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Freakhouse
Welcome to Lantham County, your safe-haven from the pain and uncertainty of the ever-growing economic crisis. Thanks to the revolutionary developments at the Dr. Julius Ellis Lantham Institution, you will want for nothing as you live comfortably and securely in our guaranteed family-safe neighbourhoods. Lantham, a place for everyone!
And everyone in their place…
Dotan Abbott has spent the past five years as inmate 001014126. His crime? Being orphaned as a teenager in a world where everyone needs a proper place to belong. Now on his twentieth birthday, Dotan enters into a new role within the Institution known as the Freakhouse. In here, all adult inmates contribute to the greater good of society by assisting medical research as test subjects. While it isn’t the best birthday present, it is an initiation that will bring him closer to his friends and roommates, making him a Freak just like the rest of them. But an unexpected encounter from his past leaves Dotan to reconsider where he truly belongs.
And everyone in their place…
Dotan Abbott has spent the past five years as inmate 001014126. His crime? Being orphaned as a teenager in a world where everyone needs a proper place to belong. Now on his twentieth birthday, Dotan enters into a new role within the Institution known as the Freakhouse. In here, all adult inmates contribute to the greater good of society by assisting medical research as test subjects. While it isn’t the best birthday present, it is an initiation that will bring him closer to his friends and roommates, making him a Freak just like the rest of them. But an unexpected encounter from his past leaves Dotan to reconsider where he truly belongs.
134 pages, Paperback
First published May 2, 2013
1 person is currently reading
1034 people want to read
About the author
Ashley Newell
6 books56 followersAshley Newell is a Canadian author, board game designer, teacher, and mom.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 19, 2013
Ashley Newell's newest publication, Freakhouse, may be a dystopian drama, but for some reason the theme isn't what will stick with you once you've reached the last page. That isn't to say that it's weak; on the contrary, the world of the Freakhouse with its human experimentation and prison-like construction will definitely get you thinking about human rights and the things society will do to fix an "economic crisis." Even more so you'll think about just how much people will accept in terms of outrageous strategies so long as they work for the people who aren't on the wrong end of the syringe. And in an enlightening twist Newell shows us life before and after entering the Freakhouse, and just what it means for those who have to make a life there. All that being said, what really stood out for me were the relationships.
The protagonist, Dotan Abbott, aka inmate 001014126, aka "Blanky", builds a lot of relationships throughout the novel; some good, some bad, and some just way too heart-wrenching to put in words. Between his family, his friends, and his (pseudo-)romantic interests Dotan really makes you feel the things he's feeling. The genius in this is the first-person present-tense narrative. We don't know anything Dotan doesn't and we learn it as he does, with exception to a necessary flashback section. This means that when he experiences the pain of the Freakhouse, whether directly or indirectly, we know exactly how it feels; when he goes through the emotions related to his relationships we feel the full rollercoaster of feelings he experiences. In fact, we feel this so acutely that the multitude of literary twists at the end will leave your heart in absolute tatters. I would say spoilers, but without giving it away I think it's fair to say that a dystopian drama taking place in an experimental institution won't be all fun; even so, it's Dotan's life and he makes the best of it he can even if sections will leave you in absolute tears. And I promise, you will be crying, because from the moment Dotan starts his narrative you feel just like one of the Freaks right until the very last word.
Fair warning: Not only will you be incapable of putting it down but you won't be able to wait to read it again. It's Newell's most intriguing novel to date!
The protagonist, Dotan Abbott, aka inmate 001014126, aka "Blanky", builds a lot of relationships throughout the novel; some good, some bad, and some just way too heart-wrenching to put in words. Between his family, his friends, and his (pseudo-)romantic interests Dotan really makes you feel the things he's feeling. The genius in this is the first-person present-tense narrative. We don't know anything Dotan doesn't and we learn it as he does, with exception to a necessary flashback section. This means that when he experiences the pain of the Freakhouse, whether directly or indirectly, we know exactly how it feels; when he goes through the emotions related to his relationships we feel the full rollercoaster of feelings he experiences. In fact, we feel this so acutely that the multitude of literary twists at the end will leave your heart in absolute tatters. I would say spoilers, but without giving it away I think it's fair to say that a dystopian drama taking place in an experimental institution won't be all fun; even so, it's Dotan's life and he makes the best of it he can even if sections will leave you in absolute tears. And I promise, you will be crying, because from the moment Dotan starts his narrative you feel just like one of the Freaks right until the very last word.
