Book Review: Being Followed by Derek Muk

Title: Being Followed

Author: Derek Muk

Release date: January 31st, 2024

*Huge thanks to Derek, Dean and Demain Publishing for a digital copy of this!*

We live in some of the most infuriating times. It doesn’t matter where you look, or how you filter your news, every day feels darker, light dimmer, hope a fading belief of a decade ago.

Between Russian and Ukraine, Israel and Palestine, the political landscape in the US, the rise of bigotry, anti-Semitism, far-right movements, and hatred worldwide and even the ever de-funding of Education and Healthcare in Canada, the world just feels like there’s no way to dig ourselves out of these dark holes. I could go on and on, but I’ll pause here, not wanting this to depress us even more.

And in the world of fiction, this is also a boom time. No matter where a writer looks, something is going to piss them off and inspire them to put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard.

Derek Muk is one such writer. And in this, his newest release, he’s angry, he’s pissed off and he writes with a feverish heat throughout. I’ll share this from the books Goodreads page;

‘Derek Muk says of ‘Being Followed’: “My book is a topical, modern-day, real-life, current events horror story (mixed in with mystery, suspense, thriller, and romance) that mirrors what’s going on in the U.S. and I think readers will relate to that. The book was inspired by racial tensions sparked by the 2017 Charlottesville, Virginia rally, the January 6 coup/storming of the U.S. capitol, the murder of George Floyd, and the fascist atmosphere of the Trump Presidency.”‘

So, now you know what you’re in for.

The story follows Claire, a Jewish woman, who has just released a book looking at socio-political topics. Not long after the book is released, she begins to receive threatening notes. They’re left everywhere, even on her car at the University’s parking are, which she discovers after her class she teachers ends.

From there, things escalate – a break in at her apartment where they leave a horrendous display – and Claire knows that things will only continue to worsen, but she’s not going to back down, not give in to their demands. She contacts her former colleague lover, Albert, who comes to her aide and the two of them try to work through this together, bringing them closer once again.

Muk jumps between present day and their old University times, showing how the two of them connected back then, as well as how they reconnect as the threats ramp up.

Throughout, it’s a difficult read with deep themes that are honestly tough to digest. I see the news. I read the stories, watch the clips, but I don’t personally directly experience any of this. I’m a 40 year old white guy. I try my best to be an ally, to be there for those who need me and to know I’m a safe space, but I don’t get notes left on my car, graffiti painted on my home, or death threats emailed to me. I don’t get yelled names in public, or have strangers come up to me and wish me dead or spit on me.

And that’s the reality for millions of people every day. Millions. That’s not an over exaggeration. I’m writing this review the morning after the current US President, Joe Biden gave his State of the Union address, one in which he was interrupted by the Jewish Space Laser lady, who continues to rail against letting immigrants into the US and who believes that country needs to be more religious and more white. I can’t imagine, sitting there watching that as an ethnicity, who moved to the country to try and provide a better life for my family, and see such hatred on display. And it’s daily.

And Muk’s novella directly addresses that. It hits to the core of it and it’s a novella that I loved and I hated equally. I loved it because of how Claire and Albert are such strong, solid characters and strong, solid people. I hated it because it reads far too close to non-fiction than anything of this nature should.

I’ve eschewed from my usual format of reviewing specifically for this book, because this is a piece that needs to more widely read, is heartbreaking in its message while uplifting in its resilience and I don’t think the message within fits my standard format.

Kudos to Dean, Adrian and Demain Publishing for backing this and giving it the care it needed to be released. This novella may very well become a piece we see used to teach in schools, much like Orwell’s ‘1984.’

Well done, Derek.

5/5