I thought I might find this book entirely too strange to enjoy. It is, after all, highly strange. There's a strong sense of unreality to every aspect of the plot. And yet it works. Not unlike watching a Jordan Peale film, we quickly accept the strange elements of the story as part of how this world works. The details are parceled out with excellent timing. Even as we get a complete plot there are plenty of questions left unanswered. This is a book that would be well suited to a book club setting.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

This novel, in a word: heartbreaking. This was a tough read for me; ultimately it was very good, but I probably wouldn't read it again because of the accurate depictions of living through domestic violence as a child.

Very interesting and odd read. This style of writing is always a bit hard for me to get into (sort of like reading a play at parts). But the content was well written and the premise super intriguing.

Pick the Lock by A.S. King
A.S. King once again delivers a thought-provoking and genre-defying novel with Pick the Lock. Known for her raw and unconventional storytelling, King crafts a narrative that challenges reality, explores deep emotions, and pushes boundaries. With her signature mix of surrealism and hard-hitting themes, this book is sure to resonate with readers who love introspective, powerful fiction.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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This book is... bizarre. A story of being in an abusive household told from the perspective of a 16/17 year old female protagonist, it's hard to sometimes discern what is REALLY going on. This is told through songs that are part of a rock opera, including the stage production scripty and lyrics. It is told through security camera footage. And there are parts of chapters from the point of view of Brutus, the shapeshifting rat. Mina is fascinating because she's a punk rock icon who is famous and goes on tour, but when she's home she is confined most of the time to The System, pneumatic tubes that transport her around the house and to other safe houses.

I feel like this had a happy ending, which was good, but overall this was just really weird. I'm kind of still scratching my head wondering what did I read. Very creative, but also disjointed.

PICK THE LOCK is a YA novel about family violence told through various story telling elements.

I don't think this one is for everyone. It's very stylized, which can turn off casual readers. The metaphor of the entire story can be lost to readers who aren't familiar with the story style. While I did appreciate King's writing, I do feel that parts of the story were more geared towards a new adult rather than a young adult audience, particularly the themes of the story.

Pick The Lock by A.S. King is a surreal, emotional ride that blends magical realism with critical social issues. Known for her unique voice, King delivers a gripping narrative exploring human nature, societal constraints, domestic violence, and child abuse. It’s a powerful, thought-provoking story that stays with you long after the last page. A refreshing and unforgettable read!

This was difficult to get through because of the writing style. I found it to be very juvenile and hope that It doesn't keep me from reading more from this author.

This book took a while to figure out. I was not sure where it was going. Eventually the story started coming together. The last song of the opera brings it all together. Not this author's best in my opinion, but I could see someone liking it.

I have heard so many great things about A. S. Byatt so I’ve been collecting her books over the years and have yet to read them, but now I fear that I made the wrong choice by choosing this as my first read by her because from what I gather this is not characteristic of her most beloved work.

At the core this is a book about domestic violence but unfortunately that is the gist of what I managed to take away from this.. I understood that there was some metaphor going on but where I initially thought it was one thing the more I read the more confused I got and I wound up finishing this book with the feeling of not having understood what the heck was happening, which I’ll be honest I don’t think that speaks well for the book, it’s not like it’s two dense or too complicated, it’s more so that it’s just a little too abstract for my very literal mind. And to be perfectly honest I just got the feeling that this book was trying to be smarter than it actually was and things like that always come out feeling like they try too hard rather than giving me the feeling of something having gone over my head. It’s just too confusing and abstract, especially for Ya readers. I really didn’t like this but I am still willing to give her another chance, the technical writing was skilled it was just the point/meaning that felt a bit outlandish.

This was different and so refreshing!

“Pick The Lock” by A.S. King is a surreal and powerful narrative that masterfully blends magical realism with critical social issues. Known for her distinctive voice and thought-provoking themes, King delivers a gripping and reflective story that dives deep into the complexities of human nature, societal constraints, domestic violence, and child abuse.

This was such a thought-provoking and emotionally charged novel that will stay with me long after the final page.

A.S. King is a new to me author, and I cant wait to read more from them!

2.5 stars
*Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers group for the ARC*

I love A.S. King’s writing even though I don’t always love her books, which is why I requested an ARC of “Pick the Lock.” I loved “Dig” and “Please Ignore Vera Dietz.” The latter especially will always hold a special place in my heart, and there are hints of that magic in “Pick the Lock.” Ultimately, though, I had a hard time getting into this one. A VERY hard time. It took me six months to read this.

