What do you think?
Rate this book
Denizen
A gothic thriller exploring rural Australia’s simultaneous celebration of harsh country and stoic people – a tension that forces its inhabitants to dangerous breaking points.
On a remote property in western NSW, nine-year-old Parker fears that something is wrong with his brain. His desperate attempts to control this internal chaos spark a series of events that gallop from his control in deadly and devastating ways.
Years later, Parker, now a father himself, returns to the bushland he grew up in for a camping trip with old friends. When this reunion descends into chaos amid revelations of unresolved fear, guilt and violence, Parker must finally address the consequences of his childhood actions.
On a remote property in western NSW, nine-year-old Parker fears that something is wrong with his brain. His desperate attempts to control this internal chaos spark a series of events that gallop from his control in deadly and devastating ways.
Years later, Parker, now a father himself, returns to the bushland he grew up in for a camping trip with old friends. When this reunion descends into chaos amid revelations of unresolved fear, guilt and violence, Parker must finally address the consequences of his childhood actions.
352 pages, Paperback
Published July 19, 2022
24 people are currently reading
561 people want to read
About the author
James McKenzie Watson
2 books19 followersJames McKenzie Watson writes fiction with a focus on health and rural Australia. His novel Denizen won the 2021 Penguin Literary Prize and was shortlisted in the 2023 Ned Kelly Awards for Best Debut. Denizen also received a 2021 Varuna Residential Fellowship and a 2021 KSP Residential Fellowship.
James has written for The Guardian, Meanjin, Kill Your Darlings and the Newtown Review of Books. He has appeared at events including the Sydney Writers Festival, Newcastle Writers Festival and BAD Crime Sydney, and taught creative writing for organisations including Writing NSW. He co-hosts the writing and health podcast James and Ashley Stay at Home and works as a nurse.
James has written for The Guardian, Meanjin, Kill Your Darlings and the Newtown Review of Books. He has appeared at events including the Sydney Writers Festival, Newcastle Writers Festival and BAD Crime Sydney, and taught creative writing for organisations including Writing NSW. He co-hosts the writing and health podcast James and Ashley Stay at Home and works as a nurse.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
March 12, 2024
Not for the faint of heart but a brilliant debut novel.
Winner of the 2021 Penguin Literary Prize. Denizen is a psychological literary thriller.
The novel revolves around Parker’s life and his constant battle to contain and understand his psychotic behaviour.
Living in a rural town in NSW, nine-year-old Parker is not what you would call a likable character. Prone to violent temper tantrums, he is selfish and destructive. Many of his tantrums come with memory loss and he fears something is wrong with his brain.
Parker’s mother constantly abuses him, physically and mentally. Their relationship is a turbulent, vicious rollercoaster of violence and abuse. A relationship that at times is difficult and painful to read.
The narrative is not linear and will abruptly change without warning. Watson skilfully uses dream sequences and memories to move in time, shifting the narrative to the present where Parker is a father with his own child. He has escaped the isolation of his childhood town, and his psychotic episodes, with medication, are now seemingly under control. However, a return to the outback for a camping trip with his only two childhood friends may prove otherwise.
Watson does not pull any punches with this book. This is a very dark novel that explores mental illness and the related violent behaviour. Working as a nurse in regional New South Wales, Watson has experienced the problems stemming from mental illness firsthand. If you are averse to bad language and graphic violence, then this book may not be for you.
The nature of the illness and the structure of the narrative create an air of ambiguity and tension which make it hard to stop turning the pages. It is also beautifully written.
Winner of the 2021 Penguin Literary Prize. Denizen is a psychological literary thriller.
The novel revolves around Parker’s life and his constant battle to contain and understand his psychotic behaviour.
Living in a rural town in NSW, nine-year-old Parker is not what you would call a likable character. Prone to violent temper tantrums, he is selfish and destructive. Many of his tantrums come with memory loss and he fears something is wrong with his brain.
Parker’s mother constantly abuses him, physically and mentally. Their relationship is a turbulent, vicious rollercoaster of violence and abuse. A relationship that at times is difficult and painful to read.
The narrative is not linear and will abruptly change without warning. Watson skilfully uses dream sequences and memories to move in time, shifting the narrative to the present where Parker is a father with his own child. He has escaped the isolation of his childhood town, and his psychotic episodes, with medication, are now seemingly under control. However, a return to the outback for a camping trip with his only two childhood friends may prove otherwise.
Watson does not pull any punches with this book. This is a very dark novel that explores mental illness and the related violent behaviour. Working as a nurse in regional New South Wales, Watson has experienced the problems stemming from mental illness firsthand. If you are averse to bad language and graphic violence, then this book may not be for you.
The nature of the illness and the structure of the narrative create an air of ambiguity and tension which make it hard to stop turning the pages. It is also beautifully written.
September 30, 2022
Okay, I’m still trying to come to grips with what I’ve just read. Denizen is a fully immersive dive into the frightening confusion and terror of psychosis manifesting itself by hearing voices, smelling smells and being compelled by unseen forces.
You know you’re in for a harrowing psychological drama when the publisher’s page starts with a trigger warning that the book depicts mental ill health and self-harm and then provides details of how you can contact Lifeline.
This is the debut novel by James McKenzie Watson and is a heart-breakingly tragic story dealing with mental health and the troubles facing people living in rural communities.
The story centres on Parker Davis and his lifelong struggle with his mind. That, and the battle with his mother who was virtually crippled with depression and a back injury sustained in a car accident.
At times, the line between truth and the frenetic beliefs garnered during a psychotic episode become blurred. We are thrust into the confused ramblings of a mind that struggles to ascertain what is real and what is imagined.
Even at the age of 9 Parker was aware that something in his mind wasn’t right. He even termed the realisation his awakening, but becoming aware of something and getting help to treat it are two very different things.
The early years of the story are dominated by the ferociousness of the relationship between Parker and his mother. The screaming matches are filled with venom and the fiery comments from both sides are designed to deeply wound. It’s during this period of his life that Parker understands that his brain is broken and he could, perhaps, overcome it himself.
The latter part of the book deals with Parker as an adult. He has a newborn son and lives with his partner in Sydney. He is called back to his home town to meet up with a couple of high school friends for a camping trip. From here the full force of the fragile mind comes into play and we are forced to simply hang on for dear life and try to get a grip on what the real reality actually is.
The way in which Watson gets into Parker’s mind and relates to us the frantic broken thoughts, the unfinished sentences and the paranoid delusions is quite masterful. We are taken to a dark and confused place in a way that almost forces you to understand how and why a person might listen to and obey the voices in their head. It’s confronting, for sure.
This is a brilliant example of an Australian Gothic thriller with skin crawling moments, disturbing confrontations that are all too common in today’s society and, ultimately, heartbreak.
The book won the 2021 Penguin Literary Prize.
You know you’re in for a harrowing psychological drama when the publisher’s page starts with a trigger warning that the book depicts mental ill health and self-harm and then provides details of how you can contact Lifeline.
This is the debut novel by James McKenzie Watson and is a heart-breakingly tragic story dealing with mental health and the troubles facing people living in rural communities.
The story centres on Parker Davis and his lifelong struggle with his mind. That, and the battle with his mother who was virtually crippled with depression and a back injury sustained in a car accident.
At times, the line between truth and the frenetic beliefs garnered during a psychotic episode become blurred. We are thrust into the confused ramblings of a mind that struggles to ascertain what is real and what is imagined.
Even at the age of 9 Parker was aware that something in his mind wasn’t right. He even termed the realisation his awakening, but becoming aware of something and getting help to treat it are two very different things.
“We’d done something abhorrent and the justification that a day earlier had seemed so flawless was now a confused and nonsensical misconception. It had come from me. Some dark corner of my mind had disguised a crazy belief to look like a perfectly reasonable thought.”
The early years of the story are dominated by the ferociousness of the relationship between Parker and his mother. The screaming matches are filled with venom and the fiery comments from both sides are designed to deeply wound. It’s during this period of his life that Parker understands that his brain is broken and he could, perhaps, overcome it himself.
“Even if I couldn’t control my thoughts, I could control my behaviour, then my broken brain wasn’t a problem to anyone but me.
This was the solution. It would be hard at first, but I’d learn. I just had to be good.”
The latter part of the book deals with Parker as an adult. He has a newborn son and lives with his partner in Sydney. He is called back to his home town to meet up with a couple of high school friends for a camping trip. From here the full force of the fragile mind comes into play and we are forced to simply hang on for dear life and try to get a grip on what the real reality actually is.
The way in which Watson gets into Parker’s mind and relates to us the frantic broken thoughts, the unfinished sentences and the paranoid delusions is quite masterful. We are taken to a dark and confused place in a way that almost forces you to understand how and why a person might listen to and obey the voices in their head. It’s confronting, for sure.
This is a brilliant example of an Australian Gothic thriller with skin crawling moments, disturbing confrontations that are all too common in today’s society and, ultimately, heartbreak.
The book won the 2021 Penguin Literary Prize.
August 1, 2022
Last year’s winner of the Penguin Literary Prize, Denizen (Penguin Viking 2022) is a dark, moving, rural outback, psychological horror thriller that will surely be known as ‘peak bleak’ but in a completely compelling way. Author James McKenzie Watson has created a strange, fast-paced, tense and page-turning story that I read in an almost frenzied state over two days – thank goodness it’s separated into Parts One, Two and Three, because they were they only breaks when I felt able to put the book down, take a breath and continue with life.
Denizen is expertly constructed and crafted with an authorial authority unusual for a debut writer. In a brilliantly finished tapestry, McKenzie Watson has managed to weave together an engrossing and engaging novel that does not let up for a moment from beginning to end. I am blown away by his audacity in writing such a novel; it courageously peers into the darkest shadows of our minds and pokes a stick at every tender, intrusive or unsettling thought or action that has ever hung a mantle of shame and guilt around our necks.
The story is told in two alternating timeframes – that of nine-year-old Parker, a country kid living in an isolated community who is desperately anxious that there is something fundamentally wrong with his mind. His own mother’s connection and relationship to him, and the manifestation of a terrible act of violence, seem to prove him right. We also see Parker as a young adult, a happy and settled partner with a new baby, who returns to his hometown as part of an intervention to save an old friend from her bad choices. They camp at the creek, a scene of critical importance to both his past and his future.
