I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
One of Us by Craig DiLouie Published by Orbit on July 17 2018
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 300
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: Brutal and thought-provoking, One of Us is Southern Gothic with a touch of the fantastical.
I went into One of Us not knowing much about it, and it turned out to be one of those stories that caught me completely off guard. This is not an easy book to read, in the respect that it deals with triggers that might scare some readers off. But I couldn’t stop reading. DiLouie’s story was uncomfortable probably because it mirrors our own past, and also makes us hyper aware of social injustices that we’re still dealing with in the present day. Take away the monsters and replace them with any marginalized group of people and you’ve wandered into non fiction territory.
One of Us is set in the deep South and takes places in an alternate 1984. Huntsville, Georgia is still plagued by segregation, and fall-out from the Vietnam War continues to affect the town’s economy. It’s been fourteen years since the emergence of a viral disease called teratogenisis, a sexually transmitted “germ” that causes monstrous birth defects in children born to the infected. These “plague children” were whisked away from their families at birth and taken to special orphanages throughout the country called “Homes,” to be raised with only the bare necessities in near squalid conditions. These days children are taught stringent sexual practices to avoid catching the germ and creating more plague children, but those unfortunate enough to be born the year the virus broke out have very little freedoms and are really nothing more than prisoners.
But the plague children have reached the age of puberty, and they’re starting to change. Some can read minds, others find they have super strength, and still others can actually sprout wings and fly. And with these powers comes the realization that they are now strong enough to escape their prisons. Amidst the backdrop of a town full of trigger-happy citizens who want nothing more than to rid their town of monsters, the children plan their uprising.
Based on the cover, I really thought this was going to be a lighthearted fantasy, maybe more of a humorous adventure tale, but it turned out to be neither of those things. DeLouie’s latest is a serious story. It takes the idea of prejudice and cranks it up several notches, and the events play out like a Shakespearean tragedy. As far as the fantasy elements go, they are really more of an afterthought. Most of the story is grounded in reality, and most of the time I forgot that Dog actually has the head of a dog, or that Goof has an upside down face. They spoke and acted like regular kids, so when the fantasy elements did kick in, it was almost shocking.
DiLouie does a fantastic job creating an atmospheric tale, steeped in tension and just-under-the-surface violence waiting for an excuse to break free. I’ve always loved stories set in small towns with rough characters and lots of buried secrets, and this story delivers those elements in spades. But this town is also still stuck in the past, and nearly everyone looks down on the plague children as something less than human.
The humans come across as almost caricatures. You’ve got the bigoted, uneducated men and women who turn a blind eye to the atrocities that are going on at the Home, the gun-toting farm boys who shoot first and ask questions later, the sensitive teenager who wants everyone to accept the plague children just the way they are, the tortured sheriff who is trying to fairly uphold the law but can’t seem to escape his personal demons, the mother who fiercely protects her daughter’s secret.
I actually found the monsters more interesting than the humans and of course I found myself rooting for them. My favorite character was a boy nicknamed Brain, a genius who looks like “a lion fucked a gorilla” and is not only the smartest kid in the Home but the most self-aware. He knows exactly what the monsters are facing, but he’s also the first to realize that the kids are starting to change into something else, something potentially powerful. I also loved Dog, who you guessed it, has the head and sharp claws of a dog. And then there is Mary, an unassuming girl who appears mentally handicapped, but she surprised me at the end. DiLouie doesn’t really focus on the physical descriptions of the monsters, and I did have a hard time imagining what some of them looked like. But ultimately it didn’t matter that much. This story is more about the idea of ostracizing anyone who is different. Take away the fur, deformities, tails and wings and give them a skin color other than white and you still have the same story.
For readers who are bothered by violence, rape, and torture, be warned because One of Us does not shy away from these things. For the most part, the violent acts fit the story that DiLouie is telling. But there was a moment at the end where I felt like he went too far, as if he just wanted to squeeze in one more shocking scene, and it just didn’t work for me.
