Kill the Next One

So. Many. Twists. I'm certain you have no idea where this will go after reading the beginning: Ted, having been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, is about to take his own life when he's interrupted by a stranger with a strange proposition who knows way too much about Ted. Ted complies with the stranger's request and quickly realizes nothing is as it seems.

Have fun guessing what is going on!

Yes well. Kill the Next One was certainly unexpected. But I liked it. Clever. Ok there are some things in here, especially the last bit, that may discombobulate and upset some (and I don't really feel that bit needed to be in there) but overall I found it to be highly addictive.

A game of two halves really. Or 2 and a bit halves. Or something. Starting off with an offer, then heading into fairly surreal territory where you may clutch your head a bit then settling into a rather fascinating psychological study/thriller/something like that which will have you twisted every which way. Really enjoyed it. I like the more out there stuff and this one was out there.

Written very well to keep you immersed into the story being told, I felt for poor Ted I really did. I mean honestly all the poor guy wanted was to kill himself. Then his whole world tilted sideways. Kill the Next One is the tale of why, when, how and where. And many other things.

Difficult to say too much. Its one of those books that you can't really describe that well because it has its own vibe and thing going on. Hence my enjoyment I think.

Recommended

I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Mulholland Books.

I was completely glued to the pages of this book! Nothing, absolutely nothing, can be trusted in this story. As soon as this wonderfully inventive author had me feeling secure in knowing where the story was heading he turned everything upside down. Then it turned it inside out. Next, it switched around again and I had no idea of where it was headed. All of this change while keeping the story based so well that I accepted the changes and didn't find them strange or even contrived. Wow, for an American debut novel for Federico Axat I would say he has done pretty darn well.

Ted McKay is presented with an opportunity - of sorts. He knows he's dying from an inoperable brain tumor and he wants to end his life, but then someone makes him an offer he has to seriously consider. What would be better for his wife and two daughters, to know he committed suicide and left them of his own free will or that he was killed by an unknown assailant? The Organization has constructed a scheme where specially chosen people are given the opportunity to kill a person who deserves to die but the legal system can't touch them and then kill someone who wants to commit suicide. Then Ted (in this case) will be killed by a person with no connection to him thus avoiding the stigma of suicide for his family. It sounds like a perfect solution to Ted. Of course, his therapist may not agree. So, will he tell her?

You would need to be a mind reader to know how many switches, twists, and turns this novel was going to utilize. And the great thing about them was that I never felt they were gimmicky, they all felt perfectly logical as evidence was piled on evidence. It has been awhile since a psychological thriller captured my imagination the way this one did. I sincerely hope you decide to read it.

A fascinating take on a murder mystery, told through the lens of mental illness, Kill the Next One begins with the protagonist interrupted during a suicide attempt. The first part of the book, which is divided into four distinct parts, reminded me a bit of Nouvelle Roman author Robbe-Grillet in its repetitive focus on detail as a means of building suspense. It is not until the end of part four that we, the readers, finally reach the gruesome and astonishing culmination of the seemingly endless plot twists and turns. Axat takes the unreliable narrator to a whole new level. This book will keep you on your toes.

This is a cut above the usual mystery book. I found it highly enjoyable and intriguing from start to finish. The plot was very clever and well organized and there was not a dull or confusing moment. It was very well written. Even though a significant part of the book described the psychotic ramblings of a man trying to separate his delusions from reality, I was never lost. I was puzzled, but in a good way; I kept trying to guess what was really going on, which I believe was the author's intent.

The protagonist,Ted, is interrupted just as he is preparing to commit suicide by a persistent knocking on his door. He opens it to find a strange man, who inexplicably seems to know what Ted is intending to do, and offers him a highly unusual alternative solution. This begins a crazy series of events that spiral out of control. The plot was quite the wild ride but I enjoyed it immensely.

I was surprised by the revelation of the truth at the end, never even considering that explanation a possibility, but when revealed, it made sense. The author did leave a tantalizing tidbit at the end that was not explained, or at least I didn't understand its significance. In another book, I might have found this annoying, but for me it worked here. It just made me want to reread this in order to see if I might figure it out and better appreciate how it all these events fit together.

I highly recommend this book. I can't imagine anyone not finding this a fun, intriguing mystery.

Kill the next one by Federico Axat had one of the most twisted plots that I have ever read. The story begins with Ted McKay just about to commit suicide before he interrupted and given an offer to kill two other men. One of the intended victims is also suicidal and needed help ending his life. The second victim is someone who had committed some vile crimes and so killing him will be a service to society. Sounds a bit straight forward, right?

The book has so many twists that I was confused at first. I felt like I did when I was watching Inception (the DiCaprio movie). Every time I thought that I had figured out the book, something new happened that threw the whole story into a different direction. I don’t want to spoil the book for those who haven’t read it yet but this book will mess with your mind so much that you won’t even know what is real and what is not.

It took a few chapters before I started figuring out the plot and becoming more engrossed in the narrative. Undoubtedly, the book has a unique premise and some of the most complex characters that I have ever encountered. I found myself sympathizing with the main character through some pages then being repulsed by him in other pages.

The book took me on a crazy roller-coaster ride and just when things started slowing down, a major twist was thrown into the mix throwing the story in another different direction towards the end. The twists and revelations made this a fascinating read. The mix of characters made it more entertaining. I can’t say much about the characters without giving too many details but they were definitely memorable. Even the support characters were well developed.

I am not sure how exactly to categorize this book. It is sort of a thriller with some elements of science fiction. Some chapters were super creepy with aspects of psychology coming into play while others were action filled. I recommend this book to fans of these genres.