This book was absolutely not what I was expecting. I’m not sure what I expected, but this was not it. There are surprises and U-turns and twists that came from nowhere and added a whole new layer of complexity to the story. Just when you think you have a handle on a character, they shape-shift to something new. Crime, gothic horror, suspense, psychological drama … Denizen is like the love-child between Gabriel Tallent’s novel My Absolute Darling and the horror film Hereditary. The imperceptible unravelling is masterful, executed with such skill that you don’t even realise it’s happening.
Although the story is violent from the beginning (and there is a trigger warning for abuse and mental illness), it nevertheless starts from a place we can comprehend. It makes sense; it is logical. But then there is one paragraph that subtly shifts the lens through which we see this story, and it abruptly becomes a creeping sense of dread, a nightmare from which we cannot awaken.
There are so many things I love about this book. One is the interiority of the writing. Rarely does one read a book that sets you so squarely and intimately into the mind of the main protagonist, while still retaining the ability for the character to surprise himself, and therefore to surprise the reader. I absolutely cared about all of the characters in this book, even those I at first felt no affinity for, and I was totally uncertain as to what would happen to each of them.
Another is the setting, which is quintessentially rural outback Australia. The author knows this country like the back of his hand. Every leaf on every tree, every blade of grass, every rotted fallen log and upturned boulder and shadowy grotto is depicted with the utmost realism.
I’ve already mentioned the plot – so unpredictable that I did not know where it was headed, and in fact it became increasingly and disturbingly discombobulating; and the characterisation – Parker especially is so utterly real and relatable, so vulnerable, so confused, so much at the mercy of his own complex inner life.
McKenzie Watson spoke to me about the comfort of stories that are honest, truthful and authentic – despite their bleakness; he finds it reassuring that publishers and/or readers are championing these works. And I couldn’t agree more, because no matter how bleak or dark the story, somebody, somewhere, has encountered that situation in real life, and so why shouldn’t we read about the darkness that people often suffer in silence, thinking it is only them? Why not expose the often frightening and humiliating truths that are never spoken of? Surely that is a way that fiction can begin a conversation, make someone feel less alone in their feelings, encourage a dialogue about the dark and the bleak rather than the neverending (often fake) euphoria and optimism we face on social media? This book speaks to those who have visited those shadowy places, and gives others the opportunity to glimpse what life is like for people quite different to themselves.
Point of fact: I was warned that this book was ‘bleak’, but honestly it is absolutely no different to the circumstances and situations I see through my work in my other life that is not writing. Every single act in this book is not only plausible, but I have also witnessed it or heard of it happening. For some readers, Denizen will be shocking and unbelievable, but for others – a lot of others – it will be familiar, recognisable and intimate. The vulnerable and the damaged in our society deserve to see themselves in fiction; they deserve the opportunity to know that someone understands their pain, and can see the reasons and motivations behind their behaviour.
I am not going to say anything about the ending of this book other than that it was simultaneously shocking and unexpected, while also being inevitable. The internal breakdown of character is distressing and yet by the last page, you feel as if you have uncovered a secret, discovered a veiled truth that has been hiding in plain sight.
Read this book. It will break you. But it will also give you a greater understanding into mental illness, fear, shame, guilt, violence, the boundaries of friendships and the consequences of our actions.
Denizen is expertly constructed and crafted with an authorial authority unusual for a debut writer. In a brilliantly finished tapestry, McKenzie Watson has managed to weave together an engrossing and engaging novel that does not let up for a moment from beginning to end. I am blown away by his audacity in writing such a novel; it courageously peers into the darkest shadows of our minds and pokes a stick at every tender, intrusive or unsettling thought or action that has ever hung a mantle of shame and guilt around our necks.
The story is told in two alternating timeframes – that of nine-year-old Parker, a country kid living in an isolated community who is desperately anxious that there is something fundamentally wrong with his mind. His own mother’s connection and relationship to him, and the manifestation of a terrible act of violence, seem to prove him right. We also see Parker as a young adult, a happy and settled partner with a new baby, who returns to his hometown as part of an intervention to save an old friend from her bad choices. They camp at the creek, a scene of critical importance to both his past and his future.
This book was absolutely not what I was expecting. I’m not sure what I expected, but this was not it. There are surprises and U-turns and twists that came from nowhere and added a whole new layer of complexity to the story. Just when you think you have a handle on a character, they shape-shift to something new. Crime, gothic horror, suspense, psychological drama … Denizen is like the love-child between Gabriel Tallent’s novel My Absolute Darling and the horror film Hereditary. The imperceptible unravelling is masterful, executed with such skill that you don’t even realise it’s happening.
Although the story is violent from the beginning (and there is a trigger warning for abuse and mental illness), it nevertheless starts from a place we can comprehend. It makes sense; it is logical. But then there is one paragraph that subtly shifts the lens through which we see this story, and it abruptly becomes a creeping sense of dread, a nightmare from which we cannot awaken.
There are so many things I love about this book. One is the interiority of the writing. Rarely does one read a book that sets you so squarely and intimately into the mind of the main protagonist, while still retaining the ability for the character to surprise himself, and therefore to surprise the reader. I absolutely cared about all of the characters in this book, even those I at first felt no affinity for, and I was totally uncertain as to what would happen to each of them.
Another is the setting, which is quintessentially rural outback Australia. The author knows this country like the back of his hand. Every leaf on every tree, every blade of grass, every rotted fallen log and upturned boulder and shadowy grotto is depicted with the utmost realism.
I’ve already mentioned the plot – so unpredictable that I did not know where it was headed, and in fact it became increasingly and disturbingly discombobulating; and the characterisation – Parker especially is so utterly real and relatable, so vulnerable, so confused, so much at the mercy of his own complex inner life.
McKenzie Watson spoke to me about the comfort of stories that are honest, truthful and authentic – despite their bleakness; he finds it reassuring that publishers and/or readers are championing these works. And I couldn’t agree more, because no matter how bleak or dark the story, somebody, somewhere, has encountered that situation in real life, and so why shouldn’t we read about the darkness that people often suffer in silence, thinking it is only them? Why not expose the often frightening and humiliating truths that are never spoken of? Surely that is a way that fiction can begin a conversation, make someone feel less alone in their feelings, encourage a dialogue about the dark and the bleak rather than the neverending (often fake) euphoria and optimism we face on social media? This book speaks to those who have visited those shadowy places, and gives others the opportunity to glimpse what life is like for people quite different to themselves.
Point of fact: I was warned that this book was ‘bleak’, but honestly it is absolutely no different to the circumstances and situations I see through my work in my other life that is not writing. Every single act in this book is not only plausible, but I have also witnessed it or heard of it happening. For some readers, Denizen will be shocking and unbelievable, but for others – a lot of others – it will be familiar, recognisable and intimate. The vulnerable and the damaged in our society deserve to see themselves in fiction; they deserve the opportunity to know that someone understands their pain, and can see the reasons and motivations behind their behaviour.
I am not going to say anything about the ending of this book other than that it was simultaneously shocking and unexpected, while also being inevitable. The internal breakdown of character is distressing and yet by the last page, you feel as if you have uncovered a secret, discovered a veiled truth that has been hiding in plain sight.
Read this book. It will break you. But it will also give you a greater understanding into mental illness, fear, shame, guilt, violence, the boundaries of friendships and the consequences of our actions.
July 18, 2022
“Eventually the town would wither and die, its supplies cut off until its denizens fled like wild animals looking for water. “
Winner of the 2021 Penguin Literary Prize, DENIZEN is labelled as an Australian gothic thriller. It is filled with complex characters, dark but never gratuitous and no simple fixes. Discussions I have had already with those who have read it have been nuanced and layered. This will be a must for all book clubs, with topics on Australian colonial culture, toxic masculinity, rural life, mental health and its resourcing to name a few. The writing on the line is effortless, and the story design intelligent. I don’t want to go into detail here as I read this knowing very little (deliberately) and want that same reader experience for you. Based on this debut I think James McKenzie Watson has an incredible literary career ahead of him.
Winner of the 2021 Penguin Literary Prize, DENIZEN is labelled as an Australian gothic thriller. It is filled with complex characters, dark but never gratuitous and no simple fixes. Discussions I have had already with those who have read it have been nuanced and layered. This will be a must for all book clubs, with topics on Australian colonial culture, toxic masculinity, rural life, mental health and its resourcing to name a few. The writing on the line is effortless, and the story design intelligent. I don’t want to go into detail here as I read this knowing very little (deliberately) and want that same reader experience for you. Based on this debut I think James McKenzie Watson has an incredible literary career ahead of him.
September 26, 2022
Wow! I was nooooooooooot expecting this book to be so deeply deeply heartbreaking!
After reading a few vague reviews on Bookstagram, I decided to pick this one up and go in blind, assuming that I was in for a run of the mill Harper-esque rural Australian crime book. I was wrong.
Denizen is a super deep dive into the mind of a deeply troubled man as he flips between flashbacks from his traumatic childhood and present day. It is gripping and claustrophobic and tense and troubled and I COULD NOT LOOK AWAY.
The way that Denizen approaches Parker’s deep rooted mental health struggles was so informed and well thought out that the deeply grim and confrontational aspects of the storyline felt justified.
Definitely not for the faint of heart but I really liked this one.
After reading a few vague reviews on Bookstagram, I decided to pick this one up and go in blind, assuming that I was in for a run of the mill Harper-esque rural Australian crime book. I was wrong.
Denizen is a super deep dive into the mind of a deeply troubled man as he flips between flashbacks from his traumatic childhood and present day. It is gripping and claustrophobic and tense and troubled and I COULD NOT LOOK AWAY.
The way that Denizen approaches Parker’s deep rooted mental health struggles was so informed and well thought out that the deeply grim and confrontational aspects of the storyline felt justified.
Definitely not for the faint of heart but I really liked this one.
September 29, 2022
Wow! I can see why this book won awards. Yes. This book is dark and twisted and there were absolutely some scenes that made my stomach squirm, so if you're thinking of reading this - beware. Now, that out of the way, what a brilliant depiction of life in rural Australia. I loved the science teacher's philosophy about the culture of Australia. We love showing off how tough we are and being on some of the harshest and dangerous lands around, but we also have a culture of 'suck it up, buttercup' and 'get on with it'. These two cultures create a tension which leads people to live for generations in miserable conditions not talking about it.
