BookDragon Books for the Diverse Reader

Samuel Polk is 16, athletic, has good friends, and lives in a small southern town in Georgia. He tells everyone he’s gotten over his mother’s sudden death a year ago. While his relationship with his father isn’t the closest, they’ve managed to establish a daily routine that works for them for now, surviving without their missing link. He misses his brother almost as much as his mother, or maybe even more because his brother’s not dead, just away at college, but the distance is more than physical.

Working on a video project for a high school class, Samuel decides to go check out baby triplets in the next town over … but not just any triplets, but mutant triplets apparently conceived immaculately living a sequestered life with their single mother. Samuel’s first reaction is so shocking, he can’t do more than vomit, then flee. But he can’t seem to get the image of the misshapen little figures out of his mind and he returns to visit them once more. Their mother is justly horrified with Samuel’s initial reaction and wants nothing to do with making her children a freak show – to her they are a precious gift from God.

In the disturbing home, Samuel encounters the triplets’ much older brother, who has evil secrets of his own … and forces Samuel to face the latent violence in his own self. Samuel’s nightmares become reality and he becomes convinced that his own salvation depends on somehow saving the triplets from certain destruction.

I have to admit that I had little idea of how Korean American Sang Pak‘s debut novel would unfold from the back cover description, and was chillingly thrilled it turned out to be a fast-moving surprise. Part gothic mystery, part gruesome horror, part coming-of-age tale of self-discovery, and all shocking finale, Pak’s novel makes for a great airplane read … guarantee you’ll forget for at least a few hours that you’re stuck in that middle seat!

Readers: Adult

Published: 2009