Freaks: A Novel

by Brett Riley

Overview

Hunted by monsters. Wanted for questioning. Late for class.

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781945501937
Publisher:	Imbrifex Books
Publication date:	03/01/2022
Series:	Freaks , #1
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.95(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Brett 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. Riley’s debut novel, Comanche, was released in September 2020, and Lord of Order was published in April 2021. Riley is currently finishing Travelers, the second book in the Freaks Superhero series. Travelers will be in stores and online in August 2022. He has also won numerous awards for screen writing. He lives in Henderson, Nevada.

Editorial Reviews

A great spin on the superhero story, told with genuine depth.“—Mark Waid, best-selling author of History of the Marvel Universe, Doctor Strange, and Superman Birthright.


"Fast paced storytelling, and life lessons that are imparted as the Freaks face ongoing challenges that threaten their very existence."—Don Sauer, PopCultureGuy

“A fun and fresh twist on the superhero story! Fast-paced, strong characters, and twists and turns make this a must read!“—Jennifer Brody/Vera Strange, author of The 13th Continuum Trilogy, Spectre Deep 6, and the Disney Chills series

“With Freaks, Brett Riley has accomplished something very few YA authors have: freakishly good writing, freakishly relatable characters, freakishly awesome premise — all making for a freakishly great read.“—M. P. Kozlowsky, author of Frost, and Rose Coffin

“Freaks is propulsive and brilliantly written, with compelling characters and plenty of action.“—Scott Bergstrom, author of The Cruelty and The Greed.

“Freaks begins at top speed and never lets up until the final page. Like some fascinating blend of Stranger Things and X-Men, Brett Riley’s novel explores what power means and how it is best wielded, making the book both timely and timeless. A fantastic read!“—Kevin Waltman, author of Nowhere Fast, Learning the Game and Next.

From the Publisher

2021-12-15
Four savagely bullied ninth graders suddenly acquire superpowers.

Christian, proudly out as lesbian since sixth grade, and her friends—geeky Micah, mousy Gabby, and uptight Jamie—inadvertently open an interdimensional hole by playing with an old book of spells. It somehow leaves them with a diverse mix of abilities, from shooting flames to flying. Only Micah burns to repay their trio of bullies for years of pantsing, swirlies, threats, and humiliating pranks. The other three take broader views, which turns out to be a good thing, as a cunning, telepathic, blood-sucking monster from another dimension has also come through the hole to crush heads and feed on residents of their small Arkansas town. Riley goes for the gusto, opening with raw language and vividly explicit incidents of bullying followed by rising general terror punctuated by sprays of blood. He also stirs in some juicy complications, as tracking and battling the monster requires the self-styled Freaks not only to learn to control their powers and rein in the half-deranged Micah, but somehow find a way to work with one of the bullies who had been lurking near the spellcasting and has come away with superstrength and the emotional stability of the Hulk. Both unresolved internal conflicts and the revelation that there are more monsters out there promise further entries. Christian and Micah present White; Gabby is Jewish and Latina, and Jamie is African American.

Twists aplenty in a gorefest replete with violent emotions and events. (Horror. 14-16)

Kirkus Reviews