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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What a weird book. I was addicted most of the way through, even with the insane premise, but this book jumps the shark by the end like few I've read. I like the moral questions that it brings up, but it feels a little like the author wasn't sure what to do with those questions once he raised them. Still a fun ride and worth reading as a light sci-fi thriller, but don't expect any big messages at the end.
It has been a long, long time since I have been confident enough to say that I genuinely enjoyed reading a YA novel. Anatomy of a Murderer has been waiting to be read for a few years, sitting in the back of my bookshelf all neglected. I think I kept on delaying getting to it because I was so scared that it was going to be some kind of massive failure. I remember thinking to myself many times that there’s no way that a YA book that combined the psychology and moral implications of crime with a surprising twist of queerness could be pulled off well. So I just left it in my room, too scared to find out if my assumption was true. Now that I have managed to get over my doubts, I can definitely say that Anatomy of a Murderer is in no way a massive failure— in fact, it was shockingly better in most ways than I ever imagined it to be, though with a couple flaws that only irked me just a little. If I could give it 4.5 stars, I would.
The first thing that I noticed was how almost every single main character was clearly white because of their very European names. At first I was trying really hard to diversify the Boreal Five in my mind, but as I read further, it was quite obvious that they weren’t very racially diverse. The only person of color was Callie, who was (to me) one of the most unlikeable characters in the book because of how she only had one personality trait: crude sassiness. There was a Japanese(!!!) cop who was mentioned once and that was pretty much it for POC representation. I initially pictured Rem to be mixed (Japanese and white) as well, but once he said “those extra-thick Japanese noodles” on page 129, my enthusiasm towards that headcanon faltered. Maybe he’s another type of wasian and just is so whitewashed that he doesn’t know what udon is… which is BLASPHEMOUS but it’ll have to do.
Another thing about Rem that I found a little silly was that he was the token Artist™ of the friend group. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love how the main character isn’t just some bland teen with no hobbies (but when he said he hated video games, I metaphorically shed a tear). It’s just that I can obviously tell that the author himself is not an artist. It’s almost like his constant mentionings of how he never washes his hands when he paints and the smudges that linger matched the stereotype of vegans that never stop mentioning that they are vegan. I think the line that got me the most was on page 54: “[Ethan’s death was probably what] explained why I was always losing track of time and forgetting to wash my hands when I did my painting”. While art was also a coping mechanism for me back in high school, I just found this quote to be so… unnatural. Like the author wasn’t actually an artist, but rather someone who was attempting to put himself in an artist’s shoes with limited experience. Especially given how awfully-designed some of Rem’s sketches in his Tattoo Atlas are. Maybe I’m just biased because I dislike how his art trademark is those ugly hairless imp things. The one that I cringed the most at was the design that Rem actually got as a tattoo— an entire chest piece for your first one as a minor? With Franklin’s name on it? And with what I picture to be very visually unappealing new school designs? To each their own, I guess. I did find it a bit weird how the first tattoo he ever got was dedicated to the school shooter he fell in love with rather than his childhood friends who died (even though his childhood friends were extremely unlikeable). At surface level, it is odd, but given the complexities of Franklin’s character and his dynamic with Rem, it makes more sense.
Plot-wise, I think everything was great. It all flowed naturally, and it kept me engaged the entire time. Its method of story-telling impressed me: how it remained consistently in Rem’s point of view yet was also able to provide crucial events that occurred outside of his perspective via him witnessing surveillance footage from the lab. I pretty much found myself disappointed only when I had to put the book down because it was 4 in the morning and I needed some sleep (I even had a dream inspired by it— usually if I am really immersed in something, elements from that form of media will seep into my dreams). What I love about this book is how much it differs from your typical YA novel: it has all the same elements like a high school atmosphere, teen friend dynamics and all of that, but it’s not just some dramatic-slice-of-life-prom-date-disaster. That drama is just a side element within the larger picture of gun violence and a small addition of science fiction. Yes, I still get a kick out of some of the regular YA novels, but the ones that really stick out to me are ones that have a larger, almost world-building type of story that exists in settings that aren’t just confined to the high school classroom. Like in Anatomy of a Murderer, the story emphasizes the importance of Rem’s mother’s work in her field of neurology, and how her famed research could create a lasting impact on human understanding of good and evil. I personally would expect this to be a plot made by a cishet author, but I think just knowing that it was queer in a way made it a thousand times more appealing to me. As an aspiring tattoo artist, it also brought me joy to see how one of Rem’s secret artistic hobbies was tattoo designing, and how the book actually spent a really small part discussing the topic. I must say though, if this book was still titled its original Tattoo Atlas, I would never have picked it up in the store all those years ago, although it technically suits it better. Anatomy of a Murderer, back then at least, interested me more.
