Separating You Book Review

Separating You Book Review

Post
Subscribe

Posted 2019-09-02 by Steven Gfollow
Separating You – Book Review

I am an avid reader. To be honest, most writers are. I normally get through a book in less than a week, and if it wasn't for university and my own writing, I'd read a lot more. I have a thing for short story collections; my preferred genres are also the sorts of work I generally write – horror, fantasy, science fiction, humour. But I don't limit myself . Realistically, I have read all sorts of good stuff in my nearly half-century on this planet.

One other thing I have read a reasonable amount of is stories about serial killers, both fictional and based on fact (I'm a sucker for the Manson family and Jack The Ripper). However, I don't read as much of that lately – there just isn't anything new about it. Maybe their ways of killing are original, maybe their lives are different (the TV series Dexter springs to mind there), but, generally, they are just about killing and getting away with it.

Then I was given a copy of an e-book that takes the killer trope, the clichés, everything we know and love, and turns it into something completely different: Separating You by Dr Jason Carson.


This is written from the point of view of the killer – Dr Jason Carson, who is also given the author's byline. But it is not written as a "then I killed this person, then I killed that person, and I felt like this, and it made me do that" sort of tome.

This is written in the style of a self-help book.

Now, I've read quite a number of these as well (and only one has actually done anything for me) and the style of writing is spot-on for that genre. But it is not… normal. It starts off reading as though the killer is grooming the reader into becoming like him. And there is certainly a chunk of the book that reads that way on the surface. But it is not quite that simple. The book is an exercise in control – Carson's control over the reader, growing more and more definite.

The way a true sociopath would get into the life of a potential victim.

There are times when it is quite eerie, and the little bits of sharing of his life that are given are actually designed to elicit sympathy (the story of being choked by a girl who claimed to love him springs to mind here), which, again, is a technique often used by manipulative people.

This is amazingly well written.

However, do not go into this expecting to get a straight-forward narrative of some guy's killing spree. This is not that sort of book. It is more a psychological drama, playing on the reader. The reader is an active participant in the story. An example is the use of the term "Baby" when referencing the reader, which only comes after you know who his true "Baby" was; it's a subtle hint as to what is to come, and adds to the creepiness. There are times when things are said that make you think back over your own life and question yourself; there are other times when you nod along and think that what is being said makes sense.

Just like a regular self-help book.

This book is not perfect. There are some vignettes that go on a little long, and some that draw the reader a little too far out of what is being presented and how it is being presented. The story of calling after the guy walking away from the knife attack is one of those. But there are other times when it does not feel quite like it is enough. The talk of the Special Place falls into this category. With the amount of self-help gurus who hark on about finding a Special Place I would have thought would have left this open for much more than what we got.

Technically, there are a few misused words, some odd formatting issues and other things that often come from self-published (and some independent published) books. Some of the sections do not flow into one another really easily. And the ending does feel a little drawn out for my liking. But these are, in the end, minor quibbles for what is a uniquely presented manner of telling the story of a serial killer.

Don't get me wrong – while this is presented as a self-help book, this is in fact also the story of the psychology of a man who has turned his back on the human race and societal norms, living by his own rules, doing what gives him pleasure, and him alone. There is a sense of joy about what he is doing to the reader as he goes through under the guise of "helping".

As an aside, there is an adage of writing that, unless absolutely necessary, a writer should never use the second person ("you") voice. Choose-You-Own-Adventure tales are about the only exception. When I was an editor, that would be rejected straight away. And yet here, for possibly the first time that I have come across, it works.

To finish, I'd like to mention a brief section near the end when he talks of some other self-help people famous in the USA, and how they could well be as off-the-wall and out-of-kilter with society as he admits he is. Again, that actually makes sense.

Now, this is NOT a book for everyone. Far from it. Some of the language, many of the situations, and the general tone places it firmly in the mature readers only space. It can be graphic, and the near-lusty way some things are described could be upsetting. However, if you are into stories about serial killers and people who do not fit into society, and want something very different, you cannot go wrong with this. This is a strange book. I could not stop reading it. It is so well done, and for the first time in a long time, I have found a book that is different and in a good way. If this genre is your genre, I would say give this a go. If you're interested in a look at the psychology of some-one different from (I hope) yourself, read this. And if you just want something different, I would say try this one.

I recommend it. It's not for everyone, but, still… Yeah. Read this.

It is available as an e-book from Amazon.


#book_reviews
#books_writing
#literary
#pop_culture
#quirky
#self_help
%wneverywhere
85662 - 2023-06-11 07:12:26

Tags

Music
Free
Arts_culture
Film_tv_reviews
Outdoor
Random
Nightlife
Family_friendly
Festivals
Community
Food_drink
Fundraisers
Educational
Holiday
Markets
Copyright 2024 OatLabs ABN 18113479226