Keep Away from Psycho Joe

by Brent Michael Kelley

Freshman year is over, and not a moment too soon for Ruby. He and his mom moved from Milwaukee to the tiny town of Bluehills at the beginning of the school year, and ever since he’s been in trouble. Now that school’s out for the summer, Ruby doesn’t know how he’ll fill his days. Ideally, he’d just pass the time watching movies with his pal Cludes… and Cludes’ lovely cousin Justine. Whatever he does, he should probably keep away from the neighbor up the road, a man known around town as Psycho Joe. If the crude flyers posted all over the area are to be believed, Psycho Joe is a dangerous man – especially to young people. As Ruby starts digging up the dirt on his mad neighbor, each answer leads to new, darker questions. Things get stranger and stranger the deeper Ruby digs. Just how dangerous is Psycho Joe? Are there unearthly forces at work in Bluehills? Will the answers drive Ruby insane, too? Ruby should have listened when they told him… KEEP AWAY FROM PSYCHO JOE

226 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 10, 2016

About the author

Brent Michael Kelley lives and writes in the Wisconsin Northwoods. He shares a home with such things as hairless dogs, a snake named Darth Batman, and the woman he married on Halloween. In addition to writing about his pal Chuggie, he likes writing story-poems, painting monsters, and making wine. Some say late at night, if you’re alone by a campfire, you can summon Brent by closing your eyes and saying his name eleven times. He insists this is not true and there’s no way it will work… yet.

Reviews

[Ian Welke · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book within the book, The Encyclopedia Stupidica, is an amazing read in itself. That and the comic strips contained in Keep Away From Psycho Joe are so good that they could prove distracting, were the rest of this novel not so well crafted. This book is hilariously twisted. I loved every page of it.

[Shane Douglas Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brent Michael Kelley is a recent discovery for me. Author of the fantasy/horror series, “Mischief Mayhem Want and Woe,” he’s been around for a while and he’s garnered some high praise for those books from readers and critics alike. But I didn’t pick him up on my radar until Omnium Gatherum editor Kate Jonez sent out an email about the release of Kelley’s newest book, Keep Away From Psycho Joe, and I can honestly say I’m glad that this book is my first foray into his body of work.

Keep Away From Psycho Joe tells the story of Ruby Thomas and his friends Byron Cludeski — Cludes — and Cludes’ cousin Justine as they try to solve the mystery of Ruby’s closest neighbor, Psycho Joe, an enigmatic and dangerous-seeming man with dark, complex secrets and a desire to be left alone. But there’s more to Joe’s secrets than what is readily apparent and as the story progresses, the twists and surprises become increasingly more terrifying until the three hapless teenagers find that they may be in way more peril than anyone realizes.

This is an excerpt. You can read the full review on Hellnotes at: https://goo.gl/vbEqhJ

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun & Easy Read!

Really enjoyed the characters and the Encyclopedia & drawings …. I’ll leave it there for you all to get into and filter through your imagination! Can’t wait to travel with Joe & Ruby!

[Kris Lugosi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brent Michael Kelley's writing makes me smile so much. I don't think he can create a character I don't like. KEEP AWAY FROM PSYCHO show cases Kelley's "YA" (he's an all ages kinda author in my opinion) writing capabilities and it's a success. I've only ever read Kelley's world of Chuggie books so it was refreshing to read that this author has other plots and characters outside of Chuggie to show us and the man doesn't disappoint.

FULL REVIEW PENDING......

[Mercedes Yardley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was hilarious.

It was also creepy, dark, had a smart girl crush (who doesn't love smart teenage girls?), crazy families, interactive notebooks, and a crazy man who flings hammers. I found it delightfully bizarre while still being accessible, and I enjoyed the smart aleck banter that ran throughout. I will be reading the sequel when it hits

[jimtown · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title and idea lured me in to what I believe must be another book geared toward the younger set. The first 3/4 of it were fun reading. I had a hard time with the ending and found myself skimming through it just to get the the very end to see what happened. Yep, I think a ten to twelve year old boy would enjoy this book. Fun and spooky idea.

[Élise Lucie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Très belle découverte! Lecture humoristique qui plaira aux adultes comme aux adolescents. Laisse présager une suite. Dialogues incisifs et personnages tous bien définis. Récit agrémenté de "comics" et d'extraits d'un projet littéraire ridicule mené par le personnage principal. Unique.

[Monique Snyman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic, one of a kind read that'll keep you entertained from beginning to end. I highly recommend Keep Away from Psycho Joe for yourself or if you have a young'un with a taste for horror. Keep your eyes on this author!