Schroeder
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Average rating4
15
Ratings1
Average rating4
A gripping new psychological thriller by author Neal Cassidy, SCHROEDER, weaves together elements of the literary thriller/horror genre, stream-of-consciousness narration, and critical social commentary. When an ordinary young man wakes up in his quiet neighborhood on a day seemingly like all the others, the city he's lived in all his life has no idea what's about to befall it once he sets out on a day-long bike ride carrying a purposefully packed backpack and a definitive plan. Who is Schroeder, and what motivates his brutal killing spree? As he cycles from one victim's home to the next, keeping pace with the rhythm of a city that burgeons to life under an increasingly dazzling sun exposing both its beauty and vivacity and its dark, dirty, underbelly, Schroeder lays bare his dreams, disappointments, delights, and dismays, establishing himself as a compelling contemporary antihero. The day rolls ominously towards its climax through hectic city streets, lush suburban gardens, stately mansions, and decrepit housing projects, punctuated by Schroeder's reflections on a society in shambles and a deeply damaged, if not broken, humanity-but not without revealing life's boundless wonder and infinite possibilities for joy and redemption through moments that are within-and yet tragically beyond-Schroeder's grasp. A tell-all denouement brings Schroeder out of the shadows of his actions, the pathos of his questions about the kind of world we live in lingering long after.
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The author very kindly offered me a physical ARC. And after reading a Grind reference 7 pages in, I knew I made a good decision. And then later an Underoath reference. And the G-2 07 Pilot is truly the best pen. I hope these are references where I am like the author, cause otherwise it means I’m like Schroeder…
This novel is a psychological trip of stream of consciousness. With winding, incredibly longwinded sentences, paragraphs, chapters even. It took some getting used to, but I’m absolutely enthralled by how the author was able to go on such runs. I can only assume he spent huge chunks of time just thinking, watching, being. And the way he was able to make it almost compulsive to read, while often the character himself is even losing the strain, is truly something.
Schroeder is riding his bike through town, making pit stops, and ending lives. He’s described as a kind of normal guy, but all I could think of was how much stamina he had for biking all day long. Not to mention the other exercising he was stopping to do. It’s clear that he’s a pretty traumatized person, as who else would do the things he does, however he has a pretty positive outlook on the world it seems, or perhaps it’s because he knows what he’s doing. A day long bike ride that’s a propulsive revenge tale.
The one thing I struggled a bit with was the why. At first I thought it was strange that I didn’t really understand why he was doing these things, and then I understood that it was a decided choice from the writer. And as my curiosity continued to peak, I arrived at the end of the novel, which features a great deal of explanation and heartbreak. It works well, but I wonder if it would have made the earlier bits just that much stronger if these tidbits were making themselves present during all his musings on the bike? I for one, never get far before my troubles make themselves present at the forefront of my mind.
I think the biggest win here for me, is the fact that the author takes you through Shroeder’s musings for pages on end, and then they are broken up with these almost blissful moments for him while he’s doing harm to others. Harm that is bordering on extreme or even the splatterpunk edge, without going too nasty for readers. It’s this fine edge of walking that line between extremes—the extreme of thought, and the extreme of revenge. It works quite well. And while I wouldn’t say I necessarily agree with him, I do understand the lengths he’s been pushed.
