This is an author that I have not read before, but I will keep an eye out now! This book was crazy--in a good, "I am actually not living this drama" way...There were surprise twists which desimated my every prediction. Everytime I thought I knew the direction the book was traveling, it seemed as if I had been derailed by the train running through Flaggtrap. Believable characters, very real adrenaline pumping action--WOW, Enjoying this book has been a guilty pleasure.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of this novel.

This book does deal with some heavy themes like sex, drugs, and violence. I found myself sympathizing with the main character, although I definitely didn't agree with many of his decisions! He's a kid, well, a young adult, dealt with a bad hand & doing what he can with the hand he's been dealt. He has an instant attraction to a bartender & ends up befriending her husband. Can we say awkward? It was an interesting story & well-written.

I really enjoyed this book. At first I was a bit leery, when the young man was attracted to the female bartender and ends up friends with her husband!!!! Some parts made me laugh, (when he got up to play and got kicked out of the establishment), some made me a tad bit upset. Why? Because I grew to like Colson. Take a ride with Colson and be pleasantly surprised at the things he encounters. This was my first time reading Collins Kelly but I will most definitely look for more from this author. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the advanced reading copy in return for my honest review.

A story about how far people will sink to become a monster. There are different types of monster in this book. A pretty girl drives men to do some horrendous things. The crime itself was a bit predictable but it is still a very good book. The style of the writing added to the story. This book is worth reading.

Thank you again NetGalley, Collins Kelly and Rosethorn for my eARC of this book!

Please note that my rating is within the genre - this is a dark novel, borderline thriller. Some surface themes are sex, drugs, music and violence, but on a deeper level, we see themes emerge of displacement and the struggles of survival among Americans living in more rural, isolated areas.

Being a musician myself, I found it interesting to see the protagonist, Colson, chase his musical dreams only to get distracted and head down a path of self-destruction, harming others on his way. Collins Kelly assaults the reader with an onslaught of raw, vibrant, graphic imagery leaving you overstimulated - in the best of ways. This is similar to Colson's preferred method of performance - creating "noise" soundscapes to make the audience's skin crawl. I LOVE Collins Kelly's writing style. It is unique and rich and alive.

MILD SPOILERS BELOW:
The plot is a classic story-line - no real surprises here. But I love that this was chosen specifically along with familiar character archetypes to better illustrate the struggles of lower middle-income families, veterans, foster kids over 18 - many displaced "everymen" here, that may often get looked over in contemporary literature. The sense of tragedy is quite great. Colson's wasted artistic talent is a huge blow, especially as he is described as a bit of a musical genius. He is a self-taught musician who can play Ligeti from memory at the age of 19. My heart ached for him throughout. Read this if you're craving something dark and raw. This feels a bit like a great new HBO show.

A great book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Would recommend