Freak -- Out

Because he publishes a new novel every year (unlike other bestselling, foot-dragging fantasy novelists), I've had many occasions here on the blog to write about my love-hate relationship with Terry Brooks. On the love side: I discovered him as an impressionable teenager and so I over-praised him -- not unlike many I know who loved The Wheel of Time books (reading them decades before I sampled and failed to finish them). On the opposite side, I fully recognize that the quality of his books has slipped steadily over the years -- and yet I can't bring myself to quit.

One of his recent novels could go a long way toward helping me kick the habit. Street Freaks is a stand-alone tale from Brooks, not tied to any series, and a departure in more ways than that. It's his first foray into science fiction. Set in a future version of Los Angeles, Street Freaks is the story of a young teen named Ash Collins. Pursued by assassins who killed his father, Ash hides out with a group of outcasts in a notorious section of the city. Why are people after him? And why did Ash's father use his final message to direct Ash specifically to this gang of misfits?

There are a few ways in which Brooks uses this book to try new things. After dozens and dozens of novels, this is his first ever to be written in the present tense. It's also one of the few to never switch narrative perspective, being told entirely from the point of view of the main character. These two decisions work together to make the book feel like more intimate. It's not first-person, but it's the next closest thing, making the story feel personal and immediate.

Immediacy seems to be a particular focus for Brooks here; this book is more compact and tightly paced than others he's written. It's not action on every page, but it is action right from the first page -- as opposed to most of his books that take a few early chapters to establish character before really diving into plot.

But in other ways, Terry Brooks is slipping back into his familiar habits. Once again, he's writing a book filled with young characters, and leaning even more into a YA fiction vibe than usual. There's an awkward romance shoehorned in, involving one character slowly trying to wear down the other's protests of how they just aren't right for each other. (Guess which one's the female?)

There's a high fantasy "chosen one" element woven into the story. Ash is given the trait of having an exceptional memory, which unfortunately is mishandled in key ways. First, it's something that both the reader and the other characters are just asked to take on faith for about half the book; there are no demonstrations of this ability for 150+ pages. Second, the unfolding plot strongly suggests that there's a reason Ash has this ability. This leads you to believe for the entire book that you've guessed the ending... only for Ash's memory to be completely unexplained in the end. I'm not sure what's worse, to have a flashing neon Chekhov's Gun, or to introduce a Chekhov's Gun that's never fired. What I do know for sure: I wound up disappointed twice, once when I thought I'd guessed the ending 10% into the book, then again when the end left me with an unresolved plot point.

This little side trip into science fiction by Terry Brooks hasn't delayed his other writing. The four-book series he's in the midst of right now, the one he's said will conclude his long-running Shannara series, is still on its schedule with a new book every year. (The third book was released a few months ago.) Since I've already started that series, and have been reading Shannara books almost as long as I've been reading books (that don't come with a vinyl record telling me when to turn the page), I'm probably committed to finish those. But Street Freaks was a powerful motivator for me to cut Brooks off after that. I give the book a D. Even if you're a fan of his other writing, this one is best skipped.