Henry Franks

Aug 19, 2012 Stephen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

Henry Franks is an odd little tale that left me feeling conflicted. I truly enjoyed it. It was a quick read and an interesting story. The author kept the story simple by focusing only on a few primary characters. It was hard not to immediately sympathize with Henry and his struggle to remember the horrible accident that took his mother's life and left him horribly scarred (with four thousand, three hundred and seventeen stitches). There were enough clues, including the cover, to at least partial...more

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Feb 14, 2013 Eddie rated it 4 of 5 stars

As cheesy and odd as was the ending to this mystery thriller, I finished the last page chuckling to myself for two reasons. 1. The conclusion to the mystery and 2. Because even though the conclusion made me want to scream out loud, even though I never would do unless the conclusion actually was some type of reality in my life, I still liked this book. The writing was good, the pacing was fast and that damn mystery had me guessing the whole way through. I guess the author succeeded in my eyes, ri...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Brooke Banks rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, suspense-mystery, young-adult, written-reviews

I won this book in a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway.

I could hear the scratching wind, see the swinging moss, feel the heat create sweat on my brow, and fell in love with a monster.

Though, it all depends on how you define a monster. That's what this book is about. I don't want to spoil anything, but this book is thrilling and makes you think. It's thoroughly enjoyable, mysterious, dark, twisting, and so goddamn good. It stays good if you can't read it in a single sitting, and it certainly linger...more I won this book in a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway.

I could hear the scratching wind, see the swinging moss, feel the heat create sweat on my brow, and fell in love with a monster.

Though, it all depends on how you define a monster. That's what this book is about. I don't want to spoil anything, but this book is thrilling and makes you think. It's thoroughly enjoyable, mysterious, dark, twisting, and so goddamn good. It stays good if you can't read it in a single sitting, and it certainly lingers when you've finished reading it.

I'm all about characters, building them, progress them, and making them come to life.I like to guess, wonder and try to figure out the mystery but I do not like it when I can see it coming so early.
I love the visualization, the feeling, the little details. I see things in my mind as I read and it's so vital that an author shows instead of tells, so that way I can really get into a book.

Basically, that's Henry Franks. It has everything I love, and I can't see a single downside. It's like the perfect book for me and I'm so thankful to have won it, to get to read it. I had an inkling where the book was going to go, but it didn't turn out exactly like I expected. I was gripped by the story and was attached to all the characters, in different ways. I could really see and feel the setting, and the characters.

I always say, adults should read young adult books too. It's not just for children, it's not junior books. There are so many great books that people miss out on just because of the genre. This is on my list of favorites. This book will get recommended by me for everyone. This is an example book of a great YA fiction.
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As for what the other reviewers said, I do agree the ending unfolded so quickly. I was torn from wanting to read as quickly as possible due to the adrenalin pumping climax, and having to go back to re-read to keep everything straight. That of course, just might be my own hastened reading. I don't really have a problem with the quick ending, it was building the whole book and don't see how else it could have come out, except as a flood. That's just all IMHO of course.

With the paperback ARC I received I didn't have any format problems with the newspaper clippings. If there were other errors, I was so engrossed with the story I didn't get into my usual nit-picking mode. That was refreshing for me. (less)

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Dec 22, 2012 Nina at Death Books and Tea rated it 4 of 5 stars

Review: Henry Franks is a strange boy. He’s lost most of his memory, dreams of a girl calling him daddy, cannot feel physical pain, and has rings of scars around his neck. Understandably, Henry wants to find out more about himself, his family and so on. With his kind of girlfriend Justine, he sets about uncovering family secrets, as a hurricane builds and a serial killer is on the loose.
The mention of mysterious scars was what drew me into this. Around the neck. I really don’t get how anyone can...more Review: Henry Franks is a strange boy. He’s lost most of his memory, dreams of a girl calling him daddy, cannot feel physical pain, and has rings of scars around his neck. Understandably, Henry wants to find out more about himself, his family and so on. With his kind of girlfriend Justine, he sets about uncovering family secrets, as a hurricane builds and a serial killer is on the loose.
The mention of mysterious scars was what drew me into this. Around the neck. I really don’t get how anyone can be that badly injured around the neck and survive. Then I started reading Henry Franks, and found a lot more than that to enjoy.
Henry is a very intriguing character. His dreams and his scares kept you interested, because there’s so many possible explanations and there’s lots of little revelations throughout that heighten the mystery. I really liked Justine because she’s smart and understanding, but I would have liked to see her develop a little more. William, the father, is a reclusive character with a LOT of secrets that get uncovered at the climax.
The ending. Oh my gosh. All the revelations. I can’t tell you what happened but it was one of the most amazing chains of events that I’ve read for a long time. it’s very improbably, and it’s one of those stories that you really have to suspend belief as to what is possible and what isn’t (a slight shock after a fairly realistic story where there horror is more psychological). And I highly doubt anyone would have seen it coming.
Or maybe it was just me being thick. The names! They should have been a bit of a giveaway, but there were enough other thing to put you off the scent. It’s really good storytelling.
The narration to star with seemed a bit detached, but I soon got used to it and really attached to the characters.
I enjoyed the development of the serial killer storyline. My first read of Henry Franks was with the Netgalley copy, which made it hard to pick it up (my kindle didn’t handle it very well) but reading the physical copy made me get how the suspense around the killer built up well. I especially like the fact that this storyline intersected with Henry’s family story.

