There are times where I think Wells goes a bit too far in depth and gets a bit too preoccupied with things like the technical details of how embalming works, but I guess it's in the nature of a serial killer (and John in particular) to become fixated on objects and processes. The minimal complexity and Wells' poetic writing style allows the story to flow and allows the reader to focus on John and his inner workings. There are a few twists, turns, and shocks in there, but all in all the plot is just a framework for the real story of John, how he reacts to each situation, and how far he is willing to go eliminate this serial killer. The plot is not an overly complex one, a demonic serial killer starts picking off townspeople one by one and John, by tapping into his inner serial killer, is able to figure out who the serial killer is and what he needs to do to stop it. The objects that fascinate him most are serial killers because deep down John knows that he is destined to become a serial killer and only by learning as much about them as possible can he avoid his fate. He thinks about things much differently to others - everything and everyone is an object for him to figure out. John has known that he isn't 'normal' for a long time. I Am Not A Serial Killer tells the story of John Wayne Cleaver, a 15 year old boy who lives and works with his mother at a mortuary and has been diagnosed with sociopathy. This is not just lip service to help raise the profile of a friend, Wells is an incredibly talented author and his 2010 debut novel I Am Not A Serial Killer is one of the best, and creepiest, debut novel's I have ever read. Dan Wells is close friends with Brandon Sanderson, one of my favourite authors, so many of my web searches often turned up interviews with Brandon Sanderson telling the world just how good an author Dan Wells is. I'd heard a lot about this book before I finally got the chance to read it.

Perhaps that’s what gives him the clarity to recognize that something is frighteningly different about the freshest body on the slab.įor the first time, John must confront a danger outside his own mind, a threat he cannot control, a menace to everything and everyone he would love, if only he could.

They don’t ask for the empathy he’s unable to offer. Having grown up helping his mom at the family mortuary, dead bodies are no big deal to John. Yet terrible impulses constantly tempt him. Obsessed with serial killers, he never wants to be one. John Wayne Cleaver is dangerous, and he knows it. He sets strict rules to keep himself “good” and “normal,” but when a real monster shows up in his town he has to let his dark side out in order to stop it–but without his rules to keep him in check, he might be more dangerous than the monster he’s trying to kill. I Am Not A Serial Killer is the story of John Cleaver, a 15-year-old sociopath who works in a mortuary, dreams about death, and thinks he might be turning into a serial killer.

I am not a serial killer