I have a background in psychology and could pick up on some of the early warning signs, but there are so many people (especially in rural Australia where people don't talk about mental health) who would have no idea and would be out of their depth. I am so sad for the child who grew up without support. I'm so sad for the mother who parented without support. And I'm so sad for the dad who didn't know what to do and just avoided everything. This book really delves into mental health from all angles - personal experience, parenting, friendships, teaching, community impact, etc. Even though the books feels fast-paced, there was still so much teasing out these intricate details of how poor and untreated mental health seeps into all areas.
Although the story was heavy, confusing and overwhelming at times, I thought the author did a brilliant job of showing mental instability through disjointed timelines, confused experience of events, visual descriptions, and intrusive thoughts. It took me two attempts at reading this book (I needed a break about half way through), but I am really glad I stuck it out. And I'm really glad I'll be able to discuss it more thoroughly with the book club over wine tomorrow night. Five stars!
I have a background in psychology and could pick up on some of the early warning signs, but there are so many people (especially in rural Australia where people don't talk about mental health) who would have no idea and would be out of their depth. I am so sad for the child who grew up without support. I'm so sad for the mother who parented without support. And I'm so sad for the dad who didn't know what to do and just avoided everything. This book really delves into mental health from all angles - personal experience, parenting, friendships, teaching, community impact, etc. Even though the books feels fast-paced, there was still so much teasing out these intricate details of how poor and untreated mental health seeps into all areas.
Although the story was heavy, confusing and overwhelming at times, I thought the author did a brilliant job of showing mental instability through disjointed timelines, confused experience of events, visual descriptions, and intrusive thoughts. It took me two attempts at reading this book (I needed a break about half way through), but I am really glad I stuck it out. And I'm really glad I'll be able to discuss it more thoroughly with the book club over wine tomorrow night. Five stars!
May 30, 2023
2.5 🌟
'She was quicker than I’d expected and got me four more times with the spatula before I could raise my arms. The idea that she could hurt me – seriously, fatally – was suddenly a practical reality, and I noted with detached interest that I felt not relief, but fear. She swung again, the handle connecting with the knuckles of my left hand, and when I howled in pain, she answered with a haunting, inhuman shriek.'
'She was quicker than I’d expected and got me four more times with the spatula before I could raise my arms. The idea that she could hurt me – seriously, fatally – was suddenly a practical reality, and I noted with detached interest that I felt not relief, but fear. She swung again, the handle connecting with the knuckles of my left hand, and when I howled in pain, she answered with a haunting, inhuman shriek.'
Read
February 20, 2023Read this because the author did a totally unrelated tweet which was witty. The book is not as good as the twitter content sadly.
Follows the Aussie rural town cliche of every similar novel before it- old friends battling their fucked up families and ill-addressed mental health, then return as adults for a great plot reveal.
It drags on, it’s a bit too graphic in parts. Don’t recommend
Follows the Aussie rural town cliche of every similar novel before it- old friends battling their fucked up families and ill-addressed mental health, then return as adults for a great plot reveal.
It drags on, it’s a bit too graphic in parts. Don’t recommend
July 31, 2022
Denizen is the startling debut novel by award-winning author, James McKenzie Watson. Beautifully written, stark and raw, there were moments of the story that were so shocking, I had to go back to make sure I had understood correctly.
Denizen is the story of Parker, a troubled young man growing up on a remote rural property in New South Wales, Australia. Despite his difficult upbringing, Parker has made a good life for himself in the city, with a budding music career and a loving family of his own. But when Parker returns to his hometown for a camping trip with old friends, he is confronted by many unhappy memories and is forced to deal with unfinished business from the past.
Told in dual timelines, by unreliable narrator, Parker, the story alternates between the present day and Parker as a young boy and adolescent. A bolting horse at a carnival heralds the cataclysmic events about to take place in eight-year-old Parker's life. He is involved in a car crash that leaves his mother with life-changing injuries and then he commits an abhorrent act that shadows him for the rest of his life.
While the two events occur independent of each other, the common thread running through them both is that there is “something wrong” with Parker. Parker is told this on a regular basis by his mother, the local schoolteacher whose schoolmarmish façade hides mental health issues of her own. She and Parker have a volatile relationship with the two of them locked in a never-ending battle of wills.
Parker lives in fear of his abhorrent act being discovered and while it seems he has gotten away with it to the outside world, it continues to haunt his conscience. After he commits his terrible transgression, Parker resolves to keep his darker impulses in check, and grows to become a very circumspect adolescent. His two best friends help get him through his high school years, but as young adults, they all go their separate ways. After spending a long time apart, they organise a camping trip at the place they used to go as teenagers, but it is not the happy reunion they would have hoped for.
Denizen is a dark and disturbing story that gives an intimate perspective on the difficulties faced by people with mental illness in our rural areas. The lack of available services and a culture of forced stoicism prevent people on the land from getting the help they need, which often leads to tragic outcomes. There is a very telling part in the book with Parker’s mother eschewing accessing help for her son’s mental health issues at the local hospital for fear that the denizens of the town would soon know about it. With the city hospitals too far to access, the family struggle alone under the misguided mantra of “she’ll be right.”
A nightmarish story where the lines between reality and delusion are often blurred, Denizen is a superbly written novel that challenges the romanticism Australians hold for life on the land and sheds a very uncomfortable light on a mental health crisis we ignore at our peril.
**I listened to the Audable version of Denizen which was wonderfully narrated by Matthew Pearce. ***
Denizen is the story of Parker, a troubled young man growing up on a remote rural property in New South Wales, Australia. Despite his difficult upbringing, Parker has made a good life for himself in the city, with a budding music career and a loving family of his own. But when Parker returns to his hometown for a camping trip with old friends, he is confronted by many unhappy memories and is forced to deal with unfinished business from the past.
Told in dual timelines, by unreliable narrator, Parker, the story alternates between the present day and Parker as a young boy and adolescent. A bolting horse at a carnival heralds the cataclysmic events about to take place in eight-year-old Parker's life. He is involved in a car crash that leaves his mother with life-changing injuries and then he commits an abhorrent act that shadows him for the rest of his life.
While the two events occur independent of each other, the common thread running through them both is that there is “something wrong” with Parker. Parker is told this on a regular basis by his mother, the local schoolteacher whose schoolmarmish façade hides mental health issues of her own. She and Parker have a volatile relationship with the two of them locked in a never-ending battle of wills.
Parker lives in fear of his abhorrent act being discovered and while it seems he has gotten away with it to the outside world, it continues to haunt his conscience. After he commits his terrible transgression, Parker resolves to keep his darker impulses in check, and grows to become a very circumspect adolescent. His two best friends help get him through his high school years, but as young adults, they all go their separate ways. After spending a long time apart, they organise a camping trip at the place they used to go as teenagers, but it is not the happy reunion they would have hoped for.
Denizen is a dark and disturbing story that gives an intimate perspective on the difficulties faced by people with mental illness in our rural areas. The lack of available services and a culture of forced stoicism prevent people on the land from getting the help they need, which often leads to tragic outcomes. There is a very telling part in the book with Parker’s mother eschewing accessing help for her son’s mental health issues at the local hospital for fear that the denizens of the town would soon know about it. With the city hospitals too far to access, the family struggle alone under the misguided mantra of “she’ll be right.”
A nightmarish story where the lines between reality and delusion are often blurred, Denizen is a superbly written novel that challenges the romanticism Australians hold for life on the land and sheds a very uncomfortable light on a mental health crisis we ignore at our peril.
**I listened to the Audable version of Denizen which was wonderfully narrated by Matthew Pearce. ***
August 26, 2022
This is cleverly constructed with Parker in the present having recently become a father. He's only 24 and it's the birth of Christian that has childhood memories and images flooding back. Most of which are bad. Quite dire in fact.
We very quickly learn that young Parker's relationship with his mother was fraught. In the past, the pair fight incessantly and often quite violently, both issuing threats and... well, verbally wishing the other would die. More than once they comment on harming each other. Parker believes his brain is broken but tries to develop strategies to avoid causing trouble.
I became a little confused a few times in this book because we're in Parker's head and - for the most part - only privy to the way he's experiencing others and the world.
In some ways the often-frenetic phrases and manic meandering thoughts are really really clever, but I think it's also risky. I wasn't sure - for a while - that Watson was pulling it it off.
Until it was obvious he was. And did. It only occurred to me latter (on a re-read of parts to write this review) he was possibly mimicking Parker's thought patterns. The half-sentences (we'd only catch the middle of sentences, with words and phrases missing from the beginning or end) reflect his half thoughts. His inability to focus.
After I finished this book I went to mark it off in Goodreads and wrote something like, "Wow, just wow." Any ambivalence I'd had earlier had been dispelled. Well and truly. I was blown-away. Or 'shook' as the youngsters say.
4.5 stars
Read my review here: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...
We very quickly learn that young Parker's relationship with his mother was fraught. In the past, the pair fight incessantly and often quite violently, both issuing threats and... well, verbally wishing the other would die. More than once they comment on harming each other. Parker believes his brain is broken but tries to develop strategies to avoid causing trouble.
I became a little confused a few times in this book because we're in Parker's head and - for the most part - only privy to the way he's experiencing others and the world.
In some ways the often-frenetic phrases and manic meandering thoughts are really really clever, but I think it's also risky. I wasn't sure - for a while - that Watson was pulling it it off.
Until it was obvious he was. And did. It only occurred to me latter (on a re-read of parts to write this review) he was possibly mimicking Parker's thought patterns. The half-sentences (we'd only catch the middle of sentences, with words and phrases missing from the beginning or end) reflect his half thoughts. His inability to focus.
After I finished this book I went to mark it off in Goodreads and wrote something like, "Wow, just wow." Any ambivalence I'd had earlier had been dispelled. Well and truly. I was blown-away. Or 'shook' as the youngsters say.
4.5 stars
Read my review here: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...
September 29, 2022
Difficult to rate. Well written but the horror I felt and the sense of foreboding it gave me I couldn’t recommend it to anyone.
March 16, 2023
Wow! What a read. Utterly utterly devastating 💔
March 22, 2023
Had me glued to the pages for the whole book.
Confronting stuff beautifully written.
Confronting stuff beautifully written.
August 22, 2025
A very disturbing read. 🤯
October 27, 2023
Holy crap this was fantastic.
As others have said, not a read for the faint hearted.
This exploration of mental health against the harsh backdrop of rural Australia was truly chilling. The use of an unreliable narrator, the nonlinear narrative, and the way that sentences were chopped and changed together made for an excellent portrayal of a mind struggling against disease.