But it’s not all bleakness and depression. Despite the heavy subject matter, there are glimmers of hope and love in this story. Jake never waivers in his belief that everyone should be able to get along, and I loved the upbeat attitude of Dog, Brain and some of the other monsters who are determined to make a better life for themselves and their fellow monsters. There are lots of examples of fierce love in this story, hidden among the hatred, and it’s those moments that kept me going.
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.
Loved your review. This kind of sounds like it could be a hard read because it does seem to deal with some serious issues. And of course, segregation stuff is always hard for me to stomach. However, do you think I’d be able to pass up a character named Dog? I can see me rooting for these “monsters” as well. I’m definitely asking my library if they will order a copy.
This spoiler alert is just for you, Barb: Dog dies. So you might not like this:-( I mean, I obviously didn’t like that he died but sometimes I like to warn people about things that I know will upset them.
In cases like this, I like being spoiled. It helps me prepare so I can actually enjoy the book more. I’m still going to request it from my library but now I’ll be able to go into it eyes wide open 🙂
This is one of those textbook cases in which one should NOT judge a book by its cover: I saw this title in the Orbit bi-monthly newsletter and the cover did not inspire me to look beyond it and see what the book was about. Huge, huge mistake!
Thankfully, I can always count on my fellow bloggers to correct my blunders… 😀
One of Us sounds like the kind of book I would love, bleakness and all – thank you so much for sharing your review!!!!
Maddalena@spaceandsorcery recently posted…Short Story Review: THE POWHATAN, by Tony Daniel
I do hope you give it a try sometime! I wasn’t even going to request it until I actually read the blurb. Like you, the cover just didn’t grab me.
Your review convinced me this is a book I had better NOT miss… 😉
Maddalena@spaceandsorcery recently posted…Review: INTO THE FIRE (Vatta’s Peace #2), by Elizabeth Moon
So not heard of this one but it sounds a bit interesting so I might put it on my library wishlist in hopes I can find it there someday. 🙂
It was definitely interesting! I would save it for a library read if you decide to try it.
Great review! I love the cover for this one. It sounds like one of those books that is a little heavy. I like these now and then, especially when they’re thought provoking, which it sounds like this very much is. I’ll have to keep it in mind.
You definitely have to be in the mood, this isn’t light, fun reading at all. But I don’t want to turn anyone away from trying it. It’s very rewarding:-)
!!! This is one of the two (lol) books that I requested review copies for this summer! I’m going to start it tonight actually 😀 But from what I’ve seen around about this book, it is MUCH darker than people are expecting. Like you, I too had been expecting a lighter type of fantasy.
I’m really curious to see what you think. It is VERY dark, but so well written with lots of emotion.
Well I would have passed this one up solely because of the cover but your review definitely change that. It sounds very much like something I would like to read, it sounds very dark and a perfect read for fall. This is going on my wishlist!
The cover is very deceiving. But this would be a hard story to design a cover for no matter what, so I guess they did a pretty good job!
Yeeaaa….this is definitely going on my TBR. I think it’ll be a story I’ll like. Your review def got me curious.
Oh good, I hope you enjoy it! He’s such an amazing writer, and I’ll be waiting for his next book:-)
A great review – I don’t think I’ve got my thoughts together on this one even now. It was one of those books that you can’t put down even if you feel downright uncomfortable at times.
Lynn 😀
I know what you mean, I was having trouble figuring out how many stars to give it. I decided to just dive in because I knew the review wasn’t going to get any easier.
Yup the cover s deceiving! It is hard to find a lighthearted story with such topics of bigotry and prejudice wow a head of a dog, and an upside down face. That’s interesting. Too bad all that uniqueness and other-worldliness didn’t really show huh?
Daniela Ark recently posted…Djinn world domination? Magical Realism and Romanian history? Bookworm says YES!
This was definitely a tough book for me, but I do recommend it if you don’t mind heavy subject matter. The “monster” kids were really special.
Rooting for the monsters more than the humans? You’re making some easy selling points for me. I think it’s really the cover that had me pass on this one, but boy do I regret not getting my hands on this one now. Amazing review, Tammy! 😀