Fair warning: Not only will you be incapable of putting it down but you won't be able to wait to read it again. It's Newell's most intriguing novel to date!
August 30, 2016
I'm biased, I wrote it, and if nothing else, I'll always be glad that I accepted a new challenge into my life, that the creation of it moved me, and that the reading of it moves others.
August 21, 2016
I won this book as a prize from a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for a review. The book centres around a young teen who is unexpectedly orphaned in the not so distant future and so becomes property of the country and is sent to an institution which is an alternative to working people paying taxes. The book centres on his experiences as a freak in the freak house and experiments undertaken. I found the first chapter a good introduction but the following chapter was confusing as it went back in time without much explanation. I would read another book by Newell as she has a great gift of encapsulating the reader as I read the book in a few days. I feel that the book could have had more content to get to know the characters better as it was quite short. A good encapsulating book that interested me. A talented writer and I hope to read more in the future.
January 9, 2020
3.5 Although I took on hell of a pause (as seen in my lengthy reading time) I liked it.
The book is a bit more drama than sci-fi or dystopia I will say, so there seems to be more about the relationships in the situation than the situation itself.
And now is the part I don't know if I'm spoiling something or not.... I will proceed with caution.
there were definitely hints leading up to what kind of relationship Jos and Dotan have, and I've seen these issues handled really poorly before, either by making the characters a stereotype or by shoe-horning it in and making it feel like pandering. Part of the reason I give this a 4 star (meaning I'd say it's closer to a 4 than a 3) is because I thought this was handled well, and there was a building narrative towards it; Rather than something that was blatant or a complete out-of-nowhere it towed the line carefully and successfully in that regard.
The book is a bit more drama than sci-fi or dystopia I will say, so there seems to be more about the relationships in the situation than the situation itself.
And now is the part I don't know if I'm spoiling something or not.... I will proceed with caution.
there were definitely hints leading up to what kind of relationship Jos and Dotan have, and I've seen these issues handled really poorly before, either by making the characters a stereotype or by shoe-horning it in and making it feel like pandering. Part of the reason I give this a 4 star (meaning I'd say it's closer to a 4 than a 3) is because I thought this was handled well, and there was a building narrative towards it; Rather than something that was blatant or a complete out-of-nowhere it towed the line carefully and successfully in that regard.
November 13, 2016
After having finished and thought a little about it, I’m still not completely sure how I feel about this novel. It was well written and the characters were interesting but there’s still something that bugs me that I can’t quite figure out.
I liked that we got to see the protagonist’s life before and after entering the “freak house” but I just wish that the flashbacks were better placed. Newell did do a great job of showing us the intricasies of relationships and emotions but she could have gone deeper.
Overall it was a nice easy read with an intriguing plot but there was definitely more to be had.
This was a Goodreads giveaway.
I liked that we got to see the protagonist’s life before and after entering the “freak house” but I just wish that the flashbacks were better placed. Newell did do a great job of showing us the intricasies of relationships and emotions but she could have gone deeper.
Overall it was a nice easy read with an intriguing plot but there was definitely more to be had.
This was a Goodreads giveaway.
August 1, 2017
Freakhouse and Parish are amazing! I was hooked by the first page each time, and devoured both books in one evening. My only complaint is I wish they were longer so we could experience more day-to-day life in the facility, and get to know more about the other characters and other levels of the building.
April 2, 2017
Disclaimer: I won this book as a giveaway.
Let me just say...WOW I really loved this book! I loved how Newell wrote and plotted it, and all the plot twists and cliffhangers! The only thing I didn't like about the book is the cover and how small the writing was on my edition, it took me must longer to read and I felt as if it prevented me from reading it for a while. But other than that, it is one of my favourite books, I can't wait to read more of Ashley Newell's books!!
Let me just say...WOW I really loved this book! I loved how Newell wrote and plotted it, and all the plot twists and cliffhangers! The only thing I didn't like about the book is the cover and how small the writing was on my edition, it took me must longer to read and I felt as if it prevented me from reading it for a while. But other than that, it is one of my favourite books, I can't wait to read more of Ashley Newell's books!!
March 29, 2017
Wow, great story, wish there was more.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews