Bad Man: A Novel

** spoiler alert ** If Penpal were any indication, I knew I would fall for the next book Auerbach wrote. It's been a long time since I've been so engrossed with a story. I really think he excels at dialogue and the characters are so well fleshed out. I really was unsure if Marty was a good guy or not. Auerbach mentions in the epilogue that the setting is based around his experiences working at a grocery store in college, so that feeling of authenticity was tangible. I loved the mysterious things that were happening around the store. I never thought they were paranormal like the place having an evil of its own, and I really wanted them to be the markings of the real "bad man" but they weren't. I'm kind of glad for that but it also leaves me with so many questions! What is Palmer's real involvement with Beverly? How could the man really go unpunished after so many incidents in his store? What happened with Frank and why did he blow off Ben like that? How did the blond kid get into Ben's house and steal Stampie? How did he know how to get Marty's lighter from the treasure box? What is on that roll of film that Marty needed to pick up at the end? I feel like that could've been a creepy thing where the photos could be of Ben searching or his time in the store. But the lack of resolution is ultimately the best choice because I can imagine what's on the film. I think Auerbach really planned everything well, especially with Beverly. She somehow kidnapped Eric, or the blond boy did, changed all the phone numbers on the flyers without the police or anyone taking notice, showed signs of mental illness but played everything off so well at all times like the cake and getting fired, and her whole ending arc in the house and her history of Blackwater and brainwashing the kids. Even mentioning the phone in that upstairs room with the ringer being turned on. Really well planned. Was it Beverly who wrote, "Hi Ben"? I also thought for sure Palmer would catch him during that incident because of how rushed Ben had to be in cleaning up. The book was so suspenseful and infused with excellent guy-talk that it kept me glued throughout my reading sessions. I really got sick of Deidre and I thought the birthday party was one of the best, most messed up, confrontations in recent years. She was a great character to sympathize with but then ultimately come to despise because of her unwavering blame thrown at Ben. Jacob was really a big hero because he had a physical poster that Beverly couldn't alter the phone number for, so when he called, he reached someone other that "Joyce" at the "Missing Persons hotline" and instead found Deidre. Because of him, Ben was able to really hold out more hope, but he definitely messed up in accusing Marty once again. And then he can find his brother. I was really hoping for a happy ending and that Eric would come around and they could be a family again, but good stories like this don't have nice endings. Still, I think in a parallel universe, Ben and Eric are catching up on their five years apart and hopefully never playing hide and seek again. It's hard to find any flaws in this book to rate it less than five stars. For me, it's something I never felt like it was a chore to read. I was fully engrossed and while I expected many cliches to be fulfilled, not a single one happened. I tried to guess who did what and who was who, but I couldn't figure out whodunit and the mysteries, dialogue, and story beats put me on the edge fo my seat for Auerbach's next book.

I am a fan of dark and genuinely frightening books. Last year, I read Penpal by this author, and I couldn't believe how original, unique, remarkable and scary/creepy it was. And so well-written! In my mind, the author had created a kind of masterpiece, one of the best novels of the fright-type. So I couldn't wait for the author's next book, and I preordered Bad Man. I just finished reading it, and to its credit, I read it through. (This only happens when I am truly appreciating the book.) The characters were exceptionally well done. Their dialog was spot-on. And - The beginning of the story was intriguing with a clear hint of menace as the brothers play a game of hide-and-seek. At the supermarket, menace stalks the two boys. (I kept thinking: "Get OUT of that supermarket!) And oh-no - the bathroom scene - so unnerving. I found that the beginning of the story generated fear and chills: I experienced feelings of terror-to-come .... feelings that were also so strong in Penpal. A fine beginning. As the book went forward, I enjoyed the monstrous workings of the store--almost gothic in its importance to the story. The back "innards" of the supermarket (with the carnivorous potential of the awful bale machine) was giving me goosebumps. The manager, as an evil character who was "in charge" --worked extremely well. (Who hasn't--at one point or another--been under the thumb of a truly nasty boss?) Reading along, I realized that this author knows how to finely manipulate his readers. Tons of talent and a wonderfully dark and creative imagination. (Wow. OK - He is sooooo good.) Still, the story did slow for me as the plot seemed to be padded; the tale seemed to be overly-prolonged and lost some of its impact. I think if the book had been "tightened" and there had been a bit less of some of the scenes and character-chats, I would have enjoyed it much more. As it was, I found myself skimming some of the more familiar conversations, such as Ben and the police detective. When the book ended, I was not sure if I entirely understood what had happened, but usually, that doesn't matter to me so much. (I like open-ended books and don't mind loose-ends at all.) Yet, here, where I had invested in such a long read, I was hoping for a bit more .... Still a good read. And I will again pre-order when the author's next book comes out.

there are some interesting ideas on display here, but the writing is pretty amateurish, and far too many subplots / details remain underdeveloped. it's an overlong novel, that tends to spend a bit too much time dragging out the mundane and banal, rather than exploring the above mentioned teased ideas. there's enough to like to keep your attention throughout, and a mostly satisfying ending, but overall in its entirety it just doesn't quite connect as a whole. i found the authors previous work far more effective and resonant, even again with some of the same shortcomings laid out here; hopefully there's potential to further develop the skills to execute something that fires on all cylinders on the next go round. overall, i'd say it's a casual recommend and worth the read, but don't expect shakespeare.

This book is an interesting take on the idea of memory and reality not always meshing. The storytelling and writing were top-notch. Highly recommend checking out the author's book Penpal. It's even better than this one.

Really was blown away from Penpal and had high hopes for this second novel. I have to wonder if it would have been a far better read if the editor had not been involved. His feedback he got during Penpal helped shape a great tale. This one was piled with a mountain of red herrings. It also tried to shift the characterization of Ben in the middle into different light so everything appeared much different on the surface. It didn't work for me. Even at the end if you were supposed to believe what Dathan was leading you to about the bad man the end result didn't get you anywhere with a good resolution. There were other factors outside the bad man himself that negated any possible good resolution and will leave you questioning how or what these things really meant at the end. It's also good to reread the first part as well as reread the small short written in between everything else. I will always be looking for more from Dathan. He's a good writer. This just wasn't the lightning in the bottle he had before.

Ngl I just bought it to support the writer because it's book penpal but recently I started to read it and I'm enjoying it

High expectations were met and exceeded with this genuinely creepy novel about obsession. It’s strange to call something "southern rural supermarket gothic" but that almost seems like the most convenient label. It really makes rural, northern Florida seem like the ends of the Earth and obsession seem like a one way ticket into darkness. A young man searches for his little brother who went missing by getting a job in the supermarket where he disappeared. Ben, the protagonist, comes off as both unnerving and sympathetic and the small town touches are eerily believable. I'm not a person who gets easily creeped out by books but, like Penpal, this one really gets under your skin in an unexpected way. Ultimately, however, it was a little long-winded for my tastes and some of the visual details might have been explained a little more clearly but Bad Man is a fine novel and hopefully a stepping stone to even greater works.

The story somewhat falls in to shambles as it progresses. I suppose that it’s interesting, but it’s not my favorite.