jbmorgan86's review against another edition
4.0
Thanks for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, NetGalley!
A psychiatrist (and the protagonist) in Dan Chaon's new novel, Ill Will, warns a new patient about the danger of "apophenia:" "People can find patterns in all kinds of random events . . . . It's the tendency we humans have to find meaning in disconnected information." "Sometimes," as another character puts it, "a dead bird is just a dead bird." This could also work as a nice public service announcement for the novel. Chaon creates complex characters on two different timelines, multiple perspectives, and drug-induced first person perspectives. By weaving theories about apophenia, schizophrenia, and fugue states, you are never quite sure what is going on. Chaon even goes as far to make the format of the novel seem disjointed (at one point in the novel there are three parallel columns rather than a whole page). Is there a point to all of this madness or is it a kind of illness to make sense out of it?
Ill Will is the story of two murder cases: the first takes place in the 80s. All of the adults in a family are massacred. Their adopted son, Rusty, is arrested for the murder. The second case happens thirty years later (approximately the same time Rusty is released from prison). Rusty's psychiatrist brother, Dusty, takes on a new patient who claims that a serial killer is drowning frat boys. These two cases are closely intertwined but isn't quite clear how.
It is not merely the complexity of this novel that makes it such a challenging read. The content covers just about every disturbing theme imaginable: drugs, molestation, incest, masochism, mass murder, Satanism, cancer, insanity, the death of loved ones, etc.
This novel sucked me in. However, I'm left wondering, "What was the point?" Was there a point to all of this madness or is it crazy to try to find a meaning in the chaos?
A psychiatrist (and the protagonist) in Dan Chaon's new novel, Ill Will, warns a new patient about the danger of "apophenia:" "People can find patterns in all kinds of random events . . . . It's the tendency we humans have to find meaning in disconnected information." "Sometimes," as another character puts it, "a dead bird is just a dead bird." This could also work as a nice public service announcement for the novel. Chaon creates complex characters on two different timelines, multiple perspectives, and drug-induced first person perspectives. By weaving theories about apophenia, schizophrenia, and fugue states, you are never quite sure what is going on. Chaon even goes as far to make the format of the novel seem disjointed (at one point in the novel there are three parallel columns rather than a whole page). Is there a point to all of this madness or is it a kind of illness to make sense out of it?
Ill Will is the story of two murder cases: the first takes place in the 80s. All of the adults in a family are massacred. Their adopted son, Rusty, is arrested for the murder. The second case happens thirty years later (approximately the same time Rusty is released from prison). Rusty's psychiatrist brother, Dusty, takes on a new patient who claims that a serial killer is drowning frat boys. These two cases are closely intertwined but isn't quite clear how.
It is not merely the complexity of this novel that makes it such a challenging read. The content covers just about every disturbing theme imaginable: drugs, molestation, incest, masochism, mass murder, Satanism, cancer, insanity, the death of loved ones, etc.
This novel sucked me in. However, I'm left wondering, "What was the point?" Was there a point to all of this madness or is it crazy to try to find a meaning in the chaos?
audreyliz964's review against another edition
2.0
If I could pick two words to describe this book, it would be "dark" and "experimental." I'll be honest. There were a few times where I considered putting down the book and just not finishing it, because this book is very, very dark, and I'm not someone who really likes to read stuff like that. However, it's actually very hard for me to not finish a book, so I kept going. Plus, the underlying plot about the murder mystery still held enough interest for me to finish the book, despite the fact that for at least the first half of the book, I wasn't sure it was really about the murder mystery at all.
Indeed, the description of what this book is about is a bit misleading. The description makes it sound like a murder mystery, but I wouldn't really classify this book that way. While it does contain a murder mystery, I didn't feel like that was the "spotlight" of the book's plot.
As for it being experimental, I say this because Chaon uses several unusual writing techniques in this book, one of which being writing inside a vertical grid pattern. While I understand that this book is a thriller, and this technique is meant to cause a sense of unease, it actually just distracted me from the story more than anything else. It made me frustrated and occasionally confused (which I realize was the aim, so kudos to Dan Chaon), and once or twice I actually almost stopped reading just because of this strange format. If I were writing this book, I would've left this technique out.
The other experimental technique Chaon uses is cutting sentences off right in the middle, or breaking them up into pieces by cutting small sections out and using white space. Chaon only does this in Dustin's point of view, and I can presume that he is using this technique to reflect Dustin's mental state. This technique didn't bother me too much, actually. Chaon didn't do it that often, and when he did, I was still able to understand what was being said. I would say that Dan Chaon used this technique quite masterfully.
With all of that said, I still have to commend Dan Chaon for his writing skills. Despite my struggle with this book (mostly because of all the dark stuff in it), he still delivered a twisty surprise at the end which I never saw coming. It was almost enough for me to raise my rating to three stars, but I still just can't get over the dark part of it. If it wasn't for that, I probably would have enjoyed this book a lot more. Not to say I won't read Dan Chaon again. You can count on it that I will.
