Born Scared

by Kevin Brooks

Overview

Elliot has lived his first thirteen years confined to his home, incapacitated by fear. Now he’s out of pills, snow is falling, and his only safe person is missing. A terrifying thriller from Carnegie Medalist Kevin Brooks.

From the moment of his birth, Elliot’s life has been governed by fear of almost everything, even of his own fear — a beast that holds him prisoner in his room. The beast is kept at bay, though not eliminated, with a daily regimen of pills. But on Christmas Eve, a mix-up at the pharmacy threatens to unleash the beast full force, and his mother must venture out in a raging snowstorm to a store that should be only minutes away. Hours later, when she still hasn’t returned, Elliot sees no choice but to push through his terror, leave the house, and hunt for her. What happens if the last of his medication wears off and the beast starts scratching at the doors of his mind? Everyone has a breaking point — will Elliot come to his? With plot twists and turns that keep readers on the edge of their seats, multi-award-winning author Kevin Brooks offers a high-suspense exploration of fear and what it means to truly be afraid.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763695651
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	09/11/2018
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	1,110,012
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Kevin Brooks is a critically acclaimed young adult novelist whose first book, Martyn Pig, was named a Publishers Weekly “Flying Start” selection. His most recent novel, The Bunker Diary, won the Carnegie Medal. He lives in Essex, England.

Date of Birth:

March 30, 1959

Place of Birth:

Exeter, Devon, England

Education:

B.A. in Cultural Studies, Aston University, 1983

Editorial Reviews

08/20/2018
In this gripping yet inconsistent thriller, a young man living with a severe anxiety disorder is forced out of his comfort zone when a mix-up with his medication on Christmas Eve disrupts his carefully controlled life. Afraid of almost everything and haunted by the death of his twin sister at birth, 13-year-old Elliot usually remains, by his preference, in the safety of his room, incapable of coping with the outside world even at the best of times. But when the pharmacy sends home the wrong medication, his mother ventures out into a snowstorm to remedy the problem and never returns. Desperate to find out what happened, Elliot goes after her, only to be plunged into a nightmarish world of both terror-based hallucinations and paranoia and a real-world robbery turned hostage situation that requires Elliot to tap into his darkest impulses in order to survive. The inclusion of two Santa-disguised robbers and a bank manager on a drug-fueled bender lend this story an unexpectedly off-kilter, almost comedic tone that feels at odds with Elliot’s trauma and internalized struggle. But Brooks (Five Hundred Miles) creates a compelling character in Elliot and successfully depicts a dangerous environment filtered through a profound mental illness. Ages 12–up. Agency: William Morris Agency. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Suspensefully told from multiple perspectives, and jumping back and forth in the narrative timeline, the text gradually reveals the seemingly innocent circumstances that lead to the day's disturbing events...the narrative inexorably draws characters toward one another—and into a surprising, explosive climax.
—Kirkus Reviews

In this gripping...thriller...Brooks (Five Hundred Miles) creates a compelling character in Elliot and successfully depicts a dangerous environment filtered through a profound mental illness.
—Publishers Weekly

Brooks’ writing is certainly moody and evocative.
—Booklist Online

...the heart of this novel—a meditation on Elliot’s relationship to fear as it paralyzes him, protects him, and eventually propels him forward to find courage—is compelling.
—The Horn Book

Brooks seems to write regardless of what others will think, not afraid to talk about sensitive topics, like mental illness described from a teen's perspective...This adventurous story may be helpful in allowing readers to empathize with those who suffer from anxiety and is a great read for anyone interested in literature from writers not afraid to write outside social norms.
—Shelf Awareness for Readers

From the Publisher

09/01/2018
Gr 7-10—Elliot's list of phobias is so exhaustive, he describes himself as being "chronically afraid of almost everything." He never leaves the house and uses medication to tame his fears, but a mix-up with his prescription sends his mother out into a snowstorm to restock. She gets caught up in a plot and held hostage by some criminal types in Santa suits, and when she doesn't return, Elliot faces the unknown to look for her. His fears quickly overwhelm him, leading to emotional depletion and a self-described feeling of being dead, which somehow allows him to make calculated decisions at the story's climax. Ellamay, Elliot's twin sister who died at birth, provides guidance as her voice comes and goes at convenient moments. It's not clear if Ellamay is intended as an element of magical realism or as a manifestation of psychosis, but her character succeeds as neither. The points of view are split between Elliot, the bad Santas, and a hapless bank manager who spends most of his portion of the novel driving under the influence of drugs. While the split narrative is useful to tie the plot together, too much time is spent on adult characters, whose stories may be less relatable to youth. Elliot's fears are endlessly mentioned in the narrative, but the way he feels and experiences them is never adequately explored. Disturbingly, Elliot's mother and their trusted family doctor don't seek psychological help for him beyond medication and isolation. VERDICT Not recommended.—Alex Graves, Manchester City Library, NH

School Library Journal