Freaks

A Novel (Freaks, Book 1)

By: Brett Riley

Narrated by: P.J Morgan

2014 Horror/Sci-Fi Grand Prize, US, Winner
New York Screenplay, 2015, Grand Prize in Horror, US, Winner
Hollywood Screenplay Contest, 2014, London Film Festival, GB, Runner-up, London Film Festival

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.

©2022 Brett Riley (P)2022 Imbrifex Books

Critic 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)

“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)

I might change my review

I'm not finished with the book yet but not very happy with all cops being racist shooters throughout this book. Whatever happened to writing a book with pushing ur personal beliefs on people. It seems like the more liberal the writer the more they have to make every cop a racist bad guy when normally they just want to do their 8 hours and go home like every other working person in the world. The underlying storyline has been good and I may change my review but I'm only half way to the end and it's just every time they talk about the police they are bullies or racist. So I have finished the book I did enjoy the story but please keep it to the story and stop making ever coo a bastard and racist in the next book.

Fast and fun read to pass the time

Freaks by Brett Riley is the story of 4 teens that have been victims of bullying most of their lives. To deal with the feelings of helplessness, they decide to do a role-playing game. One of the boys uses his uncle's off-limits stuff as props for the game. They perform a spell they found in one of the books and accidentally open a portal. Following the incident, the kids discover they have super strength and special powers. When people start dying violently, they realize something else came through the portal. When it's time to step up, will the kids use their newfound powers for payback or protection?

I enjoyed the plot. With a simple theme of good versus evil, it's easy to follow. The victimization of the main characters makes them the perfect underdogs you want to cheer for. The story is action-packed and moves quickly.

Despite enjoying the plot there was not much else to entice readers. The characters weren't well developed, instead, they were cliches. Additionally, there wasn't much going on in the book outside of the main story and it was pretty predictable. I know there is another book and I'm hoping it has more depth and subplots.

This was an audiobook, narrated by P. J. Morgan. She is an experienced audiobook narrator. Her use of distinct voices as narrator and individual characters adds to the enjoyment of the book.  The only thing I didn't like was her narration voice had a disconnect and fell flat as opposed to the character voices that were rhythmic and emotion-evoking.

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars because of the above-mentioned items I found lacking. However, the things lacking allowed the book to be quick and concise. It was a fast and fun read reminiscent of a comic book. Perfect for when you're reading for distraction and don't want to have to think.

I would recommend this book to action and science fiction lovers. The topic and structure of the story would entice fans of superheroes and graphic novels. I recommend this book to young adults since the characters are teens in high school. This book is not for younger kids or those bothered by violence.