Overall: Strength 4 tea to a really good novel with roots in another of my favourite books, but a fresh perspective on it all.(less)

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Dec 06, 2012 Stephanie Ward rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, owned, finished-copy

I didn't really know what to expect when I picked up 'Henry Franks'. I was very pleasantly surprised with what I read. It's like nothing on the YA market right now - very original. The story flows perfectly and the narrative is so well written that I just flew right threw it. The character of Henry Franks is such a puzzling mystery - it's so mind-boggling trying to piece together what happened to him "before." Things in his story don't add up and he's starting to wonder what really happened. Tru...more

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Feb 18, 2013 Gabby rated it 3 of 5 stars

Maybe I liked this book.... But then again.., maybe I didn't.
Here. I'll make this simple by listing the pros and cons.
Pros
1. The mini romance: it wasn't so big that it overwhelmed the story, and it was very gradual.
2. Mystery- I was guessing the whole time. My idea of the ending... I think I would have been happier if that was what it was... But more on that later. Overall, the mystery of the story was very successful.
3. Henry- Henry was easy to identify with. He was realistic. He... Made a lo...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Lucinda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Creepy, spine-tingling and thought-provoking this Psychological thriller searches deep within your soul.

This unusual and most original story is about one young boy’s inner struggles as he searches deep within, to find out about himself. “Four thousand, three hundred and seventeen stitches…his father had told him once. All the King's horses and all the King's men had put Henry Franks back together again…” This story begins with the horrific accident in which the young boy’s mother dies together...more

Creepy, spine-tingling and thought-provoking this Psychological thriller searches deep within your soul.

This unusual and most original story is about one young boy’s inner struggles as he searches deep within, to find out about himself. “Four thousand, three hundred and seventeen stitches…his father had told him once. All the King's horses and all the King's men had put Henry Franks back together again…” This story begins with the horrific accident in which the young boy’s mother dies together with all his memories of happiness within the past sixteen years, just simply fade away with her memory. His distant, aloof father is the only person who can bring Henry back into the light again by explaining to him who he is, and how his scars were created so that they can begin to heal. But trusting his father is easier said than done, especially when he is surrounded by death all day working at the local Morgue and who buries himself in his work (metaphorically and symbolically speaking). Henry has visions and memories of a sweet, young girl calling to him ‘daddy’ which is only the beginning of more sinister happenings to come, as soon his mind is filled with more deadly visions such as the urge for killing, revenge and even murder. Dead bodies fill both Henry Frank’s waking hours and his mind as he struggles to remember the past and all that he deep down wants to uncover, even if it is easier to forget. Then, when suddenly a serial killer appears in their small Georgia town, Henry uncovers the bitter harsh truth behind his mother’s death and the terrifying secrets that mask his own dark past. Along the path of destruction that the killer leaves behind him, this young boy finds out the answers to all the clues as the dark veil is lifted.

This disturbing, sinister and spine-chilling tale has to be the most heart pounding novel that I have encountered within this genre for a long time, and one which evokes its genre perfectly. With an intensely absorbing and shocking plot that will have you sat on the edge of your seat, this book certainly had me glued to the pages into the early hours of the morning! If you love mystery and thrillers, psychotic killers and bloodthirsty murder then this tale is a delight to behold, and which also contains much deep meaning within regarding the inner workings of the human mind and in particular a young child’s thought processes. A fantastic read that I would highly recommend! *not recommended reading after dark*

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Sep 25, 2012 L.B. Schulman rated it 4 of 5 stars

I don't know if Peter Salomon is going to keep writing in the horror genre, but he should! This book was really well done. The atmosphere, achieved through the setting, was eery and gorgeously depicted. The inserts with the newspaper clippings helped to make the book suspensful, always adding more questions and causing me to try and guess what was playing out. The main character was confused by his identity and accepting of what he'd been told, and this, too, added a lot to the tension. The endi...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Annette rated it 3 of 5 stars

Sometimes after I finish a book I think that maybe I should have read the blurb first. I'm not sure if that's the case with Henry Franks or not. You see, I didn't realize this book was billed as a horror.

