Deprivation is a must-read
Roy Freirich’s Deprivation (Meerkat Press, March, 2020) is a book that could be described as a beautifully crafted trap. At first, the reader imagines that it will be one of those classic horror-thriller books, as all the ingredients are there: a vacation island, likable but life-scarred characters, strange events leading to random violence and satisfying gore. And yes, you can absolutely read Deprivation as a great beach novel, along with the latest Stephen King, Peter Straub or Dean Koontz. But, like I said, it is a trap as it conveys a much deeper and disturbing reflection on humanity, not far from Albert Camus’s The Plague, José Samarago’s Blindness or Josh Malerman’s Bird Box. Beyond the mystery of the disease that turns people into feral but conscious zombies lies the question on mass hysteria, modern technology and the slow dissolution of empathy in our society. Extremely well written, with precise and convincing descriptions, realistic characters and a deep-reaching plot. Deprivation is a must-read.
(Review by Seb Doubinsky, author of the City-States Cycle series)
DEPRIVATION by Roy Freirich
GENRE: Psychological Thriller
RELEASE DATE: 3/3/20
SUMMARY: A gripping psychological thriller from the author of Winged Creatures. August, Carratuck Island, New York: a silent child is found abandoned on the beach clutching a handheld video game, and residents and tourists alike find themselves stricken by relentless insomnia. Denied the outlet of dreams—fears, guilt, and primal urges find other ways to surface. A teenage girl competes in an online game: who can stay awake longest? The bleary police chief struggles to keep order. The local doctor battles the ghosts of his past to find the cause and a cure for the epidemic, and face down the violent mob that blames the child. Cut off from the mainland, the island plunges into chaos, murder, and suicide.
BUY LINKS: Meerkat Press |Amazon | Barnes & Noble
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Roy Freirich leads multiple lives as a writer. He adapted his novel Winged Creatures for the film Fragments, and has written screenplays for Fox Searchlight, Dreamworks, Warner Brothers, and Sony. His lyrics have been sung by legends Aretha Franklin, Smokey Robinson, and Patti Labelle, among many others. He lives with his wife, ever-patient editor and frequent cowriter, Debrah, in Malibu, California. Visit him online at www.royfreirich.com.
