"When you've been abused in the way you were, you have a virus. And the virus will demand that you pass it on to someone else. You don't even have that much of a choice."

I read Ill Will by Dan Chaon when I was on a month off from writing about books, and now I am a month away from having finished it. I believe it was one of the most messed up (if I were a swearing person, I would say "f****d up") books I have ever read. And I am not alone. The reviewer in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette calls it the "most disturbing novel I've ever read." 

The plot in one sentence: Two sensational unsolved crimes—one in the past, another in the present—are linked by one man’s memory and self-deception. (I received an ebook from the publisher.) 

Here is what I appreciated. Ill Will was very skillfully designed. Cleverly designed. Ill Will kept me totally disoriented. It very adroitly moves from past to present; it changes narrators; sometimes it has three narrations going in columns (pretty hard to read on a Kindle, by the way). Did I mention that it was totally messed up? Also, it doesn't end very satisfactorily, although the reader knows, without a doubt, that all  is not going to end pleasantly. Chaon's intent is to disturb our equilibrium, and he accomplishes that with a vengeance.

The Washington Post reviewer, Ron Charles does a terrific YouTube review. This is how I felt exactly. 
 
You must be asking yourself, why read this crazy book? Well, I asked myself that exact question several times as I was shaking my head but reading on and on. Ron Charles says "Chaon's great skill is his ability to re-create that compulsive sense we have in nightmares that we're just about to figure everything out—if only we tried a little harder, moved a little faster." 

Go ahead. Read Ill Will. Freak yourself out!

I think having the label ‘thriller’ slapped on this novel does it kind of a disservice. This is a character-driven, literary mystery. I suppose it has some trendy thriller elements, like a dual narrative and past/present mysteries, but this is far more experimental and interesting than any thriller I’ve ever read.

The story revolves around Dustin, whose parents were killed decades ago in a murderous rampage that his foster brother Rusty went to jail for. In the present day, Rusty is let out on DNA evidence, and Dustin reacts to this by spiraling into an obsession with a (potential) serial killer in his area. Dustin is a therapist, and this obsession comes from one of his clients. We get narratives from the past and present crimes, and both fit their era so well. Rusty’s “did he/didn’t he” crime is fueled by Satanic Panic, and the present “serial killer” is based on am internet conspiracy. Reminded me heavily of the Smiley Face Killer, right down to the method of murder.

We bounce back and forth between a number of narrators and time periods, but Dustin is at the center of it all. The narration even mimics his unusual verbal tics: he has a habit of just dropping a conversation mid-sentence and moving on to the next idea in his head, which happens frequently mid-paragraph in the book. At first I thought there was actually an error with my copy of the novel because it was so jarring, but it’s quickly apparent that it’s an intentional choice that both puts the reader in Dustin’s headspace but also really keeps you on your toes. There are dozens of little stylistic choices in the writing that make this book sparkle and shine.

While the two mysteries are interesting this book is about people, not crime. Dustin’s relationship with his family, past and present, is really the main plot. Truth, memory, and identity sit at the core of this, and those are themes I am always eager to read about. And Ill Will explores them beautifully. If you want a fast-paced thriller with constant twists and turns, this is probably not the book for you. The narrative is challenging, and things do not come together neatly. It’s more grounded in reality, yet at times incredibly surreal and strange. Ill Will took me on an emotional journey, and the second I finished it I wanted to pick up everything Chaon has ever written.

http://onelitchick.com/snotty-literati/ill-will/

Snotty Literati featured ILL WILL this May.

This book was interesting. It’s got some great mysteries (two main ones to be precise) in it, but the main character, Dustin Tillman, is a a spacy, damaged man, and the story reflects that vibe. It can be frustrating, but overall, I liked it.

The core of the book is very good and shows a lot of potential – the multiple storylines are well done and incredibly interesting.

Dustin was 13 when he and his twin female cousins, sleeping over in a camper in Dustin’s driveway before a family vacation, found their parents murdered inside the house. Dustin and Kate, one of the twins, testified against Dustin’s adopted brother, saying he killed the four adults in a Satanic ritual. Thirty years later, Rusty has been acquitted, and Dustin and his family are living peacefully in Cleveland, when one of Dustins patients presents him with an intriguing mystery: are young men in Northeastern Ohio simply drowning after two much to drink or are they the target of a serial killer? As these two worlds collide, everyone finds themselves drawn into a dangerous mystery.

The writing style of the book is not typical. It flies not only between narrators but also time periods and events, all of which come together to form the bigger picture of the two mysteries. I didn’t mind it so much, but I could see how it wouldn’t be for everyone.

Also, the ending is kind of vague. Most of the questions seem to be answered by characters at different points, but there’s no “revealing scene” to confirm, “OK so-and-so was correct, this happened.” And there are some new questions which are not answered.

I’d love to hear more thoughts on this book. I really was drawn into the story and I’d love to hear thoughts on the ending.

Recommended.

My review is on Goodreads

I am rarely so conflicted about a book. I am one with strong opinions, either good or bad, but in this case, I really like some aspects of "Ill Will" and I really dislike some aspects. I find myself in the middle of the road on this one, and it's kind of disappointing because I have liked Dan Chaon's previous works. 

"Ill Will" is about tragedy more or less. Flipping between the 1980s and present day, Dustin is a psychologist with a step brother in prison for killing their family, whom about to get out thanks to DNA evidence and the Innocence Project, and an obsession with a new string of killings of college age frat boys in the area. The two intertwine in a hazy way in Dustin's unreliable brain, and what we receive is a mystery more cerebral and conspiratorial than fact based. What is interesting is that is shows how unreliable memory can be and how if you look close enough to a situation, patterns will appear. 

The good thing is that Dan Chaon writes in an quick easy style, and he puts scenes and flow of the story together in a way that makes it easy to read. I have enjoyed several of Chaon's previous novels, and I think that the saving grace in this novel is the writing and flow. Otherwise this is kind of a mess. Not a good mess. There is some mention of the obsession in the 80s with satanic cults and behavior that is interesting, there is heroin use that is overdone and is becoming a lazy plot device, but mostly the off-putting things are things that will date this novel, mentions of Netflix and Skype and companies that might not be around in a decade or two. When I read something that has a classic plot but with current technology, I just don't find it as compelling. It is like carbon dating your story; now everyone will know exactly the time of your story, and I feel like most novels can be timeless if you want the to be. 

I find it interesting that the main characters mostly are men and have normal names, Dustin, Aaron, Rusty, Dennis, whereas the characters that move the plot along, particularly the people that complicate Dustin and Aaron's life have odd names, Aqil Ozorowski, a guy named Amy, a girl named Montgomery, a drug dealer named Xzavoius Reinbolt, etc. So why is it that the characters that are supposed to be strange or bad have strange names, and they are influencing the main characters, the normal names, with their behavior? I found this odd and half way through, I knew that if a weird name showed up, that meant they had a weird part of the plot, like a tell in some ways. 

Overall I did not hate this novel, but I did find things I did not like about it. I wouldn't recommend this as anyone's first Dan Chaon book, but I would still recommend his work to anyone that I see. He is a good author. This one just does not hit the target as squarely as some of his other works.

It seems I should have loved this book: multiple perspectives, a past-and-present storyline, a mystery ... but it just didn't keep my attention. Perhaps it tried to do too much and not any one thing was really successful for me? A year ago, I would have finished this book anyway (it's not bad), but I'm trying to focus only on books I really enjoy.

loved it, immediately sent me looking for his backlist when i finished this.

This is one of the most interesting books I’ve read thus far this year.  Dennis, a psychologist with a traumatic past, meets a patient who entices him to cross some major ethical boundaries.  The unraveling of mysteries from childhood and current times was fascinating. Of great interest to me was Dennis’ personality. The character’s limited ability to notice and attend to his environment was startling. This was a great read. Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for ARC

a totally compelling story. I couldn't put it down..Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the perusal..a must read!!

This novel was quite engaging. It had you wondering about the protagonist sanity as well as the reality of the world the author creates. Great read.

I'm just not sure what I think about this book.  About 34-35% through the book, there is a section that is like two pages on one page. At least this happened on my Kindle.  Then it went back to regular pages. This made the 2/1 section very hard to read.  It's a dark story to begin with. The story kinda wanders between the past and current day.  I'm not sure if I would read another by this author but in a month or so I might give him another chance. Just not my cup of tea!  It's a murder mystery of sorts. Thank you, I think, to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review.

Psychologist Dustin Tillman has had an interesting life. His parents were brutally murdered along with his aunt and uncle when he was just a young boy.  His adopted brother, Rusty, was eventually convicted of the crime.  Dustin has tried to forget the past, but he is still dealing with his wife's death when he gets word that Rusty was released from prison with the help of the Innocence Project.    At the same time, Dustin is distracted by a patient of his, Aquil.  Aquil has come to Dustin with a theory that local college boys who are drowning are the victims of a serial killer.   One who preys on the drunk college boys after a night out.  As Aquil presents more and more evidence, Dustin starts to realize that there very well could be something sinister at work.  With all of the external distractions,  Dustin doesn't even realize that his own son is spiraling out of control with drugs.  Will Dustin be able to get his life and family back on track before history repeats itself and his family implodes?

Ill Will is a bit of a weird book. The author writes in such an interesting flow -- it is almost manic.  He writes a scene and then leaves the scene open-ended and the next scene is in another time and place.  It makes for an interesting reader experience.   The author does jump around in the timeline, from when Dustin was a child and Rusty first came to live with their family.  To when his wife was ill with cancer and now when he is working with Aquil.  You also get to experience some of Aaron's, Dustin's son, viewpoint.  Also, at the very end, you get to experience a bit from Rusty's view.  Ultimately, as a reader, you don't want to see the Tillman family implode - you want Dustin to pull it together - but it is hard. The author graphically details the events from Dustin's childhood and some readers might find it difficult to read.   All of the chaos leads to a conclusion that will leave you with mixed feelings. --CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS!

Bottom line - Ill Will is one of those books that not everybody will enjoy.  Two days later and I am not entirely sure that I enjoyed it.

Wow!  That's the first thing that comes to mind when I read this book.  Not only was it filled with action and mystery but it kept you on the edge of your seat and made you want to scream at the characters.  Very engaging book!

While I loved "Await Your Reply" and was looking forward to Mr. Chaon's latest, I can't say I was as enthused with "Ill Will."  This book concerned the present and past of psychologist Dustin Tillman. When he was a child, he found his parents and aunt & uncle shot to death in his home, a crime for which is foster brother Rusty has spent decades in jail (partially due to Dustin testifying against him).  In the present, Dustin is counseling various people who are ordered by the courts to see him, one of which, Aqil, convinces him to look into the mysteriously similar cases of young college aged men who are found dead in bodies of water after nights out with friends.  As if he doesn't have enough to deal with, Dustin finds out Rusty's conviction has been overturned, his wife becomes terminally ill, and his two sons are distant -- one in college, and the other succumbing to drug addiction.

Perhaps the formatting issues in the ebook had something to do with my difficulties in following the events in the book.  There were several instances in the book where the text appeared in several columns across the screen, where column 1 was one person speaking, column 2 was the second, and so on.  It was rather confusing to figure out what was going on, and how are you supposed to read it?  All of column one, across multiple pages, then back to go through all of column 2, or else read all the columns from the various voices before moving on to the next page??? It was rather confusing.  It was also not at all clear to  me what was meant by the ending, so I was left feeling rather let-down after investing so much time in the story.

I tried to get into this book but I wasn't able to.  A good book needs to capture my attention right away.  I might try this one again down the road, but for now, I put it on the back burner.

"Ill Will" is very well written but a bit frustrating.  The tagline and blurb speak of 2 multiple murders set 30 years apart tied together by one mans memory.  But I don't think this book is truly about the murders.  It's about memory, reality, and the influence others have on us in connection to those memories and realities.  Do we remember something because it happened or because others talk about it happening. 

Don Chaon has written Ill Will in a very non linear style.  He has also chosen to make most of the characters somewhat flat as to development. This adds a level of disquiet when coupled with the way Dustin, the main character, thinks and speaks.  He frequently doesnt finish either his thoughts or his sentences.  Although he is a psychologist he needs more therapy than his patients.  We only meet one, Aqil.  He leads Dustin along in what appears to be his own fantasy.  His family, both his immediate and extended, all know there is something odd about Dustin.  It is his sense of reality that imprisons his adopted brother for 30 years for the murders that occurred when he was 13.  Now there is a fresh murder of one of his son's best friend.  How are they connected?  There is talk of Satanic ritual killings in both cases.  Is this the connecting issue?

I read the Kindle version so I don't know if there is a formatting issue but in a few places there are multiple happenings that are side by side on a page.  Multiple perspectives around multiple events that are not directly connected.  I hope it's not a formatting issue because it worked to give you a feeling of unease in regards to the events.  Who's talking, about which event?  

Ultimately Dustin's sense of reality is the true (or false) momentum that drives the story forward.  You get to decide.

I wish to thank the Author, The Publisher, and NetGalley for my copy of Ill Will in exchange for this honest review.

This was a great suspenseful and atmospheric read. Loved it!

What went wrong here? The book blurb is good, so I'm expecting a good story. Is this my copy that messed up? It's like pages are missing, and editing went poof in places. If that is the ARC part, I do apologize, but it didn't help me make sense of this story. 

There are two stories in play in the book, but the ending, it's pitiful. This book didn't work for me at all. Hitchcock this isn't, nor many other famous authors I can think of. It dissolves by the end, into... just nothing at all. 

My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is left of my own free volition.

This book was fantastic- it constantly surprised me. I was amazed at how deep it was willing to go, at how much it had in store for me that I did not anticipate. It is so carefully laid out and strategically written. It kept me on my toes with surprises, shocks, and more until the very end. Thank you for the advanced copy!