As he did in November Road, Lou Berney creates credible characters in Dark Ride, and despite the myriad flaws of the novel's protagonist, Berney makes it nearly impossible for readers not to become deeply invested in following along to learn what happens.
The journey of Hardly, the protagonist, from ne'er-do-well stoner to a man on a life or death mission, makes for a refreshing and ultimately rewarding read. You find yourself rooting for Hardly more with every page, bong hit and challenge, and how he personally transforms runs concurrent with the mission he's on to save a pair of kids who don't seem to have anyone else who cares enough to rescue them from hellish conditions.
Berney's storytelling skills stand out in this tale, in which he easily hooks you in early for this unique, unlikely hero's journey, and by its end, makes the whole dark ride worth it.

This book kept me engaged from the beginning. A first I wondered if the main character, Hardly Reed, was imagining what he saw when he sees two children that he thinks are victims of child abuse. The character development of the course of the novel was excellent.

An incredible read that I tore through quickly. Truly an enjoyable thriller that will keep you up at night to finish the story.

4 1/2 stars

Hardy (Hardly) Reed is a twenty-three year old young man. He hasn’t had the easiest of lives. While he’s a genuinely nice guy, and smart, too, he’s not motivated. He’s happy working for a haunted attraction at an amusement park, just getting by on what he earns. It’s not a taxing job, and he’s good with that. When his path crosses with that of two abused children, he suddenly finds the determination needed to do something to save those kids. It turns into a dangerous endeavor, but Hardy is unwavering as he begins taking steps to help. The other main characters in the book are also sympathetic.

This book is, for the most part, a character study of Hardly. We learn about him, his friends, and his job. We watch as he moves step-by-step toward making a difference in the lives of those children. He won’t let anyone stop him. As I said, he’s a nice guy, and given his own background, he can’t stand to see those kids hurt. It's also a look at how overburdened the child protective services in the United States are. They're swamped with cases, without enough social workers to deal with them. It shows how many abused children fail to get the help they need through official channels.

This was a quick read and a heartbreaking story. The writing moves along apace, and there few pauses to allow the reader to catch their breath. But that’s okay, who needs to breathe while they’re right there alongside Hardly, even if they might be shaking their heads at some of his actions. Along the way, Hardly makes some new friends who are just as quirky as he is.

I really enjoyed this book. My only complaint about it is the ending which leaves some things unresolved, important things. It hurt to have to turn away from Hardly and not know what was to become of him or the kids, or Eleanor, or Salvador. So many possibilities are swimming through my head about what might happen next. Personally, I prefer resolution in my books, but Dark Ride doesn’t bother me as much, as it lets me hope that everything works out for the best for everyone.

I recommend this book. It was a very enjoyable read.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I thank all involved for their generosity, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reactions to reading this book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the punisher for allowing me a copy of this book. I really enjoyed it and was surprised by how much I really liked the plot! I would rate it a 3/5.

The first few chapters already got me and maybe one of the reason was I was still hung up from the movie I have previously watched (The Sound of Freedom). Things like child abuse/trafficking really struck some strings of emotions on me. I liked how the author was able to write the main character's development smoothly. I was also imaging Angus Cloud playing the role of the main character. (RIP)
This book made me realize how many more children were really victimized by child services' negligence and mismanagement of cases- to think that this is fiction! This is a reflection of what really happens.

A good book but just could strike a chord.

This is my first time reading a book by Lou Berney, and it definitely won't be my last.

The story centers around Hardy "Hardly" Reed, who is aimlessly going through life working at an amusement park. He lives in a garage. Hardy was placed in foster care after his mother passed away. Preston, his foster brother, is the closest thing to family he has. Preston is the one who dubbed him Hardly.

Hardly goes to delay payment on a ticket, and it is here that he notices two children sitting by themselves. Out of concern, Hardly wonders where their parents are and tries to engage them in a conversation. He notes what looks like injuries.

Hardly struggles to move on and thinks the kids rely on him as their only hope. He's always stayed in his comfort zone and is content with his current situation. Despite this, he thinks it's worth taking a risk, and along the way, he finds authentic friends who care about him.

I enjoyed Hardly's character development and having a purpose in his life. My favorite character is Eleanor, who acts unapproachable but strikes a deal with Hardly to exchange favors. Without them knowing, they become friends, and she gets him out of a tight jam. Eleanor's grandmother is a hoot too. If you're a fan of thrillers, don't miss out on this one!

I received an advanced reader's copy and voluntarily read and reviewed this book.

Hardy Reed is an unambitious twenty-something content to drift through life, hang out with his unreliable buddies, and smoke a lot of pot. He is jolted into a sense of purpose by a chance encounter with two small children bearing clear marks of abuse. When no one in authority seems inclined to do much of anything, Hardy starts investigating what he personally can do to help these children escape their situation. He surprises himself with his ability to learn new skills and with budding confidence to accompany his growing sense of competence. Along the way, he is equally surprised to find growing support from a few friends with their own quirks and reasons for being around him. This personal growth is all well and good, but realistically we fear that Hardy’s naive quest is not going to end well. The author has a remarkable way with words, giving us beautiful turns of phrase even when adopting the voice of a young stoner. The prose makes you want to keep reading in spite of how hard it is to keep watching Hardy’s newfound direction in life point him straight into danger.

Thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow for a digital advance review copy.

I loved Hardly, the protagonist in Dark Ride by Lou Berney. I enjoyed the journey he went on throughout this book.
There is only one thing I don't like about this book that would be a spoiler to mention, and I must add, that it wasn't BAD. I just didn't like it for reasons.

“Dark Ride,” by Lou Berney, William Morrow, 256 pages, Sept. 19, 2023.

Hardy “Hardly” Reed, 21, is drifting through life, usually stoned. Hardly is a minimum-wage scare actor at an amusement park, Haunted Frontier, in an unnamed Midwestern city. He is probably the last person you’d ever want to count on.

Then one day he notices two children, around six or seven, sitting all alone on a bench outside of the court where he is to pay a traffic ticket. Hardly checks if they’re okay and sees what looks like cigarette burns on both children. Someone is hurting these kids. The children are picked up by their mother. Hardly is able to find out that her name is Tracy Shaw.

He reports the incident to Child Protective Service. That should be the end of it. After all, Hardly's not even good at looking out for himself so the last thing he wants to do is look out for anyone else. Two days later, he talks to a caseworker and finds out that they are understaffed and overworked.

Hardly decides he has to do what's right and help the kids. For the first time in his life, Hardly decides to fight for something. He finds out their father’s name is Nathan Shaw and the children are Pearl and Jack. Nathan is a lawyer who deals primarily with bankruptcies and disputes with the IRS.

Hardly tracks down the family with help from his unusual friends: His foster brother Preston; Eleanor, a female goth city employee; Felice, a 40-something former private investigator turned realtor; and Salvador, 16, a co-worker from Haunted Frontier. Then he finds out that Nathan isn’t only a lawyer; he runs a violent drug gang. Hardly refuses to give up. And as he tries to help the children, his life changes.

This is well-written and has a deeply-moving ending. Hardly is one of the most unusual protagonists, and unlikely heroes, ever. You’ll root for the good guys to win.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I definitely didn't want this book to end and I was afraid for it to end. And then it ended . . . and YOU HAVE TO READ about Hardy's dark ride to redemption. Hardy Reed is a hero for the ages and, while DARK RIDE is dark, it's also funny as hell, poignant, and filled with wonderful characters. Highly recommend!

I wish there was a new book from Lou Berney every week. He never disappoints. Dark Ride is as good as anything he has written (if not better). Hardy “Hardly” Reed is a remarkable character and the star of this thriller. He is an engaging soul. The masterful part of this novel is how Hardly finds a purpose to his life. It's a journey of discovery which paves the way for a particularly poignant ending. Berney does an excellent job of showing us how even the most ordinary man has a super man within him. This is another Berney classic! Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the advance reading copy in exchange for my honest opinion. #DarkRide

Thank you in advance to the publisher, the author and Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is my first book by this author, and I enjoyed this enough to be curious about his other work. I thought the element of the book that dealt in even the downtrodden and hopeless or regardless of status in the world, we are all looking for a sense of purpose to our lives. In this sense, I felt the protagonist was very relatable and found myself really pulling for him. The subject matter of spousal and child abuse is a little tough, but the revelations of the not so pretty sides of society had me pulling for Hardly Reed even more. I really enjoyed the book and recommend it. 4-stars.

Hardy Reed is content to drift through life, without making much effort. It's earned him the nickname "Hardly", because he very rarely ever tries for anything. But a chance encounter with two young, abused kids, is about to change Hardly's life forever. He can't get the children out of his mind, and for the first time ever, Hardly is invested. He can't rest until those kids are safe, but is Hardly really qualified to help, or will he inevitably make things worse?

Dark Ride is an extremely compelling story, with a definite creep factor. Sometimes the things human beings do to one another are much more unsettling than the actual monster tales. The book is darkly funny and has great pacing and character development. Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for the chance to review this advance copy.

The Dark Ride - Lou Berney

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

A story about a young man who sees a couple of children with suspicious injuries that are typically a harbinger of child abuse, and the efforts to which he goes to get them out of an abusive situation.

The thing that makes stories magical is that each of us can draw different meanings from them - my message was that even the well-meaning can at times go too far, and that had Hardy/Hardly the main character continued to push the system currently in place (as overloaded and as rife with problems as a lot of social systems are) there was still a way to get the children help.

I found this book an investigation of the concept "can well-wishers ever go to far in the pursuit of " justice"?"

I found that Hardly, was seeking self-validation of his own life every bit as much as he was seeking justice for these kids - the point at which I realized this was when he was willing to take thousands, an entire lifetime of savings, from a kid who looked up to him, a kid that Hardly didn't view of as a friend. Hardly also started operating well beyond the bounds of safety, and by doing so he put numerous lives in danger during his "rescue operation".

At what point does a selfless act turn into a selfish obsession?

Interesting food for thought, as well as an entertaining story about what happens when someone who initially merely tries to do the right thing, by reporting a wrong is thwarted at every turn.

Dark Ride by Lou Berney is about a young man desperate to make a difference for two kids.

"Hardly is a young man drifting through life. His real name is Hardy but his brother called him Hardly because of how little effort he gives anything. Hardly is also a stoner working in a run down amusement park and spending his off time playing video games with his stoner friends.
On a visit to court to take care of a parking ticket, Hardly sees two kids sitting alone on a bench in the hall. It looks like they've been burned but before he can get security's attention a woman rushes them out. Hardly makes it his mission to find them and help them but he finds out that some people are willing to hurt anyone."

This is almost a coming-of-age story. Hardly sees these kids in apparent danger and it wakes up something in him. He wants more than this stoner lifestyle he's living. He stumbles around figuring things out and surprises those close to him. With everything that happens, including a severe beating, he still does what he can to help the kids.
Berney makes us ask ourselves - "What would we do in that situation?" The ending is explosive and wild and unexpected. Great new story from Berney.

Twenty-one-year-old Hardy is called "Hardley" and is a stoner, a scare actor at an amusement park, and generally drifting apathetically through life. A chance encounter with two injured children has him reporting it to Child Protective Services. But Hardy is a former foster child and cannot look away or shake the feeling these kids need him to do more. He begins to investigate, and his early efforts aren't the best, but his heart is in the right place. Soon, unexpected allies help him, and Hardy gradually uncovers more danger than he ever anticipated. The kids' father and abuser is a lawyer running a violent drug dealing operation.

This book surprised me in a good way! I wasn't expecting the emotions that came up while reading a dark, suspenseful thriller! Although it is layered and nuanced in terms of social commentary and the main character's complexity, this was pretty straightforward plot-wise, making what was in it hit harder for me. Set against the backdrop of abuse, the limitations and pitfalls of the system, and a fight against people who hold power, this brought up some very serious and sad issues and was thought-provoking.

Balancing the darker parts of the story was some humor and a great character study. I love a good underdog story, and flawed but big-hearted Hardy really had me rooting for him! His growth across the book, finding purpose and learning that he was more than anyone, including himself, had ever given him credit for, was very well done. I also loved the friends who helped him along the way. They were quirky and offbeat! I wished the villain had been fleshed out more, but understand the book was about Hardy and his journey. The writing and pacing were great, and I enjoyed how character-driven this was. This was first book by Lou Berney but it will not be my last!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to review this ARC. I enjoyed it!

Wow...just wow. This was one hell of a rollercoaster ride from start to finish! I completely devoured this book and was so invested in the ending of how the story would turn out. Hardly isn't your typical character--he is a a stoner drifting through life merely existing until by sheer dumb luck he comes across Pearl and Jack while extending a parking ticket. What he sees tortures and haunts him until he can do something about it. That's where the rollercoaster begins and does not let up until the final chapter. Hardly picks up some interesting allies along the way including a former PI, a goth chick from the municipal building, and a socially awkward 16 year old. I found myself not only rooting for Hardly, but for his supporting characters as well. The author did an excellent job of making me hate both mother and father of Pearl and Jack in this book, both for different reasons, but equally the same. If you are looking for a domestic thriller that will take you on the ride of your life, look no further than Lou Berney's Dark Ride.

Plaguing the reader with deep-seated worry about the fate of the characters is a hallmark of Berney’s work. In book after book, In Dark Ride, Berney effortlessly blends humor, plausible plot complications, and heart-breaking empathetic characters in over their heads to keep readers up well past their bedtimes.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Hardy is just coasting through life. He meets two kids that will change the trajectory of his life. He does things for them that is a surprise to him and everyone else. This book lagged at times.