As others have said, not a read for the faint hearted.
This exploration of mental health against the harsh backdrop of rural Australia was truly chilling. The use of an unreliable narrator, the nonlinear narrative, and the way that sentences were chopped and changed together made for an excellent portrayal of a mind struggling against disease.
March 24, 2025
Ending of this book gave me fever-fulled nightmares when I had food poisoning - not pleasant. Objectively a good book but, so seems a little harsh.
October 8, 2024
I can see how this one won awards! This brilliant book is an Australian outback thriller with an unreliable narrator due to his serious mental illness. The story follows 24 year old Parker, a new dad who starts to have a series of flashbacks of repressed childhood memories. Desperate to re-find his centre, he returns to the small town where he grew up to go camping with childhood friends. Only, things end up getting much worse.
This book cleverly explores the impact of intergenerational isolation in rural Australia on mental health. This is the first book I've read with an unreliable narrator, and it sent my emotions all over the place.
This book cleverly explores the impact of intergenerational isolation in rural Australia on mental health. This is the first book I've read with an unreliable narrator, and it sent my emotions all over the place.
November 26, 2022
Phew.
I’m going to need time to get over what I just read.
It probably should be a 5 star rating but I can’t bring myself to give such pain and darkness a perfect score.
The school teacher talks about ‘the tension’ of living in rural Australia, the harshness of the landscape and its people. I felt this summed up the tension I was feeling during this entire read.
An immersive look into mental illness, psychosis & suicide. All the trigger warnings, all of them.
I’m going to need time to get over what I just read.
It probably should be a 5 star rating but I can’t bring myself to give such pain and darkness a perfect score.
The school teacher talks about ‘the tension’ of living in rural Australia, the harshness of the landscape and its people. I felt this summed up the tension I was feeling during this entire read.
An immersive look into mental illness, psychosis & suicide. All the trigger warnings, all of them.
Read
September 26, 2022I'm not sure how to rate this one. It's slated as gothic horror, yet rests on the mental health explanation. Yes it is disturbing, and there should be a warning about the violence (between children), and could be triggering for some.
It's an unreliable narrator on another level. Whilst I enjoyed the writing, and the devices used to convey the confused thoughts.
What happens is horrific and I felt a bit uncomfortable reading about the suffering and outcome - even thought it is fiction. It felt voyeuristic.
It's an unreliable narrator on another level. Whilst I enjoyed the writing, and the devices used to convey the confused thoughts.
What happens is horrific and I felt a bit uncomfortable reading about the suffering and outcome - even thought it is fiction. It felt voyeuristic.
December 21, 2022
4.5 stars ⭐️ Absolutely 💔💔💔💔💔
November 30, 2023
What a dark and challenging read!
Definitely a lot. But wow, such a good debut novel!
Definitely a lot. But wow, such a good debut novel!
Read
January 20, 2024no idea how to rate this, too fucked up
November 22, 2022
This is exceptionally well written from my perspective and a poignant yet compassionate look at mental health issues in harsh rural Australia. I would love to say more but I think its better to go into this one knowing less. I highly recommend. Look forward to seeing what else this author writes.
September 7, 2022
This book broke my heart, and I know the story will stay with me for a long time. Without giving too much away, I read the second half in a single night because i simply couldn’t put it down. He offers incredible insight into a life spent in rural NSW while struggling with mental illness, which can only come from lived experience. I’ll be recommending this book to everyone I know, but with the caution that it is shocking and heavy.
September 26, 2022
Wow! I loved this but bear in mind that it can be graphic and confronting.
Content warnings: assault of a child, death of an animal, suicide, child abuse, death of an infant, domestic violence, discussions of sexual assault
Content warnings: assault of a child, death of an animal, suicide, child abuse, death of an infant, domestic violence, discussions of sexual assault
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2022
5 stars for a review just isn't enough. This is a masterpiece. It will leave your mind whirling.
October 19, 2022
Let’s be clear, I bloody hated this book. Not because of anything like “ugh the main character is exhausting” or “the writing is shocking” but for the sole reason the content of this novel is disgusting. There wasn’t a conversation without a f*** in the sentence. Rape and full on graphic aftermath “there’s so much blood coming out of her vagina” kind of rape. There was a murder of his baby and not just… he killed his own kid, no no, he GUTS HIS OWN BABY. It got to the point that I was so disgusted by this book, I wanted to burn it and the only reason I didn’t,is because it was a library book. Nobody should ever have to put such grotesque details into a book to make it memorable. I’ve read books with far more harrowing storylines and they were still written elegantly, delicately, in a way that., isn’t brash. It’s like this whole novel was vulgar and yes, it shocked me - which in a way moved me, which I normally appreciate but I feel like James just wrote about the most disgusting things he could imagine and then was like “it’s mental illness” at the end so no one could point out how basic and brash has it was.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2022
This was wayyy too dark for me. 2.5 🌟
I was expecting Aussie noir psychological drama with some fun twists, but instead got 300+ pages of psychosis and gore and not a single silver lining.
I was expecting Aussie noir psychological drama with some fun twists, but instead got 300+ pages of psychosis and gore and not a single silver lining.