On the one hand, I was able to slowly realize that, "Hey, something really weird is going on here." But, I was also so shocked at the ending that I almost laughed. I was unprepared for the unbelievably horrific resolution.

Henry has been in a terrible accident that killed his mother and wiped awa...more Sometimes after I finish a book I think that maybe I should have read the blurb first. I'm not sure if that's the case with Henry Franks or not. You see, I didn't realize this book was billed as a horror.

On the one hand, I was able to slowly realize that, "Hey, something really weird is going on here." But, I was also so shocked at the ending that I almost laughed. I was unprepared for the unbelievably horrific resolution.

Henry has been in a terrible accident that killed his mother and wiped away all the memories of Henry's first 15 years. So, we have a high school boy who remembers nothing from the past. His father isn't much help. He's a workaholic, and when he's home he spends most of his time in his room -- which has a padlock on the door! The few times Henry wanted to talk to his father or ask him some questions it wasn't even possible.

Thank goodness Henry has made a friend with the next door neighbor, Justine. Henry is covered with scars and bullied at school, but Justine befriends Henry, and she begins to help him investigate his past. They do find out some things, but none of it makes much sense. Eventually they begin a very sweet romance.

Henry is also seeing a psychiatrist, who in my opinion, isn't helping much (I'm no expert, though) A few little breakthroughs would have been nice. Henry dreams of a little girl who calls him Daddy. This doesn't make sense because Henry is only sixteen years old.
There's also a serial killer committing extremely brutal murders that the reader is exposed to via newspaper clippings. And, the newspaper also reports that a hurricane is coming.

I was totally confused about what was happening. I had no explanation for the events occurring. I couldn't figure it out -- which I guess is a good thing. But, when the explanation was given, I was shocked. It was of the "unbelievable" nature. The ending was also very quick. Henry Franks is relatively short, and Salomon could have spent more time on a more detailed ending. Some events happened so fast that I had to go back a re-read to make sure I caught it all!

I liked Henry and Justine. I liked how their relationship developed. I hated Henry's father. Salomon is a good writer and pulled me into the story. Except for the breakneck pace of the ending, I enjoyed reading Henry Franks.

I have to rant a bit about the eARC format. The newspaper clippings are obviously two columns in the printed book, but when they converted it to eBook format, the clippings were read straight across, so the text was all jumbled. Now, I could kind of figure out what was going on, but it really slowed me down, frustrated me, and pulled me out of the story. I know this is only an ARC but I cannot believe that someone didn't take the time to fix this! It is a disservice to Mr. Salomon. I can imagine people tossing Henry Franks aside when they come to those parts and deciding not to finish. This blatant mistake, repeated over and over throughout the book, is inexcusable.

Fans of the macabre will enjoy Henry Franks, although it is a very slow building story. It's not all horrific all the way through, but the characters, their relationships, and the puzzling events will hold their interest.
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Aug 24, 2012 Canadian Reader rated it 3 of 5 stars

Henry Franks, 16, suffers from amnesia and is seeing psychotherapist Dr. Margaret Saville to recover his declarative memory. From his father, a physician apparently working in forensics at the local hospital, Henry knows that a year ago he emerged from a coma after a catastrophic accident that apparently killed his mother. The boy has all the scars that would support Dr. William Franks’ version of events, and no one else with whom he can verify the details. He is ostracized at school, bullied, a...more Henry Franks, 16, suffers from amnesia and is seeing psychotherapist Dr. Margaret Saville to recover his declarative memory. From his father, a physician apparently working in forensics at the local hospital, Henry knows that a year ago he emerged from a coma after a catastrophic accident that apparently killed his mother. The boy has all the scars that would support Dr. William Franks’ version of events, and no one else with whom he can verify the details. He is ostracized at school, bullied, and called “Frankenstein”. Besides father and therapist, the only person to show kindness to him is girl-next-door Justine, a cheerleader with honey-brown eyes. The information Henry has been provided about his past does not satisfy the teenager that he is, in fact, a person called "Henry Franks". He is tormented by dreams in which a young child calls him “daddy”, by the notion that his name is really "Victor", and by the horrible thought that he is responsible for the deaths of these dream people: daughter, Elizabeth; wife, Alexandra; and himself. It doesn't help that Henry’s father--apparently a workaholic, who only comes home to slap fast-food burgers on the table and feed a homeless person from the back porch--is too aloof and preoccupied for Henry to approach for answers. Each evening Dr. Franks barricades himself in his locked bedroom to do who knows what. As Justine and Henry develop a friendship, and then something more, they attempt to piece together Henry’s missing history. The only way to go about it, they feel, is to uncover the secret of Henry’s father’s identity. Their investigation unfolds as serial murders occur and Hurricane Erika barrels towards the coastal islands of Georgia, where the story is set. A number of “surprises” occur along the way, and Henry ultimately discovers who he is.

Peter Adam Salomon’s young adult novel is an interesting hybrid of genres. Combining elements of science fiction with mystery, horror and a dab of romance, the novel also includes the obligatory search for identity that is so characteristic of young adult realistic fiction. Does the book work? To some extent. Salomon is very good at creating a dark. foreboding atmosphere by incorporating a number of southern gothic elements into his work. Henry and Dr. Franks reside in a huge, dark and dusty old mansion whose heavy curtains are always closed to the oppressively humid summer heat of Georgia. Spanish moss is draped from trees whose branches do their fair share of scraping and hissing at windows, especially during the storm scene that marks the climax of the book. The descriptive details ramp up the tension in a novel about a character plagued by dark dreams and big questions. What is less well done is the “science” part of the fiction. Throwing around a few anatomical terms and medication names isn’t enough to allow discerning readers suspension of their disbelief, never mind convince them that Dr. Franks could single-handedly perform some of the medical procedures attributed to him. The ending is all a bit rushed and far too pat. The early promise of this atmospheric novel, with characters whose names are pulled directly from Mary Shelley’s FRANKENSTEIN, to provide us with a modern-day retelling of the classic 19th-century monster tale, is not fully realized. The romantic elements are also quite weak,especially the melodramatic dialogue between Henry's parents and Henry and Justine. Characterization is also not as strong as it could be.

In the end, the skill to develop and carry through the interesting premise of the novel is lacking. One admires the author for his ambition, but what started off well becomes a bit silly. I suspect that many middle school students—girls and boys alike—could become engaged with the novel. It’s a quick read, and not without some merit, but ultimately disappointing.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance reading copy of this novel for review purposes.

Rating: 2.5/5 stars(less)

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Aug 17, 2012 Joshua Mccune rated it 5 of 5 stars

Due to an accident that killed his mother, Henry Franks has no memory of his life before he woke from a coma a year ago. All he knows is that his body is covered in stitches, he can't feel pain in his appendages, and he doesn't quite fit in anywhere, including his own home, where his father hides behind simple conversations and locked doors, unwilling to provide Henry with details about his life beyond what can be gleaned from a scrapbook of generic photos (unfamiliar birthdays, unfamiliar frien...more

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Jul 21, 2012 Frishawn Rasheed rated it 5 of 5 stars

Your heart immediately goes out to Henry, the immensely uncomfortable, sensitive, intelligent young protagonist of this darkly disturbing read. Readers are almost compelled to follow the trail of clues that wind through this novel in much the same way that the stitches map Henry's skin.
It is in fact Henry's skin that starts the mystery.

Why is he covered in itchy scars?
Why can't he feel pain when he pricks his fingers?
What happened in the "accident" that resulted in his being this way?
WHY CAN'T H...more

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May 16, 2012 Mallory Anne-Marie Forbes rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Mallory Anne-Marie by: Great Minds Think Aloud

Shelves: may-reading-challenge

I have been an avid reader of mysteries for five decades, working diligently to piece out clues, marveling when authors don’t telegraph ahead of time, and I can truthfully say I came to only a tentative conclusion about this story, and that was quite a way into it! So author Peter Adam Salomon has done a really excellent job of interweaving the characters, plotting, backdrop, and settings in this story, never allowing any information too early.