One last point I wanted to make was the queer side plot with Tor, or just the queerness in general. Similar to the race thing, I wish there was a little more diversity with this aspect. I kind of hoped that Tor would be bisexual but just really struggling with internalized homophobia, something that I figured the Boreal Five would empathize with. But throughout the story it was proven time and time again that Rem and Callie couldn’t handle that Tor wasn’t out, or worse, couldn’t even handle the fact that he was struggling with accepting himself (which takes time and not pressure from his aggravated friends). At first I felt upset towards the author for writing these characters in this way, but I’d like to think that it was 100% intentional to make them, in one way or another, unlikeable. I was always iffy about how Rem kept on calling Tor an “asshole” for keeping things casual and while he clearly struggled with his internalized homophobia. I considered Rem more of the asshole throughout the story, because he constantly pressured Tor to admit that he was gay and Callie constantly threatened to out him behind Tor’s back. While these were walking red flags for the seemingly “good” characters, at first I figured that Franklin was and always would be by far the most unredeemable character, given that he quite literally was a school shooter. As you read further into the story, though, you start to receive more and more information that shows how the Boreal Five were all shockingly cruel bullies, in one form or another. While Franklin was the one who eventually broke, his rage was built up due to the cruel treatment of his peers. For years upon years, he was constantly excluded for being the antisocial equivalent of Rem. The sci-fi twist to this really had me retracing my feelings towards Franklin— it was made obvious that his sentiments of killing were real, but the capsule placed into his brain made those sentiments a reality. Though he was demonstrating sociopathic behavior for a while before the shooting occurred, part of me thinks about how different he could have been if people just… treated him right. Not to be cheesy, but Franklin Kettle is quite literally a product of society, as well as a murderous product of neuroscience. Maybe if the Boreal Five was the Boreal Six then maybe he wouldn’t have become a hardcore 2nd Amendment defender and a gamer with an unhealthy obsession over military combat. I’m a gamer myself, so I do relate to his habits of being at the screen for hours on end, both as a way to entertain and as a way to cope. I was definitely worried at first that the book would try to pass on the argument that violent video games lead to violent behavior, which was voiced loudest by Rem and Ms. Utter, but also made clear through the uncomfortable stares and avoidance of all other students from anything Son of War related. It is understandable to be wary of Son of War imagery given its traumatizing context, but it’s another thing when someone starts to think that the game itself is what caused the shooting. I hope I’m reading into this correctly, but I would love to think that Anatomy of a Murderer raises awareness towards the reality of what makes a killer, that reality being everyone around you— your neighbors and classmates, from the edgy, brooding pessimist all the way to the kind, prude girl next door. While Franklin did kill two people, this book forces you to question who should rightfully be held accountable for such killings. Franklin himself? Or Rem’s mother, the person directly behind Franklin’s inability to feel empathy for the sake of scientific research?
Aaaaand once again I wrote a 5 page essay on a leisure book because my thought processes never seem to end. Anyways, minor flaws aside, I deeply enjoyed Anatomy of a Murderer and would highly recommend it to others. I am definitely keeping this on my shelf for years to come and am DYING to see any fan art that exists out there!
The first thing that I noticed was how almost every single main character was clearly white because of their very European names. At first I was trying really hard to diversify the Boreal Five in my mind, but as I read further, it was quite obvious that they weren’t very racially diverse. The only person of color was Callie, who was (to me) one of the most unlikeable characters in the book because of how she only had one personality trait: crude sassiness. There was a Japanese(!!!) cop who was mentioned once and that was pretty much it for POC representation. I initially pictured Rem to be mixed (Japanese and white) as well, but once he said “those extra-thick Japanese noodles” on page 129, my enthusiasm towards that headcanon faltered. Maybe he’s another type of wasian and just is so whitewashed that he doesn’t know what udon is… which is BLASPHEMOUS but it’ll have to do.
