One of Us

by Craig DiLouie

Overview

Known as "the plague generation" a group of teenagers begin to discover their hidden powers in this shocking post-apocalyptic coming of age story set in 1984.

"This is not a kind book, or a gentle book, or a book that pulls its punches. But it's a powerful book, and it will change you." — Seaman McGuire

They've called him a monster from the day he was born.

Abandoned by his family, Enoch Bryant now lives in a rundown orphanage with other teenagers just like him. He loves his friends, even if the teachers are terrified of them. They're members of the rising plague generation. Each bearing their own extreme genetic mutation.

The people in the nearby town hate Enoch, but he doesn't know why. He's never harmed anyone. Works hard and doesn't make trouble. He believes one day he'll be a respected man.

But hatred dies hard. The tension between Enoch's world and those of the "normal" townspeople is ready to burst. And when a body is found, it may be the spark that ignites a horrifying revolution.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316411318
Publisher:	Orbit
Publication date:	07/17/2018
Pages:	400
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

Craig DiLouie is an acclaimed American-Canadian author of literary dark fantasy and other fiction. Formerly a magazine editor and advertising executive, he also works as a journalist and educator covering the North American lighting industry. Craig is a member of the Imaginative Fiction Writers Association, International Thriller Writers and Horror Writers Association. He currently lives in Calgary, Canada with his two wonderful children.

Editorial Reviews

03/19/2018
One-dimensional characters and offensive clichés mar DiLouie’s (Suffer the Children) disappointing chronicle of rising unrest between “normal” people and a group of disabled children set in Huntsville, Ga., in 1984. In 1968, an incurable sexually transmitted disease caused physical malformations in numerous babies. Some cases were fatal, and the survivors became known as “the plague generation.” Fourteen years later, those children live in the Home; they have been rejected by their parents, mistreated by their caregivers, and shunned by society. Some of the children begin manifesting powers, such as mind control, that could help them take down the “normals” and gain their freedom. After Enoch, a gentle boy, is killed for a crime he didn’t commit, Brain, a caricature of an autistic savant, decides that war is imminent and gathers the children to fight. Inevitably, the government seeks to use the children and their burgeoning powers for its own nefarious purposes. The well-trod tropes of oppression and uprising don’t take on any new life here, and the linkage of disability, superability, and inhumanity is tiresome and cruel, especially when children are the focus. Any readers who make it through the considerable scenes of carnage likely won’t be satisfied by the pat conclusion. Agent: David Fugate, LaunchBooks Literary. (July)

Publishers Weekly

"A powerful and heartbreaking tale about hate, fear, and truth. Author Craig DiLouie is fearless as he explores the dark territory of the human heart."—Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author


"This is not a kind book, or a gentle book, or a book that pulls its punches. But it's a powerful book, and it will change you."—Seanan McGuire, author of Every Heart a Doorway


"Disturbing, beautiful . . . . A powerhouse of a novel. DiLouie continues to be the master of writing the human heart and all the terrors it contains."—Peter Clines, author of Paradox Bound and The Fold

"DiLouie has crafted something special, with sympathetic characters, tragedy, hope and humor all expertly woven together. One of Us is a stunning achievement in speculative fiction."—Shelf Awareness

"One of Us is a horror mash-up of Wild Cards and kid-capers like The Goonies, but its portrayal of hatred feels all too real - and will stay with you long after the book is done."—The Washington Post

"An amazing tour-de-force . . . One of Us rattled me to the core. An engrossing, emotionally-charged book and a work of terrible beauty. To Kill a Mockingbird-with monsters."—John Dixon, Bram Stoker Award-winning author

"The Girl with all the Gifts meets To Kill a Mockingbird."—Claire North, author of 84K


"A character-driven and sometimes heartbreaking story about what happens to those of us who are different, and who the monsters truly are. DiLouie keeps the reader turning pages."—Megan Hart, New York Times bestselling author of All the Lies We Tell


"You shouldn't believe there aren't any truly original stories out there anymore, because One of Us is one of a kind." —Nicholas Sansbury Smith, author of The Extinction Cycle

"Frightening in its familiarity, One of Us is a tale of human monsters and monstrous humans - authentic, brutal, and inevitable."—David Walton, internationally bestselling author of The Genius Plague

"Craig DiLouie's One of Us is without a doubt one of the best books I'll read this year . . . . a compelling work of near perfection."—Bracken MacLeod, Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of Stranded


"Rich with well-defined characters, sharp writing, and a riveting premise, this is a novel not to be missed."—Jason V. Brock, author of The Dark Sea Within


"This seamless fable of loss, violence, and hope forces us to examine what it means to be different and what it means to be human."—Patrick Freivald, author of Jade Sky


"One of Us is a masterfully written, thought-provoking dark fairy tale, and one of the best books I've read in a long time. It will stay with the reader long after they've finished the last page."—Dana Fredsti, author of the Ashley Parker series

"One of Us is nearly impossible to put down."
—Shawn Chesser, author of The Promise

From the Publisher

07/01/2018
In 1968, a sexually transmitted plague caused severe genetic mutations in newborn babies. Affected children, labeled mutants and monsters, were sequestered in government-run group homes across the country, out of sight but rarely out of mind for those living nearby. In Huntsville, GA, the local pastor preaches that the children are demons heralding the end times, the local farmers take advantage of the cheap forced labor the home provides, and a few local teens try to bridge the gap between the two worlds. When the mutants begin to manifest special powers, the government ships them off to a secret laboratory for experimentation. Some hide their powers and instead begin to plot a revolution. As tension reaches the breaking point, a well-liked mutant is killed for a crime he didn't commit, and his fellow inmates begin their fight for freedom. VERDICT Dilouie (Suffer the Children) delivers a fresh take on the well-worn story of oppression and rebellion. Unfortunately, one-dimensional characters and clichéd dialog clog the story, leaving little room for building empathy. Still, the author's fans will want this.—Portia Kapraun, Delphi P.L., IN

Library Journal

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