November 3, 2022
Nothing is as it seems in this thriller debut by Australian author James McKenzie Watson.
Nine-year-old Parker grows up on a farm in outback New South Wales. His mother kills herself and his father is distant and Parker blames himself, knowing that something is wrong with him. An incident at a creek solidifies his growing terror and guilt about what happened. As an adult, the birth of his baby son brings back disturbing memories and doubts via flashbacks and when he returns to the creek on a camping trip with friends, he’s forced to face his past with drastic consequences.
The first two parts of this novel was a slow reveal of Parker’s past and some of his present, his friends and his foes. The tension grows as does the disquiet drawn not just from Parker but from the very bleakness of the landscape, the town and its desolation and hopelessness. The relationship between mother and son is as disturbing as it is ferocious.
When I finished part two, my head was swimming trying to work out what the hell just happened, as everything I thought I’d known about this character tumbled away. Had I been sucked in by an unreliable narrator? It certainly seemed so. It took a couple of days to get back into the book as I needed that time to process the shock.
This story burrows into your mind as you try to make sense of the unfolding event, all the while compelling you to turn each heart-thumping page. It’s beautifully written, evocative of language and place.
At the core of this novel is mental health issues in rural Australia, the lack of resources for people and the consequences of what it can do. It’s not a happy or even hopeful story and may be very confronting for some, but nevertheless it’s a powerful and important read.
Nine-year-old Parker grows up on a farm in outback New South Wales. His mother kills herself and his father is distant and Parker blames himself, knowing that something is wrong with him. An incident at a creek solidifies his growing terror and guilt about what happened. As an adult, the birth of his baby son brings back disturbing memories and doubts via flashbacks and when he returns to the creek on a camping trip with friends, he’s forced to face his past with drastic consequences.
The first two parts of this novel was a slow reveal of Parker’s past and some of his present, his friends and his foes. The tension grows as does the disquiet drawn not just from Parker but from the very bleakness of the landscape, the town and its desolation and hopelessness. The relationship between mother and son is as disturbing as it is ferocious.
When I finished part two, my head was swimming trying to work out what the hell just happened, as everything I thought I’d known about this character tumbled away. Had I been sucked in by an unreliable narrator? It certainly seemed so. It took a couple of days to get back into the book as I needed that time to process the shock.
This story burrows into your mind as you try to make sense of the unfolding event, all the while compelling you to turn each heart-thumping page. It’s beautifully written, evocative of language and place.
At the core of this novel is mental health issues in rural Australia, the lack of resources for people and the consequences of what it can do. It’s not a happy or even hopeful story and may be very confronting for some, but nevertheless it’s a powerful and important read.
February 21, 2024
Parker escaped the clutches of his rural NSW small town, moving to Sydney to attend university. Falling in love makes the move a permanent one and at 24, Parker becomes a father. This should be a happy time in his life but repressed memories from his own troubling childhood begin to emerge.
Parker grew up on a remote property with his passive and mostly absent father, and his unpredictable, resentful mother. Parker and his mother fought often, provoking each other in ways that resulted in physical violence.
‘One day,’ she said, ‘you’ll have a child. And when you do, I hope they destroy you like you’ve destroyed me. I hope you look into their eyes when they’re born and see yourself and feel terrified because you know they’re going to make you wish you were dead every day for the rest of your life. If I had a time machine, Parker, I’d go back to when you were a baby and gut you in your cot.’
Aged nine, Parker and his cousin Ruben commit an act of violence against another young boy. This act has Parker fearful of his own mind and the guilt from this incident haunts him. Parker’s fear of himself and what he might do to others informs his decision to keep entirely to himself. Parker’s resolve is weakened as a teenager when his neighbour Nayley breaks through his defences, offering acceptance and inviting him into her friendship with Hazel.
This friendship outlasts school and Parker returns to his hometown to go on a camping trip with his friends. The trip takes a dark turn and Parker’s past struggles bubble to the surface.
Unsettling read. The landscape and tone were bleak. Interesting commentary on the lack of mental health services and support for rural communities. Clever use of fragmented sentences to reflect the diminishing grip on reality.
Parker grew up on a remote property with his passive and mostly absent father, and his unpredictable, resentful mother. Parker and his mother fought often, provoking each other in ways that resulted in physical violence.
‘One day,’ she said, ‘you’ll have a child. And when you do, I hope they destroy you like you’ve destroyed me. I hope you look into their eyes when they’re born and see yourself and feel terrified because you know they’re going to make you wish you were dead every day for the rest of your life. If I had a time machine, Parker, I’d go back to when you were a baby and gut you in your cot.’
Aged nine, Parker and his cousin Ruben commit an act of violence against another young boy. This act has Parker fearful of his own mind and the guilt from this incident haunts him. Parker’s fear of himself and what he might do to others informs his decision to keep entirely to himself. Parker’s resolve is weakened as a teenager when his neighbour Nayley breaks through his defences, offering acceptance and inviting him into her friendship with Hazel.
This friendship outlasts school and Parker returns to his hometown to go on a camping trip with his friends. The trip takes a dark turn and Parker’s past struggles bubble to the surface.
Unsettling read. The landscape and tone were bleak. Interesting commentary on the lack of mental health services and support for rural communities. Clever use of fragmented sentences to reflect the diminishing grip on reality.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews