Suspicious Minds (Stranger Things #1)

While this is standard fare Young Adult Fiction and usually I would just move on with my day knowing what problems that genre has, this book causes problems due to being connected to the name Stranger Things. A whole lot of absolutely nothing happens in this book, the standard college kids with a modern view of early 20s in the Vietnam War era. This is perfectly fine on it\’s own. The problem is this book promised us the origin of 11 and her mother. Technically this book does that, but it takes Brenner well out of character compared to his season 1 counterpart, you still through mind numbing amounts of planning and failing and planning and failing, the amount of political pushing is unnecessary (even for a Nam era novel), and the insane and pointless parallels to Lord of the Rings is more than I could tolerate. It has none of the love for it\’s references that the show has. It makes me question if the demographic for this show is adults or early teens. I understand that a female author writing the perspective of a female is important, but instead of an adult novel that not only told me the story of a struggling young woman and her life in a very troubled era of this country while being experimented on (though she not only signed up for this she pretended to be someone else to get into the program in the first place), mostly I got a very anachronistic heist novel that needed to make sure I understood what inclusivity is. Inclusion is important, but berating me with it helps no one. I forgot that the point of the book was to tell us about the MK-Ultra Program because 50% of it was making elaborate plans that never work out and that we know never work out cause we\’ve seen the show. The part where we find out how 11 got to be where she is now is literally in the last chapter. Just skip to there cause it\’s the only bit worth reading. I cannot believe how disappointing this novel was.

While I loved the show, this prequel provides many things I was craving: more exploration of the world, Stephen King-esque homages, and—above all—a great cast of women characters!

This was an absolutely brilliant read. As someone obsessed with any-and-all-things Stranger Things, as well as everything that inspired it — I am a Stephen King/Steven Spielberg/80\’s nut — I was both excited and nervous about this new novel. My fears were swiftly pushed aside from page one. The author, Gwenda Bond, has achieved everything about what makes the original show so great, while at the same time bringing her own unique touches and ideas to the story, reestablishing together characters we\’ve come to already know and introduce us to some brand new faces that manage to add new depth to the story. What I respected the most was Bond\’s ability to tell a story entirely her own without invalidating what information has already been provided to us through the show itself. In doing so, she manages to make the book and her writing stand on its own, honoring what made the television show so special and adding something just as special to it. As I read, I fell in love with the new and engaging characters while the story captivated me on a multitude of levels, answering many of the persisting questions I had about both the \”Stranger Things\” and Hawkins Lab mythology without taking away its mystery and mystique. Another aspect of the novel that I appreciated was the way in which it brought a significant season two character full circle. This was a character that many fans of the show, myself included, had written off entirely, not showing any particular care or interest. And that was the character of 008, or Kali as we\’ve come to know her. I, like many others, was not a fan of the much talked about seventh episode of Season 2. The addition of Kali, and her gang of Chicago street toughs, is one of the most polarizing moments of the show thus far. Many viewers like myself didn\’t connect with, didn\’t like, or didn\’t respect her character. Ultimately, we didn\’t see the point of her being there. For myself, the most nagging question I had watching the episode was: \”Why did Eleven go all this way to find her mother only to leave her immediately to go find this mysterious girl we have never met before?\” Bond offers a brilliant answer. In her writing, she brings Kali and Eleven\’s mother, Terry Ives, together in a stunning, beautiful, and almost tragic way. This significant plot-device adds a whole new layer to the show, making one look at that much-maligned Episode 7 of Season 2 and the character of Kali in a much different way. What impressed me was Bond\’s ability to keep me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Having watched the show countless times, I know all too well what becomes of Terry Ives, Dr. Brenner, Kali, and eventually Baby Jane or Eleven. But Bond kept my full attention, had me holding out hope that things will turn out okay, despite myself knowing the truth of what happens next. The end result is a tragic tale that at times brought a tear to my eye. But what I appreciated the most about \”Suspicious Minds\” was the way it introduces the reader to a whole new era of American history and culture. While the television show focuses on the 80\’s and the Reagan era, \”Suspicious Minds\” takes the reader back to the late 60\’s/early 70\’s Nixon and Vietnam era — a time period only hinted at in the show. In doing so, Bond is able to accomplish what the show has done so successfully — bring the reader right into the world in which it is set, providing entertainment and the occasional history lesson. This novel is a brilliant addition to the Stranger Things Extended Universe. It is a must read for any fan. Even if you\’ve never seen an episode of Stranger Things (what are you waiting for?), the book itself is still a wonderful read and is easy to follow. If you are coming into the world of Stranger Things and Hawkins Lab for the first time, you won\’t find yourself lost or confused. I, for one, am anxiously looking forward to not just what future Stranger Things novels will reveal (such as the recently released \”Darkness on the Edge of Town\” and \”Runaway Max\”), but also digging deeper into the work of Gwenda Bond. This novel has made me a fan! Thank you, Gwenda!

I\’ll be honest, I had a little bit higher expectations for the language of this book than perhaps I should have. Whatever I hoped for, this fell a little bit short. But I would still recommend it for any fan of Stranger Things as mandatory reading — just don\’t expect a book you\’re going to fall madly in love with. I haven\’t read anything else from Gwenda Bond, so I don\’t know what her usual writing style is. I found her plot and character construction to be a little flat, a little boring, a little cliche. Her dialogue was especially cringey. It read like a book meant for much, much younger audiences. The pacing is uneven. The turning points in the plot are weak. The 70\’s references are, at times, a little clunky and loud. I was hoping for more subtle finesse with those things. Now having said that, I still enjoyed reading this because in the end, it\’s still Stranger Things and I still found myself devouring it over the course of a day. I was hungry for more info about Terry Ives and loved, loved getting a glimpse to who Eleven\’s father was, and why he isn\’t in the picture in the show. I wanted more about Brenner, and got a bit. I\’m curious to see if they will weave any of the threads they left hanging at the end of this book into Season Three, and rather hope they do. The bit we got about El herself was interesting. And overall, it really solidified Brenner\’s absolute depravity and creepiness, as if we didn\’t already know. So while this book won\’t knock your socks off, it\’s fun and enough dosage of Stranger Things to tide you over until the next season drop. I\’ll be looking forward to the Hopper book coming out in June!

Pretty cool. Author obviously went to great lengths to make sure plot meshed with tv show. A little slower than I wanted but big finish was worth it. Highly recommended and can\’t wait for another one.

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