At sixteen, Henry Franks has no memory beyond a year...more

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Apr 03, 2013 Jennifer N rated it 5 of 5 stars

Henry Franks has no memory of himself. His father told him there was an accident that killed his mother and left Henry as he is now. Henry meanders through his days attempting very little contact with the world. When he's alone, however, he's looking through his scrapbook trying to piece together his past. With the help of his therapist and neighbor, Henry starts to get closer to figuring out just what happened to him. The only problem is that what happened may not be something he wants to know....more

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Aug 21, 2012 Samantha Johnson rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review is based off of the advanced reader’s copy. That being said, there are few faults with this book. Mostly editing issues that I hope are ironed out before Henry Franks is released to the public. For instance, there are many times where two people are speaking, one right after another, within the same paragraph instead of starting a new paragraph per speaker, as is the most accepted format of modern publishing. Near the end, “than,” is used instead of, “then.” Although these issues are...more

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May 03, 2012 Kelley York rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, faves, cover-love

I'm going to try very hard to make this review spoiler-free!

Cover: 5/5 The title of the book doesn't at all catch my interest, but the cover did. It's grungy and kind of creepy, and made me stop long enough to look at the synopsis. I particularly like the stitching across the middle.

Characters: 4/5 I adored Henry. Justine was a sweetheart. Henry's dad was great. I enjoyed all the characters...I just wish we'd gotten a little more feel for them. I know Henry doesn't remember anything from before...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Natalie Lorenzi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Henry Franks is a story told in language that's both gorgeous and creepy. It gave me chills, it inspired sympathy, and the ending! OMG, the ending! What I loved about this story is that it's definitely horror, but at a level that's palatable for teens (and scaredy-cat adults like me!). I would definitely hand this to high school readers--it will keep them turning pages and guessing right up until the very last sentence. Bravo, Peter Salomon!

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May 22, 2012 Erin Forson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Henry Frank
by
Peter Adam Salomon
To be released September 8, 2012
Henry doesn’t remember the accident that gave him the scars on his body, and he isn’t sure why he is losing feeling in his hands. What he does know is that his mother died in the accident that caused his father to become eerily absent and caused Henry to forget. Something is not quite right on St. Simons Island. Could that something be connected with the series of murders that have been reported?
One of the most refreshing aspects o...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Diane S. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Henry Franks is one strange story, but the character of Henry is very easy to like and identify with. The author does a great job of keeping the reader guessing exactly what is going on. I was hooked almost from the beginning and gladly went where the author wanted to take me. Between the therapy sessions, the soon to arrive hurricane, the serial killer operating on the islands and the mysterious comings and goings of Henry's father, there was much to keep the readers interest. For the ending th...more

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Aug 25, 2012 Tara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012

A suspenseful debut with a horror/mystery slant and an unexpected ending. A modern twist on the Frankenstein tale, yet utterly original.

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Apr 25, 2012 Gina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

This book had me from the cover and synopsis. OMG. It was sad, emotional, freaky, and spooky in the great tradition of horror writing. The character of Henry was soooooo sad. My heart broke for him from the very moment he told his story of his mom's death and the fact that he was supposed to die. I was thoroughly creeped out by the numbness in his hands and how he kept poking them with the pushpins. Justine brought him back to life, literally and figuratively. The ending and explanation was amaz...more

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Dec 13, 2012 Kim Baccellia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Henry Franks doesn't remember how he got his scars. He has dreams that don't make sense. His father is obsessed with Henry's behavior and distances himself at work. All the time a serial killer is stalking the streets. This story has just the right amount of subtle creepiness that I love!

Ooh, I totally can see this being made into one of those Twilight Zone movies! Very subtle clues throughout with twists and turns on how the local murders are linked to Henry. I loved the ending which had me gas...more

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Dec 26, 2012 Tom Mccollin rated it 5 of 5 stars

4.5 Stars

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Nov 18, 2012 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads

Salomon's riff on Mary Shelley's classic left me with one burning question: Just what the hell color does he think Spanish moss starts off as, anyway?

Perhaps I'm picky, but when you undermine your credibility as an author in the opening sentence of your novel ("Spanish moss, bleached to gray in the heat...")it's usually not a sign of good things to come, as you've indicated either a huge lack of knowledge about your setting (unlikely, since Salomon apparently lives in the South) or a tendency t...more

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Oct 12, 2012 Angela Fristoe rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-books

Henry Franks is unlike any book I've read this year, but I'm still not sure how I feel about it. There was a definite sense of originality that I liked. It didn't follow any formula and when it threatened to go down the easy route with character development or plot details it stayed true to the story. There are obvious connections to Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and yet there is still a uniqueness to the story.