Another thing about Rem that I found a little silly was that he was the token Artist™ of the friend group. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love how the main character isn’t just some bland teen with no hobbies (but when he said he hated video games, I metaphorically shed a tear). It’s just that I can obviously tell that the author himself is not an artist. It’s almost like his constant mentionings of how he never washes his hands when he paints and the smudges that linger matched the stereotype of vegans that never stop mentioning that they are vegan. I think the line that got me the most was on page 54: “[Ethan’s death was probably what] explained why I was always losing track of time and forgetting to wash my hands when I did my painting”. While art was also a coping mechanism for me back in high school, I just found this quote to be so… unnatural. Like the author wasn’t actually an artist, but rather someone who was attempting to put himself in an artist’s shoes with limited experience. Especially given how awfully-designed some of Rem’s sketches in his Tattoo Atlas are. Maybe I’m just biased because I dislike how his art trademark is those ugly hairless imp things. The one that I cringed the most at was the design that Rem actually got as a tattoo— an entire chest piece for your first one as a minor? With Franklin’s name on it? And with what I picture to be very visually unappealing new school designs? To each their own, I guess. I did find it a bit weird how the first tattoo he ever got was dedicated to the school shooter he fell in love with rather than his childhood friends who died (even though his childhood friends were extremely unlikeable). At surface level, it is odd, but given the complexities of Franklin’s character and his dynamic with Rem, it makes more sense.
Plot-wise, I think everything was great. It all flowed naturally, and it kept me engaged the entire time. Its method of story-telling impressed me: how it remained consistently in Rem’s point of view yet was also able to provide crucial events that occurred outside of his perspective via him witnessing surveillance footage from the lab. I pretty much found myself disappointed only when I had to put the book down because it was 4 in the morning and I needed some sleep (I even had a dream inspired by it— usually if I am really immersed in something, elements from that form of media will seep into my dreams). What I love about this book is how much it differs from your typical YA novel: it has all the same elements like a high school atmosphere, teen friend dynamics and all of that, but it’s not just some dramatic-slice-of-life-prom-date-disaster. That drama is just a side element within the larger picture of gun violence and a small addition of science fiction. Yes, I still get a kick out of some of the regular YA novels, but the ones that really stick out to me are ones that have a larger, almost world-building type of story that exists in settings that aren’t just confined to the high school classroom. Like in Anatomy of a Murderer, the story emphasizes the importance of Rem’s mother’s work in her field of neurology, and how her famed research could create a lasting impact on human understanding of good and evil. I personally would expect this to be a plot made by a cishet author, but I think just knowing that it was queer in a way made it a thousand times more appealing to me. As an aspiring tattoo artist, it also brought me joy to see how one of Rem’s secret artistic hobbies was tattoo designing, and how the book actually spent a really small part discussing the topic. I must say though, if this book was still titled its original Tattoo Atlas, I would never have picked it up in the store all those years ago, although it technically suits it better. Anatomy of a Murderer, back then at least, interested me more.
One last point I wanted to make was the queer side plot with Tor, or just the queerness in general. Similar to the race thing, I wish there was a little more diversity with this aspect. I kind of hoped that Tor would be bisexual but just really struggling with internalized homophobia, something that I figured the Boreal Five would empathize with. But throughout the story it was proven time and time again that Rem and Callie couldn’t handle that Tor wasn’t out, or worse, couldn’t even handle the fact that he was struggling with accepting himself (which takes time and not pressure from his aggravated friends). At first I felt upset towards the author for writing these characters in this way, but I’d like to think that it was 100% intentional to make them, in one way or another, unlikeable. I was always iffy about how Rem kept on calling Tor an “asshole” for keeping things casual and while he clearly struggled with his internalized homophobia. I considered Rem more of the asshole throughout the story, because he constantly pressured Tor to admit that he was gay and Callie constantly threatened to out him behind Tor’s back. While these were walking red flags for the seemingly “good” characters, at first I figured that Franklin was and always would be by far the most unredeemable character, given that he quite literally was a school shooter. As you read further into the story, though, you start to receive more and more information that shows how the Boreal Five were all shockingly cruel bullies, in one form or another. While Franklin was the one who eventually broke, his rage was built up due to the cruel treatment of his peers. For years upon years, he was constantly excluded for being the antisocial equivalent of Rem. The sci-fi twist to this really had me retracing my feelings towards Franklin— it was made obvious that his sentiments of killing were real, but the capsule placed into his brain made those sentiments a reality. Though he was demonstrating sociopathic behavior for a while before the shooting occurred, part of me thinks about how different he could have been if people just… treated him right. Not to be cheesy, but Franklin Kettle is quite literally a product of society, as well as a murderous product of neuroscience. Maybe if the Boreal Five was the Boreal Six then maybe he wouldn’t have become a hardcore 2nd Amendment defender and a gamer with an unhealthy obsession over military combat. I’m a gamer myself, so I do relate to his habits of being at the screen for hours on end, both as a way to entertain and as a way to cope. I was definitely worried at first that the book would try to pass on the argument that violent video games lead to violent behavior, which was voiced loudest by Rem and Ms. Utter, but also made clear through the uncomfortable stares and avoidance of all other students from anything Son of War related. It is understandable to be wary of Son of War imagery given its traumatizing context, but it’s another thing when someone starts to think that the game itself is what caused the shooting. I hope I’m reading into this correctly, but I would love to think that Anatomy of a Murderer raises awareness towards the reality of what makes a killer, that reality being everyone around you— your neighbors and classmates, from the edgy, brooding pessimist all the way to the kind, prude girl next door. While Franklin did kill two people, this book forces you to question who should rightfully be held accountable for such killings. Franklin himself? Or Rem’s mother, the person directly behind Franklin’s inability to feel empathy for the sake of scientific research?
Aaaaand once again I wrote a 5 page essay on a leisure book because my thought processes never seem to end. Anyways, minor flaws aside, I deeply enjoyed Anatomy of a Murderer and would highly recommend it to others. I am definitely keeping this on my shelf for years to come and am DYING to see any fan art that exists out there!
The premise was interesting, and I was really absorbed in the first half but... I don't know, I slowly got bored. I was waiting for something creepy or thrilling to happen but it was a bit underwhelming.
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence
I deeply enjoyed this book. From my friends description of it, it seemed like a good read, and I’m a fan of thrillers and mystery and especially psychological ones so yeah, I deeply enjoyed it.
I really loved how every single character is morally gray. They’re realistic and they’re messy teenagers and realistic and messy adults with tons of grief and trauma clouding their judgement and making their decisions for them.
Rem was stupid but he didn’t have a choice. You can’t control your feelings and those can definitely guide your actions as we see. He really did like Tor, making excuses and whatnot for his behavior, and I’m kinda unsure but I think he also genuinely had feelings for Frankie. Frankie was like the first person who made him feel loved and cared for and that’s really sad and relatable especially since Tor never even bothered with even kissing Rem on the lips.
Honestly, I think Frankie’s death was a happy ending for him. Since even before the beginning of the book he was being controlled by a woman controlled herself by her own grief. Too blind to realize what she was doing and that she still had another living son who needed her. There’s no other way Frankie could’ve been seen as a good guy in the public eye, even if they had framed Tor and he hadn’t killed Callie. He would’ve gone right back to being a sociopath when the capsule died in three days unless Rem’s mom had put another one in him which she likely wouldn’t do. This way he was actually free from that control.
It’s a really sad but really beautiful story that really just makes you think about a lot of stuff. I mean I thought about a lot of stuff and related to a few of the characters in a few ways so yeah.
5/5
I really loved how every single character is morally gray. They’re realistic and they’re messy teenagers and realistic and messy adults with tons of grief and trauma clouding their judgement and making their decisions for them.
Rem was stupid but he didn’t have a choice. You can’t control your feelings and those can definitely guide your actions as we see. He really did like Tor, making excuses and whatnot for his behavior, and I’m kinda unsure but I think he also genuinely had feelings for Frankie. Frankie was like the first person who made him feel loved and cared for and that’s really sad and relatable especially since Tor never even bothered with even kissing Rem on the lips.
Honestly, I think Frankie’s death was a happy ending for him. Since even before the beginning of the book he was being controlled by a woman controlled herself by her own grief. Too blind to realize what she was doing and that she still had another living son who needed her. There’s no other way Frankie could’ve been seen as a good guy in the public eye, even if they had framed Tor and he hadn’t killed Callie. He would’ve gone right back to being a sociopath when the capsule died in three days unless Rem’s mom had put another one in him which she likely wouldn’t do. This way he was actually free from that control.
It’s a really sad but really beautiful story that really just makes you think about a lot of stuff. I mean I thought about a lot of stuff and related to a few of the characters in a few ways so yeah.
5/5
5/5stars
4/5stars
I read this in a single sitting.
I'm overwhelmed.
So I'm just gonna vomit some words.
Okay let's do this.
This is a novel that takes place in a modern world very similar to our own, with the tiniest scifi twist of slightly more advanced technology (lemme tell you, Tim Floreen does this whole "scifi mixed with the real world" thing REALLY well). A year before the story starts, a horrific incident occurs where a boy was shot during school - and now, his murderer is going to be "fixed." Scientists have created a new piece of technology that allows them to alter the brain in such a way to basically cure sociopath/psychopath/antisocial personal disorder. With this little gadget, they believe they can fix Franklin.
Rem is the gay son of the scientist attempting to fix Franklin, but was also the best friend of the boy who was murdered. He gets caught in the world between helping his mother, trying to be there for his friends, and, slowly, finding empathy for the boy who murdered Pete.
Filled with typical teenage angst like sexuality, boys, and friendships mixed with not-so-typical angst like murder and experiments, this novel is a roller coaster. Tim Floreen has a way of writing novels that makes you just want to keep flipping the pages. Like his previous novel "Willful Machines" this book also has its downs with annoying YA tropes, but his writing and character development is fantastic. He is wonderful at story telling.
He's also great at pulling at your heart strings. I never knew what I should be feeling for any character. One second I'd love a character, the next I'd hate them, the next I'd want to protect them at all cost because so smol and precious, the next I'd want to punch them in the face.
Also the ending. Like. Wow. The ending was perf but also I cry so much.
Tim Floreen has definitely solidified his position on my "Autobuy" authors. Yup. This was gr8. A+
I read this in a single sitting.
I'm overwhelmed.
So I'm just gonna vomit some words.
Okay let's do this.
This is a novel that takes place in a modern world very similar to our own, with the tiniest scifi twist of slightly more advanced technology (lemme tell you, Tim Floreen does this whole "scifi mixed with the real world" thing REALLY well). A year before the story starts, a horrific incident occurs where a boy was shot during school - and now, his murderer is going to be "fixed." Scientists have created a new piece of technology that allows them to alter the brain in such a way to basically cure sociopath/psychopath/antisocial personal disorder. With this little gadget, they believe they can fix Franklin.
Rem is the gay son of the scientist attempting to fix Franklin, but was also the best friend of the boy who was murdered. He gets caught in the world between helping his mother, trying to be there for his friends, and, slowly, finding empathy for the boy who murdered Pete.
Filled with typical teenage angst like sexuality, boys, and friendships mixed with not-so-typical angst like murder and experiments, this novel is a roller coaster. Tim Floreen has a way of writing novels that makes you just want to keep flipping the pages. Like his previous novel "Willful Machines" this book also has its downs with annoying YA tropes, but his writing and character development is fantastic. He is wonderful at story telling.
He's also great at pulling at your heart strings. I never knew what I should be feeling for any character. One second I'd love a character, the next I'd hate them, the next I'd want to protect them at all cost because so smol and precious, the next I'd want to punch them in the face.
Also the ending. Like. Wow. The ending was perf but also I cry so much.
Tim Floreen has definitely solidified his position on my "Autobuy" authors. Yup. This was gr8. A+
A stylish and tense YA thriller with a slight SF bent.
The setting is contemporary, but the SF twist is in the experimental brain surgery performed on a high school shooter in an attempt to alter violent tendancies and stimulate empathy. The story follows Rem and his three friends a year after the shooting, his relationships with them, and with his mother, the doctor heading up the pioneer surgery. This book turned out to be quite a page turner for me, and of course there is much more going on than first meets the eye.
The writing style reminded me of [a:Shaun David Hutchinson|3130410|Shaun David Hutchinson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1387295428p2/3130410.jpg], another master of slightly SF contemporary and textured characters. Like Hutchinson, Floreen is an emotive writer, who does a good job of capturing frantic self-doubt and the odd mental contortions created by a need for acceptance.
An excellent read that left me wanting to check out Floreen's debut novel, [b:Willful Machines|21525970|Willful Machines|Tim Floreen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1434040840s/21525970.jpg|40851888].
The setting is contemporary, but the SF twist is in the experimental brain surgery performed on a high school shooter in an attempt to alter violent tendancies and stimulate empathy. The story follows Rem and his three friends a year after the shooting, his relationships with them, and with his mother, the doctor heading up the pioneer surgery. This book turned out to be quite a page turner for me, and of course there is much more going on than first meets the eye.
The writing style reminded me of [a:Shaun David Hutchinson|3130410|Shaun David Hutchinson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1387295428p2/3130410.jpg], another master of slightly SF contemporary and textured characters. Like Hutchinson, Floreen is an emotive writer, who does a good job of capturing frantic self-doubt and the odd mental contortions created by a need for acceptance.
An excellent read that left me wanting to check out Floreen's debut novel, [b:Willful Machines|21525970|Willful Machines|Tim Floreen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1434040840s/21525970.jpg|40851888].
I really was not a fan of this. I would not have finished it if I had picked the book up on my own.