Oddly enough, I think I would’ve had an easier time with this if I weren’t a longtime fan of the author. Because I knew going in that her books can be hit or miss for me, I judged this one pretty quickly as soon as it started feeling inaccessible. And it started feeling inaccessible almost immediately, when it’s revealed within the first few pages that Mina, our main character’s mother, has been locked inside a system of tubes in her own home, and the rest of the characters accept this as the norm. When Mina isn’t whooshing around the tube system and being treated terribly by her family, she’s a famous punk musician. Also within the first few pages, the main character, Jane, explains that her father routinely arranges for “Suitors” to come take her out on dates. There’s no time to adjust to this information before the plot starts to unfold with Jane’s discovery of surveillance footage of her home dating back to the 90s, through which she begins to realize she may have been brainwashed. Also there’s a shapeshifting rat. It’s a lot!

The metaphor is somehow both very heavy handed while also being too surreal to understand. I do appreciate that this is written for a YA audience, who may need this particular metaphor to be spelled out since they (hopefully) do not have the life experience to recognize it for what it is, particularly from Mina’s perspective. But it’s so far-fetched that it’s difficult to connect with. The shapeshifter storyline is also tough - without spoiling anything, I thought the identity of the shapeshifter muddied the book’s message. It creates an unnecessary villain and “exonerates” Jane’s dad Vernon in a way that feels particularly damaging for this subject matter.

What I did like: King writes very charming, whimsical characters, and they are present here, although it takes a looooong time for the book to pick up enough to reveal them.

I’m never sorry to have read a King book, but I have to admit that I’m really glad to be done with this one!

AS King has been writing some very bizarre plots and settings lately. This book does a good job of being a commentary on the patriarchy, abusive marriages and the ways that children can be manipulated by adults. However, there was definitely some weirdness in there that didn’t appear to be part of the metaphor and that was just not explained.

King's work always serve to disquiet me and this one is no different; surreal and fantastical with quirk and a premise which starts as relatable and rapidly moves into the surreal.

A.S. King is not an author for every reader. BUT for those willing to suspend disbelief a bit and plod through some complicated mechanics, there is such beauty to be found.

In Pick the Lock, Jane and Henry's mother is the victim of an oppressive, misogynistic System. Jane and Henry spend the bulk of the book figuring out the world around them and their place in it and the ways their mother has been a victim of it. It's complicated and weird but there is the gem of something really heartfelt and honest in it.

This book is wonderful and weird. Than you for the ARC. I may not be smart enough to totally get it but I enjoyed the experience of reading it. I love the pictures. I love the setting and the way the book is formatted too.

Hmmmmm.... This is the strangest book I have ever read, and I honestly don't even know what I think of it. On the one hand, I went into it wondering from the beginning how Jane's mother, Mina, allowed herself to be used solely to provide for a family she can only watch when she is at home stuck in that tube system, the rest of the time.. On the other hand, I see Jane change and develop new opinions about how her father has manipulated his family into thinking this is okay instead of accepting her life as it is. .

It starts out exploring how an abusive partner is often so controlling the other person is afraid to speak out about what they want and think anymore. Jane and her brother are home schooled, and forced to follow their father's list of rules, so they don't even get the opportunity to make friends or socialize. Jane finds some old home movies that show her mother as a caring, normal person, and that changes how she feels and thinks.

I can't say I particularly loved the book, but it was well done.

2.5 stars. There's always a lot of things going on in an A.S. King, and unfortunately I didn't get enough of it this time. This is a book about domestic abuse and systemic oppression of women, which is both shown metaphorically and hammering you over the head the entire time. I'm still not sure what the whole little paranormal bit is all about. A lot is conveyed through the song lyrics that Jane writes in her punk rock opera, and I just didn't connect with those. The most interesting character to me was Henry, Jane's brother. A telling of this story from his perspective with Jane as the main character still would've been fascinating. I'll be back for more of King's books in the future, still.

This was my first book by A.S. King and I was definitely nervous going into it. I have heard so many good things about this author and her writing that I feared that I was hyping this up way too much. But, I was pleasantly surprised! I actually really enjoyed this book and the themes it explores. While I don't usually LOVE magical realism, it really worked for me in this! The magical realism aspects were important to the story but they were just vauge enough that I felt satisfied with the inclusion of it. I also loved the LGBTQIA+ rep in this and I was happy to see that it really wasn't a huge deal... the character is just queer, and that's cool! It didn't really effect the story much, and it wasn't a huge plot point in the story. My biggest complaint is that this book was YA. I think that if were an adult book, it would've been able to go further and darker which would've made the story even better. I'm no longer afraid to read things from this author and I can't wait to read her backlist!

very weird book but i still enjoyed it, this is the first book ive read by this author despite owning multiple. will be reading more.