I enjoyed the mystery aspect of the book. There were a lot of questions t...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Kristen My Bookish Fairy Tale rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

Henry Franks is a gritty and edgy novel that will take the reader to places they never would expect.
I was thoroughly thrilled with this book. I was not at all expecting the outcome.

Henry lives his life in solitude and when he meets Justine, the girl next door, Henry can see the light at the end of the tunnel for the first time.

After being in a horrific car crash that stole his mother, Henry cannot remember anything about his life from before. Henry keeps having these strange dreams and he can...more

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Feb 27, 2012 Audrey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-scout-internship, fiction, young-adult-middle-grade

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is a bit like a modern-day Frankenstein story. Henry, the main character, has no memory of his life before a horrific accident that gave him the many scars that cross his body. Most of the book involves him trying to figure out his past, while dealing with strange dreams that don't seem to belong with him, and the growing understanding that his father isn't telling him the complete truth about his past. Also, there is also a new serial killer loose in the area, and Henry's father seems to b...more This is a bit like a modern-day Frankenstein story. Henry, the main character, has no memory of his life before a horrific accident that gave him the many scars that cross his body. Most of the book involves him trying to figure out his past, while dealing with strange dreams that don't seem to belong with him, and the growing understanding that his father isn't telling him the complete truth about his past. Also, there is also a new serial killer loose in the area, and Henry's father seems to be hiding what he knows about these events. The true story comes out near the end in one long narrative from Henry's father, right before he dies from a wound from this killer. Henry had been dying of cancer, and his slow death was driving his mother mad. She made his father - a great doctor - swear that he would save him, and yet nothing he did seemed to work. Finally, when Henry was about to die, his father took drastic measures. He took the body of a man who had just committed suicide, and transplanted Henry's head onto this healthy body. Since Henry wasn't waking up from this operation, however, his mother tried to commit suicide, and so his father was forced to do a similar procedure to her. The next problem was that Henry seemed to be rejecting this body transplant, and so parts of him kept dying. His father therefore had to keep adding new body parts as the limbs died (which explains Henry's many stitches). Both Henry and his mother finally woke up, but Henry had lost all of his memory, and his mother had gone completely insane. During the entire book, while Henry tried to understand his past, his father had been chasing down his mother (who had escaped) since he thought she was responsible for the serial killings (which she wasn't).

This was an interesting book. It borderlines on gruesome - which is unsurprising considering the subject - but it manages not to go too far. There is a constant reminder that Henry's scars are itching in the Georgia heat, and that he is slowly losing all sensation in his arms, and yet these details don't go out of their way to disturb you. This isn't necessarily a fast-pased novel, and yet there is definitely a continuously growing tension, which crescendos at the end with the arrival of a hurricane and and final revelation of the truth. Instead of being filled with suspense, this is a book filled with the constant sensation of dissonance, which is different enough from most books to make this one memorable.While the entire plot could be viewed as disturbing, what actually threw me the most was the epilogue, which fasts forward about a decade into the future. In it, Henry is on his deathbed (his body is still in the process of rejecting his transplant) and wife (who was his high school girlfriend, and who has obviously become a doctor in order to save his life) proposes to keep him alive through a second transplant. This would mean finding another "donor" body to replace his failed one with. If there is going to be a sequel to this story, it looks like we will be faced even more with the ethical dilemma of questioning how far you would go towards saving someone you love. Would you be willing to go so far as to kill in order to stay alive?(less)

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Dec 10, 2012 Ellen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Henry is trying to piece together his life, his mind and his body after a car crash that killed his mother, maimed him with a mess of scars and stole his memory of the event. Helping him in his search for answers is neighborhood girl, Justine. Not so helpful - his distant father. There's an additional storyline about a serial killer, but that felt tacked on to the more immediate story about Henry. A good read for kids looking for psychological, plot-driven mysteries.

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Mar 11, 2012 Meg rated it 5 of 5 stars

I had the honor & pleasure of reading an advance copy of this novel - wow - it is so unique, so intriguing, such a fabulous read. Go order your copy today - you can thank me later.

Henry Franks: A Novel Peter Adam Salomon

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Mar 27, 2013 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars

The description of the book was interesting enough for me to pick this up as soon as it appeared on the shelf at my local library. I am not disappointed.

To say the book is disturbing is probably an understatement. Once you find out most of what is going on, you'll probably be struggling not to conjure mental images, just like me.

The build up is slower yet with a good sense of building intensity. It reminded me of The Broken Teaglass by Emily Arsenault (but much darker). Once the secrets are reve...more

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Henry Franks

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Henry Franks

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