Indeed, the description of what this book is about is a bit misleading. The description makes it sound like a murder mystery, but I wouldn't really classify this book that way. While it does contain a murder mystery, I didn't feel like that was the "spotlight" of the book's plot.
As for it being experimental, I say this because Chaon uses several unusual writing techniques in this book, one of which being writing inside a vertical grid pattern. While I understand that this book is a thriller, and this technique is meant to cause a sense of unease, it actually just distracted me from the story more than anything else. It made me frustrated and occasionally confused (which I realize was the aim, so kudos to Dan Chaon), and once or twice I actually almost stopped reading just because of this strange format. If I were writing this book, I would've left this technique out.
The other experimental technique Chaon uses is cutting sentences off right in the middle, or breaking them up into pieces by cutting small sections out and using white space. Chaon only does this in Dustin's point of view, and I can presume that he is using this technique to reflect Dustin's mental state. This technique didn't bother me too much, actually. Chaon didn't do it that often, and when he did, I was still able to understand what was being said. I would say that Dan Chaon used this technique quite masterfully.
With all of that said, I still have to commend Dan Chaon for his writing skills. Despite my struggle with this book (mostly because of all the dark stuff in it), he still delivered a twisty surprise at the end which I never saw coming. It was almost enough for me to raise my rating to three stars, but I still just can't get over the dark part of it. If it wasn't for that, I probably would have enjoyed this book a lot more. Not to say I won't read Dan Chaon again. You can count on it that I will.
bunnieslikediamonds's review against another edition
4.0
Reading other reviews I'm thinking it's probably a good thing I listened to this on Audible. Those formatting quirks would have annoyed me in print version, but with the audiobook I just blithely sailed past them, a tad confused maybe, but not annoyed.
This is pretty dark, in a way that reminded me a little of J. Robert Lennon, especially his latest, Broken River. Original and unnerving, without the usual gratuitous serial killer stuff. There is a serial killer, and several unreliable narrators, and not only one but two moms with cancer, and also lots of fake satanism and hard drugs. Had I known this going in, I probably would have been less than enthusiastic, but I had no expectations and was impressed by how well Chaon held it all together. The ending doesn't provide all the answers, but while I understand why that would frustrate some readers, I felt that it made perfect sense for this story.
This is pretty dark, in a way that reminded me a little of J. Robert Lennon, especially his latest, Broken River. Original and unnerving, without the usual gratuitous serial killer stuff. There is a serial killer, and several unreliable narrators, and not only one but two moms with cancer, and also lots of fake satanism and hard drugs. Had I known this going in, I probably would have been less than enthusiastic, but I had no expectations and was impressed by how well Chaon held it all together. The ending doesn't provide all the answers, but while I understand why that would frustrate some readers, I felt that it made perfect sense for this story.
shapkathecat's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
feebeecamille's review against another edition
3.0
This is a dark novel. Dark as in no light, no hope, at all. The setting is Cleveland and Chaon does a great job of capturing the bleak, frigid, low-light winters here. Cleveland winters are not for the weak. There is a lot going on in the plot - drug addiction, cancer deaths, child abuse, serial killers, satanic cults, delusions, psychopaths, murders. Add to all that an ambiguous but menacing ending and most readers are not going to like this.
towercorvid's review
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
kbranfield's review
3.0
3.5 stars.
Weaving back and forth in time, Ill Will by Dan Chaon is an intriguing psychological mystery about murders in the past that appeared to linked to the Satanic ritual abuse in the early '80s and a possible serial killer in the present.
Just as Dustin Tillman learns his adopted brother Russell aka Rusty has been exonerated of the 1983 murders of his parents, aunt and uncle, his world is further rocked by unexpected news from his wife. Just thirteen years old at the time of his family's murders, it was Dustin's and his cousin Kate's testimony about Satanic rituals and other abuse that helped convict Rusty of the crimes. A year and a half after the news that shatters his life, Dustin and his youngest son Aaron share the same house, but Dustin is woefully unaware his son is in touch with Rusty. He also misses the very obvious signs that Aaron is in the throes of a nasty drug addiction. Instead of paying attention to his floundering son, Dustin is caught up in his patient Aqil Ozorowski's conviction that a recent series of drownings is the work of a serial killer who is targeting young college men. As Aaron's downward spiral continues at an alarming rate, his father becomes more involved with Aqil's investigation of the drownings. Dustin does finally become aware that his son in is in deep trouble that goes beyond drugs and his family's tangled history but is it too late to save him?
As a child, Dustin was quite imaginative but he is easy to manipulate and rather gullible. He is quite a few years younger than his adopted brother Russell and he is rather in awe of the older boy. Through Dustin's recollections of his childhood, it quickly becomes apparent that Russell is rather troubled and his behavior towards Dustin is abusive on occasion. Despite their unhealthy relationship, Dustin does not lose his starry eyed worship of Russell until the murders and Rusty's subsequent conviction.
Dustin's cousins Kate and Wave are closer in age to Rusty, and since the two families spend quite a bit of time together, the girls are also somewhat transfixed by their adopted cousin. The sisters also have a wild streak and they are a little promiscuous and they occasionally indulge in somewhat risky behavior. At one time very close, Wave and Kate's relationship becomes strained after their parents' murders and soon after Rusty's trial, they drift apart.
The two story arcs unfold through flashbacks to Dustin's past and events that are taking place in the present. Some of these transitions from one time period to another are jarring and occur without warning. The novel is written from multiple points of view and the shifts from one perspective to another are often abrupt which makes the story feel somewhat disjointed. Many of the story's narrators are quite unreliable which makes it impossible to separate fact from fiction. Several conversations drop off mid-sentence (and occasionally mid-word) and this contributes to the novel's overall confusion. The narrative sporadically shifts into several pages of side by side columns which requires flipping back and forth between pages to read and this stream of consciousness format is frustrating.
Ill Will by Dan Chaon has an imaginative plot but the overall execution of the story is a little convoluted and somewhat difficult to follow. Some of the storylines do not really seem to go anywhere and the novel occasionally becomes bogged down in extraneous details that add little to the plot. The mysteries are interesting, but the pacing is slow and the storytelling is clunky and annoying. The various story arcs do finally come together in a shocking twist but readers might be unsatisfied with novel's somewhat ambiguous conclusion.
Weaving back and forth in time, Ill Will by Dan Chaon is an intriguing psychological mystery about murders in the past that appeared to linked to the Satanic ritual abuse in the early '80s and a possible serial killer in the present.
Just as Dustin Tillman learns his adopted brother Russell aka Rusty has been exonerated of the 1983 murders of his parents, aunt and uncle, his world is further rocked by unexpected news from his wife. Just thirteen years old at the time of his family's murders, it was Dustin's and his cousin Kate's testimony about Satanic rituals and other abuse that helped convict Rusty of the crimes. A year and a half after the news that shatters his life, Dustin and his youngest son Aaron share the same house, but Dustin is woefully unaware his son is in touch with Rusty. He also misses the very obvious signs that Aaron is in the throes of a nasty drug addiction. Instead of paying attention to his floundering son, Dustin is caught up in his patient Aqil Ozorowski's conviction that a recent series of drownings is the work of a serial killer who is targeting young college men. As Aaron's downward spiral continues at an alarming rate, his father becomes more involved with Aqil's investigation of the drownings. Dustin does finally become aware that his son in is in deep trouble that goes beyond drugs and his family's tangled history but is it too late to save him?
As a child, Dustin was quite imaginative but he is easy to manipulate and rather gullible. He is quite a few years younger than his adopted brother Russell and he is rather in awe of the older boy. Through Dustin's recollections of his childhood, it quickly becomes apparent that Russell is rather troubled and his behavior towards Dustin is abusive on occasion. Despite their unhealthy relationship, Dustin does not lose his starry eyed worship of Russell until the murders and Rusty's subsequent conviction.
Dustin's cousins Kate and Wave are closer in age to Rusty, and since the two families spend quite a bit of time together, the girls are also somewhat transfixed by their adopted cousin. The sisters also have a wild streak and they are a little promiscuous and they occasionally indulge in somewhat risky behavior. At one time very close, Wave and Kate's relationship becomes strained after their parents' murders and soon after Rusty's trial, they drift apart.
The two story arcs unfold through flashbacks to Dustin's past and events that are taking place in the present. Some of these transitions from one time period to another are jarring and occur without warning. The novel is written from multiple points of view and the shifts from one perspective to another are often abrupt which makes the story feel somewhat disjointed. Many of the story's narrators are quite unreliable which makes it impossible to separate fact from fiction. Several conversations drop off mid-sentence (and occasionally mid-word) and this contributes to the novel's overall confusion. The narrative sporadically shifts into several pages of side by side columns which requires flipping back and forth between pages to read and this stream of consciousness format is frustrating.
Ill Will by Dan Chaon has an imaginative plot but the overall execution of the story is a little convoluted and somewhat difficult to follow. Some of the storylines do not really seem to go anywhere and the novel occasionally becomes bogged down in extraneous details that add little to the plot. The mysteries are interesting, but the pacing is slow and the storytelling is clunky and annoying. The various story arcs do finally come together in a shocking twist but readers might be unsatisfied with novel's somewhat ambiguous conclusion.
rvlgonzalez's review against another edition
6/22: I had literally no memory of reading this the first time. I started to remember as I went through it this time around, at least I was conscious for the first go. Anyway, I think this book has commitment issues. Or maybe it's just not that interested in seeing anything all the way through in an effort to make sure the web is a tangled one. One thing I didn't respond to well is that almost all the characters are gross. Not in a bodily way, really, more they are just a bit depraved or something? Like they all just behave in a slithery, sweaty way, made me feel like I have to shower. But they aren't wholly depraved. What's it for? Why not make them redeemable? Why not make them motivated in their badness?
But I do like horror, I like intertwined things, so at least there was that.
But I do like horror, I like intertwined things, so at least there was that.