Synopses & Reviews
A mother's guilt. Two sons, one hiding a dark secret, the other permanently impaired by a childhood injury. These are the explosive elements that comprise Careful!
Richard Madelin's devastating and suspenseful debut novel. As a child, Lenny had an accident that left him mentally challenged, prone to be exploited by the world around him, particularly by his mother Alice, who believes that through strict discipline, such as putting out burning cigarettes on his hand, Lenny will "see the light,"and become normal again. But when Lenny's estranged brother Jack, a policeman, moves back into their small English village, Alices decides to have Lenny kidnap him, which leads to a series of tragic family revelations, and finally, murder. Told entirely in interior monologue, Careful!is a stunning tapestry of language, violence and emotion, reminiscent of Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Timeand Joyce Carol Oates' Zombie.
Review
"The name of the book is Careful!, but the risks it takes are not. In a phenomenal literary performance, Madelin creates and sustains a difficult narrative voice with the virtuoso control of a tightrope walker." Andrew Lewis Conn, Author, P: A Novel
Synopsis
A gripping literary debut, Careful! is the story of one mother’s desperate attempt to reunite her family. As a child, Lenny had an accident that left him mentally challenged, prone to be exploited by the world around him. However, he will always be safe as long as his devoted mother, Alice, is able to protect him. But when Alice decides to use Lenny to kidnap his estranged brother Jack, a series of devastating events are set in motion. Told entirely in interior monologue, Careful! is a stunning tapestry of language, violence and emotion, reminiscent of Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
Richard Madelin lives in Somerset, England. His stories have appeared in The Guardian, Radio Four BBC and Heinemann’s Best.
Synopsis
A gripping story of maternal excess, kidnapping and murder.
About the Author
Richard Madelin lives in Somerset, England. His stories have appeared in The Guardian, London Magazine, Heinemann's Best, and have been performed on BBC Radio. He has also been nominated for a Pushcart Prize.