payback. The bullying was at times a bit uncomfortable, but overall the story flows pretty steady. I wonder if the constant bullying also had to do with their religion, color, and sexual preference, sex... but then again, that may just be me trying to over analyze. It felt a bit stereotypical when it comes to the scenarios that the characters were set in.
I am curious to see how this story evolves! Huge thanks to the author for gifting me a copy. All opinions are my own.
There were a couple of things I was really happy about! Although these kids go thru so much, they definitely ended up in a found family trope. I think it helps understand the anger spurts. Lets be honest, high school isnt easy. Another detail I loved was the inclusion! We have Jewish, Latina, Black, and LGBTQ inclusion in this book. It's so important to have representation now a days.
This book is perfect for readers that love supernatural setting, super powers, and fight for justice. I was a little bit taken by surprised at the constant need for payback. The bullying was at times a bit uncomfortable, but overall the story flows pretty steady. I wonder if the constant bullying also had to do with their religion, color, and sexual preference, sex... but then again, that may just be me trying to over analyze. It felt a bit stereotypical when it comes to the scenarios that the characters were set in.
I am curious to see how this story evolves! Huge thanks to the author for gifting me a copy. All opinions are my own.
February 2, 2022
I thought this was a fun book! It definitely gave me Stranger Things and Marvel vibes, so I think it would be perfect for fans of superheroes, superhero origin stories, and Stranger Things.
The book follows the story of four friends who find themselves subjected to endless bullying at school. After finding an old book, they follow one of the book’s rituals which gives them superpowers…and also unleashes a horrible monster into the world. They now find themselves on a quest to save their town from the monster bent on wielding destruction and death.
Like a few reviewers have noted, some scenes in this book did feel outdated and I found myself wondering if this book was set in the 1980s. As someone who has taught middle school and high schoolers, the bullying described in this book isn’t typically the type of bullying that takes place these days. I feel like in this, the author was a bit out of touch.
My favorite aspect of the book was definitely getting to read from the monster’s perspective. While he was definitely terrible, his POV chapters were my favorite part!
I feel like the ending leaves room for a book two, so I’m interested in seeing where the story goes from here.
Thanks to the author for sending me a copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The book follows the story of four friends who find themselves subjected to endless bullying at school. After finding an old book, they follow one of the book’s rituals which gives them superpowers…and also unleashes a horrible monster into the world. They now find themselves on a quest to save their town from the monster bent on wielding destruction and death.
Like a few reviewers have noted, some scenes in this book did feel outdated and I found myself wondering if this book was set in the 1980s. As someone who has taught middle school and high schoolers, the bullying described in this book isn’t typically the type of bullying that takes place these days. I feel like in this, the author was a bit out of touch.
My favorite aspect of the book was definitely getting to read from the monster’s perspective. While he was definitely terrible, his POV chapters were my favorite part!
I feel like the ending leaves room for a book two, so I’m interested in seeing where the story goes from here.
Thanks to the author for sending me a copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
February 13, 2022
Review 3.5 stars!
Freaks by Brett Riley is a YA fantasy/thriller about a group of high school kids who, after enduring bullying their entire lives, obtain super-powers and must face a frightening other-worldly creature. I believe this book is more suited for an upper young adult - or new adult age group. Even though the characters in the book are only teenagers, they suffer through intense bullying as well witness gory deaths throughout the book (perfect for fans of Stranger Things!)
Gabby, Christian, Jamie and Micah are four geeky bestfriends who have always been targeted by other students, mainly the trio known as B3. Known as freaks, this common trauma brings them even closer as friends. One night, while the four were playing live-action-role-play, they found some obscure and hidden props in Micah's shed. Unaware of the danger that he was meddling with, Kenneth, a member of the bully group B3, watched. Little did they know that by using these artifacts they actually opened a portal to another dimension, allowing terrifying creatures to walk in.
The story takes a compelling turn of events after the opening of the portal. Each of the freaks, including Kenneth, mysteriously obtain super-powers (I hope the sequel has more explanations as to why they obtained these powers and also the reason behind each specific power-skill...).. The freaks finally have the cards to turn the table around on their bullies. However gruesome deaths have started to occur and now the freaks must decide which is more important: enacting their revenge on the community that disowned them their entire lives or help them by killing the monster that is threating their town.
Reading alone at night might not have been the best choice for me, for the creature that stalked and terrified their town made my blood-curl! The ending left room for a potential sequel, as the kids must now hunt the remaining monsters that crossed the threshold into Earth. Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy for review!
Freaks by Brett Riley is a YA fantasy/thriller about a group of high school kids who, after enduring bullying their entire lives, obtain super-powers and must face a frightening other-worldly creature. I believe this book is more suited for an upper young adult - or new adult age group. Even though the characters in the book are only teenagers, they suffer through intense bullying as well witness gory deaths throughout the book (perfect for fans of Stranger Things!)
Gabby, Christian, Jamie and Micah are four geeky bestfriends who have always been targeted by other students, mainly the trio known as B3. Known as freaks, this common trauma brings them even closer as friends. One night, while the four were playing live-action-role-play, they found some obscure and hidden props in Micah's shed. Unaware of the danger that he was meddling with, Kenneth, a member of the bully group B3, watched. Little did they know that by using these artifacts they actually opened a portal to another dimension, allowing terrifying creatures to walk in.
The story takes a compelling turn of events after the opening of the portal. Each of the freaks, including Kenneth, mysteriously obtain super-powers (I hope the sequel has more explanations as to why they obtained these powers and also the reason behind each specific power-skill...).. The freaks finally have the cards to turn the table around on their bullies. However gruesome deaths have started to occur and now the freaks must decide which is more important: enacting their revenge on the community that disowned them their entire lives or help them by killing the monster that is threating their town.
Reading alone at night might not have been the best choice for me, for the creature that stalked and terrified their town made my blood-curl! The ending left room for a potential sequel, as the kids must now hunt the remaining monsters that crossed the threshold into Earth. Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy for review!
July 31, 2021
Freaks opens its first scene with a kid getting his head dunked into the toilet by his bullies, and let me just preface this review by saying that I have first hand experience with this (being the one getting closely acquainted with the bowl). So already a 12/10 for realism from me here.
A bunch of kids, all bullied nerds, play around with some occult stuff they find in a shed - and accidentally open a portal to... something. In the coming days, they develop superpowers - unfortunately, so does bully number one. Shenanigans and world-saving ensue from here, in a fun romp that reads as if Stranger Things and Ready Player One had been mashed up into one and made into a film by Steven Spielberg.
One thing that did bother me a little was that the book felt overwritten in parts. Scenes and backgrounds were described in extreme detail, without the information actually adding anything to the story. When someone goes to their room, my imagination usually fills in the details - I can infer that the person walked down the corridor and opened the door without having to be told.
Don't get me wrong, the descriptions are good; there is just a lot of them, and it slows the pace down in a story that feels like it should be told in a breathless and fast-paced manner, and I would have appreciated a lighter touch here.
What surprised me was how little of the bullying going on was cyber - I was a kid in the 80s and 90s, and the things described read a lot like what happened to me back then. But I think these days a lot of bullying happens online, and home is no longer a safe place from the bullies, because the internet follow us everywhere.
I'm also not entirely sure what the target demographic of this book is. The protagonists are 14-15, placing it in the YA realm, but the language is bordering on adult in terms of grammatical complexity and vocabulary. Now I haven't been that age or even close to it for a while, so maybe I'm just out of the loop here. But it makes me curious to see what Riley could do in terms of writing outside of the YA genre.
All in all a very fun twist on the superhero story, and I would definitely recommend it to people who love Stranger Things, Marvel and comic-book style narratives.
I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
A bunch of kids, all bullied nerds, play around with some occult stuff they find in a shed - and accidentally open a portal to... something. In the coming days, they develop superpowers - unfortunately, so does bully number one. Shenanigans and world-saving ensue from here, in a fun romp that reads as if Stranger Things and Ready Player One had been mashed up into one and made into a film by Steven Spielberg.
One thing that did bother me a little was that the book felt overwritten in parts. Scenes and backgrounds were described in extreme detail, without the information actually adding anything to the story. When someone goes to their room, my imagination usually fills in the details - I can infer that the person walked down the corridor and opened the door without having to be told.
Don't get me wrong, the descriptions are good; there is just a lot of them, and it slows the pace down in a story that feels like it should be told in a breathless and fast-paced manner, and I would have appreciated a lighter touch here.
What surprised me was how little of the bullying going on was cyber - I was a kid in the 80s and 90s, and the things described read a lot like what happened to me back then. But I think these days a lot of bullying happens online, and home is no longer a safe place from the bullies, because the internet follow us everywhere.
I'm also not entirely sure what the target demographic of this book is. The protagonists are 14-15, placing it in the YA realm, but the language is bordering on adult in terms of grammatical complexity and vocabulary. Now I haven't been that age or even close to it for a while, so maybe I'm just out of the loop here. But it makes me curious to see what Riley could do in terms of writing outside of the YA genre.
All in all a very fun twist on the superhero story, and I would definitely recommend it to people who love Stranger Things, Marvel and comic-book style narratives.
I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
March 1, 2022
This book is what would happen if some scientists got bored one day in the lab and decided to mix up one part sci-fi, one part superhero, and a tiny little dash of horror.
Here's the thing: it's a YA novel. It has a cast of teenage characters who do stupid and overdramatic and angsty stuff. The main characters are "freaks", they're social outcasts, they get picked on all the time, they're holding a lot of anger and pain inside. Enter a chest of dusty old tomes full of horrifying illustrations and Latin chants. MCs, being young and stupid and angsty, decide it will be fun to pretend to be sorcerers and read out one of the chants. As you can imagine, bad things then happen.
My thought process while reading this book:
Oh, a teen revenge thriller.
Oh, OK, maybe it's horror, they're going to summon a demon to do their bidding or something.
Oh, wait, they summoned something that somehow gave them all superhero-esque powers.
Oh, and also apparently they opened a rift and sucked in some...well, not demons. Beings from alternate dimensions or something.
So...a thriller-horror-superhero-sci-fi/fantasy novel? OK....
The weird thing is, though this book kind of annoyed me with it's genre-hopping and it's YA characters (who, while being thoroughly steeped in teen hormones and drama, still manage to be fairly useless until the last quarter of the book or so), though it should have been one I didn't like...
The secret is, I did kind of like it.
It was fun and weird and completely unbelievable in an over-the-top way. It felt like the story that would happen if two or three teenage sci-fi nerds got together and just laid around for an afternoon making stuff up, one-upping each other with powers and enemies and love triangles.
I can't believe I'm saying this but...I liked this story and I want to read the next one (an excerpt of book two is included at the end).
Here's the thing: it's a YA novel. It has a cast of teenage characters who do stupid and overdramatic and angsty stuff. The main characters are "freaks", they're social outcasts, they get picked on all the time, they're holding a lot of anger and pain inside. Enter a chest of dusty old tomes full of horrifying illustrations and Latin chants. MCs, being young and stupid and angsty, decide it will be fun to pretend to be sorcerers and read out one of the chants. As you can imagine, bad things then happen.
My thought process while reading this book:
Oh, a teen revenge thriller.
Oh, OK, maybe it's horror, they're going to summon a demon to do their bidding or something.
Oh, wait, they summoned something that somehow gave them all superhero-esque powers.
Oh, and also apparently they opened a rift and sucked in some...well, not demons. Beings from alternate dimensions or something.
So...a thriller-horror-superhero-sci-fi/fantasy novel? OK....
The weird thing is, though this book kind of annoyed me with it's genre-hopping and it's YA characters (who, while being thoroughly steeped in teen hormones and drama, still manage to be fairly useless until the last quarter of the book or so), though it should have been one I didn't like...
The secret is, I did kind of like it.
It was fun and weird and completely unbelievable in an over-the-top way. It felt like the story that would happen if two or three teenage sci-fi nerds got together and just laid around for an afternoon making stuff up, one-upping each other with powers and enemies and love triangles.
I can't believe I'm saying this but...I liked this story and I want to read the next one (an excerpt of book two is included at the end).
October 21, 2022
One would have expected that people - even kids - by now sort of know not to mess with demonic portals...
I recently listened to Freaks, a young adult audiobook that had a strong '80s vibe surrounding it. A group of friends opens aforementioned portal, gains superpowers but also releases a terrible monster on a small Arkansas town.
I am not sure about this one. It's not that I didn't enjoy myself when listening, but everything felt a little bit too cliche. The bullies, the ending.
Will I read the next book? Probably.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of Freaks in exchange for an honest review!
I recently listened to Freaks, a young adult audiobook that had a strong '80s vibe surrounding it. A group of friends opens aforementioned portal, gains superpowers but also releases a terrible monster on a small Arkansas town.
I am not sure about this one. It's not that I didn't enjoy myself when listening, but everything felt a little bit too cliche. The bullies, the ending.
Will I read the next book? Probably.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of Freaks in exchange for an honest review!
October 2, 2023
É uma premissa bastante interessante (eu escrevo bué "interessante" nas reviews mas nunca encontro sinônimos ent é sobre)
Gosto do tipo de escrita, no sentido em que é em terceira pessoa mas a cada capítulo segue uma pessoa diferente.
Ainda assim, sinto que existem demasiados personagens a serem seguidos (há basicamente 6 povs) e se, por um lado, faz com que fique confuso, por vezes, quem estamos a seguir, por outro lado parece que ele nunca chega a desenvolver bem os personagens.
Para além da falta de desenvolvimento dos personagens, há também uma grande falta de descrições, no sentido em que algumas das cenas não faziam sentido ou não as conseguia montar na minha cabeça.
Os personagens até que são bons, contudo aqueles que tinha mais interesse parece que não foram desenvolvidos. Ele foca-se muito em dois, fala um pouco de uma, mas os outros dois parece que são esquecidos.
Quanto à parte do vilão, embora me pareça que este foi um vilão muito fraquinho, para o final da história temos alguma abertura para uma continuação mais complexa, e por isso quer continuar a ler esta série para ver como vão resolver o problema aqui criado e que é o outro grupo que é menciona.
No geral é um livro bom. Falta claramente algum aperfeiçoamento na parte da escrita e dos personagens, mas este não são aspetos necessariamente maus. O problema é que sinto que devido a eles não me consegui conectar 100% com a história. Espero que os próximos sejam um pouco melhores.
Gosto do tipo de escrita, no sentido em que é em terceira pessoa mas a cada capítulo segue uma pessoa diferente.
Ainda assim, sinto que existem demasiados personagens a serem seguidos (há basicamente 6 povs) e se, por um lado, faz com que fique confuso, por vezes, quem estamos a seguir, por outro lado parece que ele nunca chega a desenvolver bem os personagens.
Para além da falta de desenvolvimento dos personagens, há também uma grande falta de descrições, no sentido em que algumas das cenas não faziam sentido ou não as conseguia montar na minha cabeça.
Os personagens até que são bons, contudo aqueles que tinha mais interesse parece que não foram desenvolvidos. Ele foca-se muito em dois, fala um pouco de uma, mas os outros dois parece que são esquecidos.
Quanto à parte do vilão, embora me pareça que este foi um vilão muito fraquinho, para o final da história temos alguma abertura para uma continuação mais complexa, e por isso quer continuar a ler esta série para ver como vão resolver o problema aqui criado e que é o outro grupo que é menciona.
No geral é um livro bom. Falta claramente algum aperfeiçoamento na parte da escrita e dos personagens, mas este não são aspetos necessariamente maus. O problema é que sinto que devido a eles não me consegui conectar 100% com a história. Espero que os próximos sejam um pouco melhores.
August 26, 2021
Seems a bit dated and out of touch of what kids bully each other for these days. No ones really calling kids “geeks” for watching Marvel movies, its the most popular franchise. But still a nice read but should be set in the 80s or something if they think people are still getting swirlies at school.
March 29, 2024
High School friends get bullied. They stumble into opening up another dimension full of monsters that feed on humans, but also they gain super powers. Then the real action begins as they try to save the world. It was a fun story.
February 9, 2022
Like any great superhero story, FREAKS is the type of book that I would love to see adapted on screen. It follows a group of four friends who, unfortunately, are bullied at school. On a Friday night in which they hang out together, the group opens an off-limits trunk, and as they tamper with one of the books within it, they accidentally set off a portal to another dimension. Monsters come crawling out into the world, and the group must now band together and use their newly-acquired superpowers to protect their friends and family. What will happen? You’ll have to read the book to find out!
Freaks had a very cinematic feel to it, which I really enjoyed. I was often reminded about my love for Stranger Things while reading. There’s something about spooky monster stories set in small towns where the underdogs band together to save the day that really resonates with me, and it was the case with this book as well. Though it was sometimes hard to remember that this book wasn’t set in the past, there are references to DMs, chats and recent events (like the tragic murder of George Floyd) that helped me root the story to its modern setting. I really enjoyed the diversity of the group: Jamie is black, Gabby is Latina and comes from a Catholic-Jew family, Christian is lesbian and Micah’s mother is Wiccan. The characters were enjoyable, relatable, and I loved how they interacted with each other, though I wish they were less stereotypical, especially when it comes to the girls.
Overall, this was a very fun read, and I recommend it to fans of Stranger Things, Marvel and superheroes in general!
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy. All opinions are my own.
Freaks had a very cinematic feel to it, which I really enjoyed. I was often reminded about my love for Stranger Things while reading. There’s something about spooky monster stories set in small towns where the underdogs band together to save the day that really resonates with me, and it was the case with this book as well. Though it was sometimes hard to remember that this book wasn’t set in the past, there are references to DMs, chats and recent events (like the tragic murder of George Floyd) that helped me root the story to its modern setting. I really enjoyed the diversity of the group: Jamie is black, Gabby is Latina and comes from a Catholic-Jew family, Christian is lesbian and Micah’s mother is Wiccan. The characters were enjoyable, relatable, and I loved how they interacted with each other, though I wish they were less stereotypical, especially when it comes to the girls.
Overall, this was a very fun read, and I recommend it to fans of Stranger Things, Marvel and superheroes in general!
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy. All opinions are my own.
February 28, 2022
I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Copy provided by Imbrifex Audio.
Freaks is about four high school friends who suffer daily humiliation at the hands of three bullies. When the friends accidentally open a portal to another dimension, they unintentionally allow terrifying, other-worldly creatures to invade their small Arkansas town. Discovering that they are now endowed with strange superpowers, the four teens dub themselves “Freaks,” the very name their tormentors used to ridicule them. The Freaks must fight to save the lives of family and friends now in mortal peril and thwart a secret government task force that appears to be hunting them.
The writing style, dialogue, characters were all very juvenile. The plot was very straightforward and there was no mystery to what was happening, so, basically all tell and no show. The plot was a bit lacking and the characters had no real depth to them, they felt like cardboard cutouts. They all talk the exact same and have no personality so I would often forget who was talking to who since none of them have defining traits. The last thing I felt was that it was so cheesy to call someone a geek for liking comics. This is suppose to be set in modern times and no one in modern times is calling someone a geek or freak for liking comics. I am aware this is part one to a series but there wasn't anything that had me hooked to want to continue on to the next. I will probably not be reading the next book.
Freaks is about four high school friends who suffer daily humiliation at the hands of three bullies. When the friends accidentally open a portal to another dimension, they unintentionally allow terrifying, other-worldly creatures to invade their small Arkansas town. Discovering that they are now endowed with strange superpowers, the four teens dub themselves “Freaks,” the very name their tormentors used to ridicule them. The Freaks must fight to save the lives of family and friends now in mortal peril and thwart a secret government task force that appears to be hunting them.
The writing style, dialogue, characters were all very juvenile. The plot was very straightforward and there was no mystery to what was happening, so, basically all tell and no show. The plot was a bit lacking and the characters had no real depth to them, they felt like cardboard cutouts. They all talk the exact same and have no personality so I would often forget who was talking to who since none of them have defining traits. The last thing I felt was that it was so cheesy to call someone a geek for liking comics. This is suppose to be set in modern times and no one in modern times is calling someone a geek or freak for liking comics. I am aware this is part one to a series but there wasn't anything that had me hooked to want to continue on to the next. I will probably not be reading the next book.
February 14, 2022
Thanks so much to the author for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts below are mine entirely.
The #1 thing on my mind about this book is that this story and characters would make for an epic graphic novel and is perfect for the silver screen! I’m such a sucker for stories about the geeky kids busting out of their bullied lives and finding themselves at the heart of a spooky but wild adventure, complete with superpowers and alternate dimensions. The vibe is for sure on par with Stranger Things, but also IT and X-Men!
I loved that the found family trope (one of my favorite tropes EVER) is the focus of this book, which resonates with me as it reminds me of all my favorite films growing up–E.T., Holes, The Goonies, The Sandlot, and The Outsiders. But what makes Freaks so awesome is to see such a diverse cast of characters, with LGBTQ+, Black, Lantina, Jewish, Catholic, and Wiccan representation throughout.
I am definitely shelving this one in my classroom for my high school students who I know would enjoy this kind of science fiction/horror adventure novel! However, I will say this read was definitely on the gruesome side and not for the faint of heart, but if you’re like me and into that kind of thing, you will absolutely adore this book! Highly recommended for Stephen King and YA sci-fi fans.
The #1 thing on my mind about this book is that this story and characters would make for an epic graphic novel and is perfect for the silver screen! I’m such a sucker for stories about the geeky kids busting out of their bullied lives and finding themselves at the heart of a spooky but wild adventure, complete with superpowers and alternate dimensions. The vibe is for sure on par with Stranger Things, but also IT and X-Men!
I loved that the found family trope (one of my favorite tropes EVER) is the focus of this book, which resonates with me as it reminds me of all my favorite films growing up–E.T., Holes, The Goonies, The Sandlot, and The Outsiders. But what makes Freaks so awesome is to see such a diverse cast of characters, with LGBTQ+, Black, Lantina, Jewish, Catholic, and Wiccan representation throughout.
I am definitely shelving this one in my classroom for my high school students who I know would enjoy this kind of science fiction/horror adventure novel! However, I will say this read was definitely on the gruesome side and not for the faint of heart, but if you’re like me and into that kind of thing, you will absolutely adore this book! Highly recommended for Stephen King and YA sci-fi fans.
October 24, 2021
Thanks to NetGalley and the Imbrifex books for providing this copy of Freaks in exchange for an honest review. This is the story of four teenagers Jamie, Michael, Christian, and Gabby, who are often bullied. To vent their anger they practice by accident an arcane ritual that gives them supernatural powers but also sets loose a freakish otherworldly creature that starts feasting brutally on people who cross it's path. Also present at the ritual was Kenneth, one of their tormentors, and he too gains superpowers, which causes a rift between him and his bullying friends. The question is will the "Freaks" be able to let go of the bad blood between them to fight off the monster, and will they be able to keep their new powers hidden.
This was a very cinematic action driven straightforward read with a little gore on the side. But it also felt a little too familiar and clichéd. Do bullies really shove kids heads in toilets? I've mostly come across it on TV and Film, not thank heaven in real life. Cyberbullying is mentioned offhandedly in the middle of the book, but most of the harassments portrayed are very physical and somehow felt a little too old school. There are some interesting questions raised about bullying and the desire for payback, with the story indorsing a more forgiving approach and paints the one kid who is hankering for revenge as a self centered fool. All in all, a simple read predictable and fun.
This was a very cinematic action driven straightforward read with a little gore on the side. But it also felt a little too familiar and clichéd. Do bullies really shove kids heads in toilets? I've mostly come across it on TV and Film, not thank heaven in real life. Cyberbullying is mentioned offhandedly in the middle of the book, but most of the harassments portrayed are very physical and somehow felt a little too old school. There are some interesting questions raised about bullying and the desire for payback, with the story indorsing a more forgiving approach and paints the one kid who is hankering for revenge as a self centered fool. All in all, a simple read predictable and fun.
February 10, 2022
Narration was well done but I could not, for the life of me, finish the book.
DNF'ed around 25%.
You need to suspend a LOT of belief when diving into this narrative and I just could not. It felt like every character outside of our main protagonists absolutely sucked or were straight up vile. It's just unbelievable to me that there wasn't any one adult that stepped in when these kids were getting physically assaulted and/or experiencing racism, homophobia, antisemitism, derogatory slurs, etc.
This is also a story where I should have easily felt impacted by the protagonists; by their plight and everything they endured... and I just didn't? All three of them fell incredibly flat for me and were starting to come across as annoying - which is something I should never feel about victims, so I quit while I was ahead.
Moreover: Writing style was simple with numerous cliche scenes.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
DNF'ed around 25%.
You need to suspend a LOT of belief when diving into this narrative and I just could not. It felt like every character outside of our main protagonists absolutely sucked or were straight up vile. It's just unbelievable to me that there wasn't any one adult that stepped in when these kids were getting physically assaulted and/or experiencing racism, homophobia, antisemitism, derogatory slurs, etc.
This is also a story where I should have easily felt impacted by the protagonists; by their plight and everything they endured... and I just didn't? All three of them fell incredibly flat for me and were starting to come across as annoying - which is something I should never feel about victims, so I quit while I was ahead.
Moreover: Writing style was simple with numerous cliche scenes.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
May 19, 2022
I don't read much fantasy, but I like to keep my mind open to different ideas. I don't think I have ever read a superhero type story, so I didn't have genre expectations. I think it did a good job of showing how these five teens attained superhero power, discovering and learning to use power, dilemmas of having such power, and using said powers as a team. As for character development - outside of learning to use their powers none of the teens really changed outside of one showing more of his true self which was partially exposed before gaining superpower. It was an enjoyable fast paced read. Some reviews stated the writing wasn't that great. Looking at Riley's background I have a feeling he was intentionally writing at a YA level knowing that can cover kids eight years of age through adult.
How did I find this book? I won it through a Goodreads giveaway.
How did I find this book? I won it through a Goodreads giveaway.
February 8, 2022
Actual rating 3.5
This was definitely a fun book that I think my students would love! It has superhero vibes with a dash of creepiness, so it is appealing to teenagers. I enjoyed the premise of the book, a group of outsiders. all friends, who stick together. They are bullied a lot so they need to take solace in one another.
I always love when the underdogs get the superpowers...but also accidently let something loose out into the world. Now the bullies are the least of their problems as they try to track down a monster, hellbent on killing people.
There were a few scenes that I thought were dated or made me uncomfortable. However, I do think if we had a better understanding of the time period of the setting, it would have helped the situation.
Definitely a fun read!
This was definitely a fun book that I think my students would love! It has superhero vibes with a dash of creepiness, so it is appealing to teenagers. I enjoyed the premise of the book, a group of outsiders. all friends, who stick together. They are bullied a lot so they need to take solace in one another.
I always love when the underdogs get the superpowers...but also accidently let something loose out into the world. Now the bullies are the least of their problems as they try to track down a monster, hellbent on killing people.
There were a few scenes that I thought were dated or made me uncomfortable. However, I do think if we had a better understanding of the time period of the setting, it would have helped the situation.
Definitely a fun read!
July 6, 2022
I really liked this first installment in a new series called "Freaks". The MCs are four "freaks" in a high school, who after using some dark magic to throw off their tormentors, a bunch of alien creatures come in to this world. Along with those kids, one of their tormentors was there when the creatures came out. All five of them get superpowers, which after several people in the town get brutally murdered, they join forces to kill the alien being who's ravaging their town. But there are more creatures out there. The narration was really well done as well. I want to thank the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for giving me a copy of the audiobook in return for an honest review.
April 16, 2022
This audiobook took me a long time to finish. I was tempted to just DNF it but I got to the end finally.
This book should have been wonderful. There was action, magic, teens, mayhem. But unfortunately, it was rather boring. Not to mention that the bullying was horribly done. Some of it was sexual assault but it was just glossed over as something they had to live with and all adults were apparently in on it as well.
The girls in this book were not portrayed well at all. They were treated horrible by everyone, including the other "freaks."
I received this audiobook via NetGalley
This book should have been wonderful. There was action, magic, teens, mayhem. But unfortunately, it was rather boring. Not to mention that the bullying was horribly done. Some of it was sexual assault but it was just glossed over as something they had to live with and all adults were apparently in on it as well.
The girls in this book were not portrayed well at all. They were treated horrible by everyone, including the other "freaks."
I received this audiobook via NetGalley
January 19, 2025
This one had such an interesting concept, and the monster and what we learned of its background was compelling. Everything else, unfortunately, fell flat.
For a story set in the modern day, it felt very out of touch. Each of the "freaks" are introduced via scenes of their being bullied, but the methods of bullying (immersing someone's head in toilet water, spitballs, pantsing, etc.) seemed simple and outdated. Bullying comes in so many forms, many of them subtle, and it would have been preferable to me to have seen more of that; more of what kids actually deal with in this day and age.
Most of the characters also weren't likeable, and didn't even seem to like or be nice to their supposed best friends.
Micah is a Nice Guy™ who is lacking in empathy, obsessed with revenge, never seems to learn from anything, and is upset with Gabby for "choosing" Jamie over him, although he never actually expressed interest in Gabby (something that she, thankfully, calls him out on). At one point, when Micah is yet again running his mouth, potentially making trouble for them all, Gabby hisses at him to shut up, and in response, he thinks that she is "such a girl." What?
I was excited to find that one of the main characters is a lesbian (LGBTQIA+ representation is important to me), but it was quickly made clear that she has little personality outside of being a stereotype, and Not Like Other Girls™.
There is a minor character, Marla, a popular girl at school who seems to only exist so that our main characters can think about what a "bitch" she is.
It all just left a very bad taste in my mouth, and was very disappointing to me. There were two characters I didn't mind (Gabby and Jamie), but even they seemed underutilized and overshadowed by everything else.
(Thank you to NetGalley and Imbrifex for providing me with an ARC of this title. I'm leaving this review voluntarily.)
For a story set in the modern day, it felt very out of touch. Each of the "freaks" are introduced via scenes of their being bullied, but the methods of bullying (immersing someone's head in toilet water, spitballs, pantsing, etc.) seemed simple and outdated. Bullying comes in so many forms, many of them subtle, and it would have been preferable to me to have seen more of that; more of what kids actually deal with in this day and age.
Most of the characters also weren't likeable, and didn't even seem to like or be nice to their supposed best friends.
Micah is a Nice Guy™ who is lacking in empathy, obsessed with revenge, never seems to learn from anything, and is upset with Gabby for "choosing" Jamie over him, although he never actually expressed interest in Gabby (something that she, thankfully, calls him out on). At one point, when Micah is yet again running his mouth, potentially making trouble for them all, Gabby hisses at him to shut up, and in response, he thinks that she is "such a girl." What?
I was excited to find that one of the main characters is a lesbian (LGBTQIA+ representation is important to me), but it was quickly made clear that she has little personality outside of being a stereotype, and Not Like Other Girls™.
There is a minor character, Marla, a popular girl at school who seems to only exist so that our main characters can think about what a "bitch" she is.
It all just left a very bad taste in my mouth, and was very disappointing to me. There were two characters I didn't mind (Gabby and Jamie), but even they seemed underutilized and overshadowed by everything else.
(Thank you to NetGalley and Imbrifex for providing me with an ARC of this title. I'm leaving this review voluntarily.)
August 8, 2021
Good news and bad news. I think this is a good story about bullied kids getting superpowers. The bad news is that I didn't like any main character in the book. After awhile, I rooted for the monster to devour every one of them.
There is no law that says the main characters have to be likable. But, they do have to be interesting. The bullied kids were physically and emotionally abused, but they were insulting and belittling to each other, too. They were bored by their teachers, bored by their parents, bored by pretty much everything, and their answer to anything was, "Whatever." Haven't they ever heard the phrase, "A bored person is a boring person?" The most annoying kid was even mad that his poverty-stricken, overworked mother bought him a desktop rather than a laptop computer. Maybe 15-year-olds are bored and mad at everything, but I don't want to read about it.
Honestly, I wanted to start bullying these kids because they weren't even nice to each other. And, the bully friends weren't nice to each other either. And, the Feds weren't nice to each other. Nobody was nice to each other. Just let the monster eat them all.
It's an exciting story, but I couldn't drum up any sympathy for 98% of the characters. Whether bad guys or good guys, they complained, they insulted, they were bored. They set fire to whole bunches of trees! Yikes! Their grammar was horrid, even the one who was college bound. Two more books are coming in the series. I hope the superpowered kids get a little humanity.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to review this eARC .
There is no law that says the main characters have to be likable. But, they do have to be interesting. The bullied kids were physically and emotionally abused, but they were insulting and belittling to each other, too. They were bored by their teachers, bored by their parents, bored by pretty much everything, and their answer to anything was, "Whatever." Haven't they ever heard the phrase, "A bored person is a boring person?" The most annoying kid was even mad that his poverty-stricken, overworked mother bought him a desktop rather than a laptop computer. Maybe 15-year-olds are bored and mad at everything, but I don't want to read about it.
Honestly, I wanted to start bullying these kids because they weren't even nice to each other. And, the bully friends weren't nice to each other either. And, the Feds weren't nice to each other. Nobody was nice to each other. Just let the monster eat them all.
It's an exciting story, but I couldn't drum up any sympathy for 98% of the characters. Whether bad guys or good guys, they complained, they insulted, they were bored. They set fire to whole bunches of trees! Yikes! Their grammar was horrid, even the one who was college bound. Two more books are coming in the series. I hope the superpowered kids get a little humanity.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to review this eARC .
October 13, 2021
Thanks to Imbrifex Books for the ARC!
This book follows four friends that are constantly humiliated by three high schoolers. After they follow a ritual from an ancient book, they find themselves with superpowers, but they've also unleashed a monster into their town.
My thoughts:
1.5/5 stars
- I feel like it definitely delivered to the Stranger Things, X-Men expectations that I had for it, and the overall vibe/aesthetic was very Goosebumps-R.L. Stine-esque.
- While I was very intrigued by the monster itself, I found that it was really the only part of the book that I was genuinely interested in.
- The concept of the bullies in this book was kind of outdated, and while bullying still happens today, most people, especially teenagers don't get bullied for being nerds or being comic-obsessed.
- At some points, the writing style seemed more complex than a YA book should be. If the writing style was a little less detailed and a little more simple, and didn't include swear words, it would definitely suit the Middle-Grade age grouping.
- There were several comments in this book that were sexist, which I didn't think I would find in a book written in 2021, considering that this is also targeted towards younger audiences. The way that the characters refer to other boys as a 'pussy' (,etc.) and girls as 'such a girl' are both outdated and wrong to include in a book where these phrases aren't challenged, and where the characters don't learn from their mistakes.
This book follows four friends that are constantly humiliated by three high schoolers. After they follow a ritual from an ancient book, they find themselves with superpowers, but they've also unleashed a monster into their town.
My thoughts:
1.5/5 stars
- I feel like it definitely delivered to the Stranger Things, X-Men expectations that I had for it, and the overall vibe/aesthetic was very Goosebumps-R.L. Stine-esque.
- While I was very intrigued by the monster itself, I found that it was really the only part of the book that I was genuinely interested in.
- The concept of the bullies in this book was kind of outdated, and while bullying still happens today, most people, especially teenagers don't get bullied for being nerds or being comic-obsessed.
- At some points, the writing style seemed more complex than a YA book should be. If the writing style was a little less detailed and a little more simple, and didn't include swear words, it would definitely suit the Middle-Grade age grouping.
- There were several comments in this book that were sexist, which I didn't think I would find in a book written in 2021, considering that this is also targeted towards younger audiences. The way that the characters refer to other boys as a 'pussy' (,etc.) and girls as 'such a girl' are both outdated and wrong to include in a book where these phrases aren't challenged, and where the characters don't learn from their mistakes.
April 14, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review Freaks.
This book was...interesting. It centers around a group of teens who are being mercilessly bullied at school. They come upon an ancient book and eventually open a portal to another world. This consequently unleashes other-worldly creatures into their small Arkansas town and also gives the friends supernatural powers. A fight for good versus evil ensues.
The premise of this book was very interesting to me, especially as a fan of superhero movies and comics. However, I do not believe this should be marketed as a YA novel. There is a lot of adult language, gore, and offensive language. This would probably make a pretty good movie though, I just don't think it should be targeted at a young adult audience.
This book was...interesting. It centers around a group of teens who are being mercilessly bullied at school. They come upon an ancient book and eventually open a portal to another world. This consequently unleashes other-worldly creatures into their small Arkansas town and also gives the friends supernatural powers. A fight for good versus evil ensues.
The premise of this book was very interesting to me, especially as a fan of superhero movies and comics. However, I do not believe this should be marketed as a YA novel. There is a lot of adult language, gore, and offensive language. This would probably make a pretty good movie though, I just don't think it should be targeted at a young adult audience.
January 4, 2022
This book would probably do better in the middle-grade market than the young adult one. The writing style, dialogue, characters, etc., were all very juvenile. The plot was very straightforward and there was 0 mystery to what was happening, so, basically all tell and no show.
Also Brett Riley uses "girl" as an insult (as in "stop being a girl")? Like come on dude, stow the misogyny, it's 2022. I guess his PhD isn't any good for common sense.
Also Brett Riley uses "girl" as an insult (as in "stop being a girl")? Like come on dude, stow the misogyny, it's 2022. I guess his PhD isn't any good for common sense.
February 23, 2022
Freaks, by author Brett Riley, is a novel in search of a suitable genre—and, in this case, genre matters.
The story opens with school bullies dunking Micah Sterne, a ninth grade boy, head-first into a school toilet. The very same bullies then proceed to target several other students, tossing water balloons, shooting spitballs and “depantsing” a girl who is a self-proclaimed lesbian. The targets of the bullying are the school “geeks”—outcasts who don’t engage in sports and are therefore made to suffer any number of indignities without reprisal. Adults seem oblivious, and other kids, perhapsin fear of their own reputations being sullied, feign ignorance.
Outside of school, these bullies outcasts are friends who come together to chat, eat pizza and play video games. When they come together one Friday evening and decide to engage in a little role-playing for stress relief and fun, they break into a trunk of paraphernalia owned by Micah’s uncle for costuming and props. Long black robes, books of spells and incantations, and any number of spices and herbs fill the musty space. When they randomly open a book and choose a chant with which to begin their roleplaying, they inadvertently release a force that gives them all superpowers. Unfortunately, the biggest bully of them all, Kenneth Del Ray, is also present, having planned to disrupt the evening, and also finds that he is now in possession of superpowers of his own.
So that’s the premise. Now let’s get back to that question of genre. On its face, the novel appears to be a YA story that uses the stereotypes of jocks and geeks to develop a high-interest plot that would appeal to teens. Freaks, however, is far afield of YA material. First, the language is problematic. These geek kids curse like sailors and, in spite of their professed intelligence, sound like redneck hayseeds as they toss around “ain’t” and “yonder” like they’ve just emerged from the aged pages of Mark Twain. The cursing alone is enough to give any teacher or parent pause before recommending this piece to anyone under the age of 18–far beyond what seems to be the intended audience.
The second issue with the novel is that of the author trying to be “woke” and instead sounding trite and cliche. There’s the lesbian student, the Wiccan mom, the Jewish girl who is told by the bully contingent that she “killed Jesus”, and a student with two moms. These details felt forced and dated. As a middle and high school teacher, I can tell you that most of today’s kids are far more tolerant and accepting than their parents ever were. Judging a classmate on their preferred gender, religion or family dynamic just doesn’t happen as often as it once did. That’s not to say that there aren’t still bullies—there are, and they are relentless (teen suicide rates support this ). These bullies, and their preferred methods and justifications, however, just didn’t feel authentic and fell short of the reality many of us see.
Look, Brett Riley can write! Though this is my first foray into his work, it’s clear that he can wield a mean pen (or keyboard). His sentence structure is sound and dynamic; his word choice is always spot on; and the guy can develop tone like nobody’s business. The story is also well-structured with great, identifiable conflict and characters who move within the confines of the personalities which have been bestowed upon them.
The issue, for this reader, comes back to that all important question of genre, and by extension, intended audience. As I said at the start, it matters. It matters because librarians and teachers and parents are the ones who are going to fork over the cash to purchase these books. They are also the ones who will be persecuted by the parents who disapprove of the content that is, at times, far too mature for YA lit.
Thanks to Net Galley and Imbrifex Books for the opportunity to review this ARC. Publication is scheduled for March 1, 2022.
The story opens with school bullies dunking Micah Sterne, a ninth grade boy, head-first into a school toilet. The very same bullies then proceed to target several other students, tossing water balloons, shooting spitballs and “depantsing” a girl who is a self-proclaimed lesbian. The targets of the bullying are the school “geeks”—outcasts who don’t engage in sports and are therefore made to suffer any number of indignities without reprisal. Adults seem oblivious, and other kids, perhapsin fear of their own reputations being sullied, feign ignorance.
Outside of school, these bullies outcasts are friends who come together to chat, eat pizza and play video games. When they come together one Friday evening and decide to engage in a little role-playing for stress relief and fun, they break into a trunk of paraphernalia owned by Micah’s uncle for costuming and props. Long black robes, books of spells and incantations, and any number of spices and herbs fill the musty space. When they randomly open a book and choose a chant with which to begin their roleplaying, they inadvertently release a force that gives them all superpowers. Unfortunately, the biggest bully of them all, Kenneth Del Ray, is also present, having planned to disrupt the evening, and also finds that he is now in possession of superpowers of his own.
So that’s the premise. Now let’s get back to that question of genre. On its face, the novel appears to be a YA story that uses the stereotypes of jocks and geeks to develop a high-interest plot that would appeal to teens. Freaks, however, is far afield of YA material. First, the language is problematic. These geek kids curse like sailors and, in spite of their professed intelligence, sound like redneck hayseeds as they toss around “ain’t” and “yonder” like they’ve just emerged from the aged pages of Mark Twain. The cursing alone is enough to give any teacher or parent pause before recommending this piece to anyone under the age of 18–far beyond what seems to be the intended audience.
The second issue with the novel is that of the author trying to be “woke” and instead sounding trite and cliche. There’s the lesbian student, the Wiccan mom, the Jewish girl who is told by the bully contingent that she “killed Jesus”, and a student with two moms. These details felt forced and dated. As a middle and high school teacher, I can tell you that most of today’s kids are far more tolerant and accepting than their parents ever were. Judging a classmate on their preferred gender, religion or family dynamic just doesn’t happen as often as it once did. That’s not to say that there aren’t still bullies—there are, and they are relentless (teen suicide rates support this ). These bullies, and their preferred methods and justifications, however, just didn’t feel authentic and fell short of the reality many of us see.
Look, Brett Riley can write! Though this is my first foray into his work, it’s clear that he can wield a mean pen (or keyboard). His sentence structure is sound and dynamic; his word choice is always spot on; and the guy can develop tone like nobody’s business. The story is also well-structured with great, identifiable conflict and characters who move within the confines of the personalities which have been bestowed upon them.
The issue, for this reader, comes back to that all important question of genre, and by extension, intended audience. As I said at the start, it matters. It matters because librarians and teachers and parents are the ones who are going to fork over the cash to purchase these books. They are also the ones who will be persecuted by the parents who disapprove of the content that is, at times, far too mature for YA lit.
Thanks to Net Galley and Imbrifex Books for the opportunity to review this ARC. Publication is scheduled for March 1, 2022.
January 19, 2022
Book Review: Freaks – Brett Riley
Disclaimer: I was kindly gifted an eARC of this book via Netgally in exchange for an honest review.
Freaks follows four high school friends that have been bullied all their lives. One day they are messing around and accidently open a portal to another dimension. In the process, they develop superpowers, but this portal also leaves an opening for a dark entity to creep through. Now they must decide whether to use their new found powers to get revenge on their school bullies that have tormented them for so many years or if they will use their powers for good to help defeat the monster that has crept through the portal and been wreaking havoc on their town.
The premise of this book is what drew me in. It’s reminded me of the TV series Stranger Things, and I am a huge fan of that show so naturally I was so excited for this book.
The writing is easy to follow, and the story progresses at a great pace. Unfortunately, I didn’t connect with any of the characters. They felt very 2D and didn’t feel relatable. Its very plot driven and there is not much character development. Gabby and Jamie were the only two characters that I actually cared about but not enough that I would remember their story after I had closed the book.
The time period of the book was also very confusing for me. This story was supposed to be set in the modern day, but it felt very outdated and unrealistic. The friends are bullied for being ‘superhero’s’ and called ‘geeks’. There is also not much mention of social media at all. This made me feel like the story was taking place in the past and not the present time.
The main element that captured my attention was the monster and its origin. Sadly, we didn’t get to learn much about the monster or its origin, however, this is said to be a series so maybe we will learn more about the monster in the next installments.
This book is for you if you like:
• Coming of age stories
• Superhero’s
• Found family trope
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Disclaimer: I was kindly gifted an eARC of this book via Netgally in exchange for an honest review.
Freaks follows four high school friends that have been bullied all their lives. One day they are messing around and accidently open a portal to another dimension. In the process, they develop superpowers, but this portal also leaves an opening for a dark entity to creep through. Now they must decide whether to use their new found powers to get revenge on their school bullies that have tormented them for so many years or if they will use their powers for good to help defeat the monster that has crept through the portal and been wreaking havoc on their town.
The premise of this book is what drew me in. It’s reminded me of the TV series Stranger Things, and I am a huge fan of that show so naturally I was so excited for this book.
The writing is easy to follow, and the story progresses at a great pace. Unfortunately, I didn’t connect with any of the characters. They felt very 2D and didn’t feel relatable. Its very plot driven and there is not much character development. Gabby and Jamie were the only two characters that I actually cared about but not enough that I would remember their story after I had closed the book.
The time period of the book was also very confusing for me. This story was supposed to be set in the modern day, but it felt very outdated and unrealistic. The friends are bullied for being ‘superhero’s’ and called ‘geeks’. There is also not much mention of social media at all. This made me feel like the story was taking place in the past and not the present time.
The main element that captured my attention was the monster and its origin. Sadly, we didn’t get to learn much about the monster or its origin, however, this is said to be a series so maybe we will learn more about the monster in the next installments.
This book is for you if you like:
• Coming of age stories
• Superhero’s
• Found family trope
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July 14, 2022
TW: bullying, racism, abuse, toxic friendships, gory scenes
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:Four high-school friends suffer daily humiliation at the hands of three bullies. When the friends accidentally open a portal to another dimension, they unintentionally allow terrifying, other-worldly creatures to invade their small Arkansas town. Discovering that they are now endowed with strange superpowers, the four teens dub themselves “Freaks,” the very name their tormentors used to ridicule them. The Freaks must fight to save the lives of family and friends now in mortal peril and thwart a secret government task force that appears to be hunting them.
Release Date: March 1st, 2022
Genre: YA - Fantasy
Pages: 288
Rating:
What I Liked:
1. Fast past
2. Bullying is pretty realistic
3. The teenagers weren't annoying
What I Didn't Like:
1. Some scenes dragged on at times
2. Some scenes read as confusing
Overall Thoughts:
I seriously thought this book was a fun ride. I felt like being a teenager and being tormented everyday by the popular kids was spot on. I was also bullied in school for years and years so I get it.
I felt like the writing style was good and I was engaged as a reader, curious about what was going to happen to them.
I loved the whole mutant changes that happen with them. What bullied kid doesn't dream of becoming so powerful they can crush the people that picked on them? Duh I do. If I had these powers and I was in high school yeah I'd become the villain.
There were even a couple of moments where the book shocked me... The scene where dudes mom is ripped apart is both gross and surprising. Did not see that happening!
Final Thoughts: I'm eager to see what happens to them in the next book. Very fun time and fun characters.
Recommend For:
• Revenge stories
• Xmen fans
• YA books
IG | Blog
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:Four high-school friends suffer daily humiliation at the hands of three bullies. When the friends accidentally open a portal to another dimension, they unintentionally allow terrifying, other-worldly creatures to invade their small Arkansas town. Discovering that they are now endowed with strange superpowers, the four teens dub themselves “Freaks,” the very name their tormentors used to ridicule them. The Freaks must fight to save the lives of family and friends now in mortal peril and thwart a secret government task force that appears to be hunting them.
Release Date: March 1st, 2022
Genre: YA - Fantasy
Pages: 288
Rating:
What I Liked:
1. Fast past
2. Bullying is pretty realistic
3. The teenagers weren't annoying
What I Didn't Like:
1. Some scenes dragged on at times
2. Some scenes read as confusing
Overall Thoughts:
I seriously thought this book was a fun ride. I felt like being a teenager and being tormented everyday by the popular kids was spot on. I was also bullied in school for years and years so I get it.
I felt like the writing style was good and I was engaged as a reader, curious about what was going to happen to them.
I loved the whole mutant changes that happen with them. What bullied kid doesn't dream of becoming so powerful they can crush the people that picked on them? Duh I do. If I had these powers and I was in high school yeah I'd become the villain.
There were even a couple of moments where the book shocked me... The scene where dudes mom is ripped apart is both gross and surprising. Did not see that happening!
Final Thoughts: I'm eager to see what happens to them in the next book. Very fun time and fun characters.
Recommend For:
• Revenge stories
• Xmen fans
• YA books
IG | Blog
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
March 4, 2022
I received an ARC of the audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this book overall, and since it set up for a sequel I will probably read that as well. It was an interesting story, and it kept me listening and curious for how things would play out. I liked how the powers the kids got reflected their strengths and personalities, and the relationships between them were interesting. And the audiobook narrator was amazing, they really gave each narrator a unique voice. I thought the plot felt unique and interesting. I liked most of the characters too. The bad guy was interesting, even if I kept imagining him as a giant blue bug for some reason. I thought his motivations were interesting, and driven by his culture and how he got his food. The plot with the federal agents also has the potential to be interesting in future books.
There are some negatives (spoilers, maybe?). There are 6 pov characters. And sometimes you hear the story three times through three different pov's. Eventually I got very frustrated with it and just wished the book would get on with it. The book could have been shorter and just as impactful without all the repeats of pov. A couple would have been fine (and probably necessary) but it happened quite a lot. Its particularly frustrating with an audiobook because I can't just skip sections.
Also... The bullying and deaths in the book were very graphic. It may not be suitable for a younger YA audience especially for sensitive readers. The bullying also feels extreme and outdated. These kids have social media and smart phones - some of the bullying they are filming and posting online would be assault. Bullying is still happening in schools, but not like this - or at least not a frequently. I also thought it was weird that every kid had a bike and used it to ride all around town fairly unsupervised. It gave me 80's vibes - I've lived all over the south and never in a town where so many students had a bike they rode everywhere. If this had been set in the 80's it would have made more sense.
I enjoyed this book overall, and since it set up for a sequel I will probably read that as well. It was an interesting story, and it kept me listening and curious for how things would play out. I liked how the powers the kids got reflected their strengths and personalities, and the relationships between them were interesting. And the audiobook narrator was amazing, they really gave each narrator a unique voice. I thought the plot felt unique and interesting. I liked most of the characters too. The bad guy was interesting, even if I kept imagining him as a giant blue bug for some reason. I thought his motivations were interesting, and driven by his culture and how he got his food. The plot with the federal agents also has the potential to be interesting in future books.
There are some negatives (spoilers, maybe?). There are 6 pov characters. And sometimes you hear the story three times through three different pov's. Eventually I got very frustrated with it and just wished the book would get on with it. The book could have been shorter and just as impactful without all the repeats of pov. A couple would have been fine (and probably necessary) but it happened quite a lot. Its particularly frustrating with an audiobook because I can't just skip sections.
Also... The bullying and deaths in the book were very graphic. It may not be suitable for a younger YA audience especially for sensitive readers. The bullying also feels extreme and outdated. These kids have social media and smart phones - some of the bullying they are filming and posting online would be assault. Bullying is still happening in schools, but not like this - or at least not a frequently. I also thought it was weird that every kid had a bike and used it to ride all around town fairly unsupervised. It gave me 80's vibes - I've lived all over the south and never in a town where so many students had a bike they rode everywhere. If this had been set in the 80's it would have made more sense.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 25, 2021
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Imbrifex Audio! All opinions are my own!
A group of friends has been bullied for their differences for years. But when they accidentally open a portal to another dimension and discover that they have new superpowers, they think this might be their chance. But when other things crept through the portal, what will it take for them to protect the world?
I really have to say that I enjoyed the premise of this book! It was a refreshing take on the high school coming of age story, especially with the fantasy elements! There was also a lot of different representation in the book, and I appreciated that the characters were all so different and special.
I think my biggest issue with the book was that the characters just weren't likable for me. I don't know if they felt one-dimensional or if it was just their personalities, probably a bit of both. It just decreased the enjoyment and made me not really care or particularly root for them in their struggles. I just found myself being uncomfortable by a lot of their choices/reactions, and that really took away from the overall experience.
I really enjoyed the narrator and thought they did a very good job of making the story come to life and differentiating among the characters!
If you like coming-of-age stories with a little bit of fantasy, this might be the book for you!
A group of friends has been bullied for their differences for years. But when they accidentally open a portal to another dimension and discover that they have new superpowers, they think this might be their chance. But when other things crept through the portal, what will it take for them to protect the world?
I really have to say that I enjoyed the premise of this book! It was a refreshing take on the high school coming of age story, especially with the fantasy elements! There was also a lot of different representation in the book, and I appreciated that the characters were all so different and special.
I think my biggest issue with the book was that the characters just weren't likable for me. I don't know if they felt one-dimensional or if it was just their personalities, probably a bit of both. It just decreased the enjoyment and made me not really care or particularly root for them in their struggles. I just found myself being uncomfortable by a lot of their choices/reactions, and that really took away from the overall experience.
I really enjoyed the narrator and thought they did a very good job of making the story come to life and differentiating among the characters!
If you like coming-of-age stories with a little bit of fantasy, this might be the book for you!
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