The Follower (Hardcover)

by Jason Starr (Author)
Key Phrases: Scrub Boy, Peter Wells, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Murder stalks a love triangle in New York City in Starr's low-key thriller, his most crowd-pleasing novel to date. Katie Porter believes her encounter at the health club with Peter Wells is total chance. What she doesn't know is that Peter once dated her sister back in her hometown and has elaborate plans to marry her, after waiting a couple of weeks for the perfect romantic moment to pop the question. And she doesn't have a clue that her current boyfriend, Andy Barnett, is ready to dump her. A twenty-three-year-old single guy in Manhattan, Andy is a male animal on the prowl, checking out all the action: The clothes were loose, but it looked like she had a nice body—thin anyway, which was all that really mattered. Starr (Lights Out) is a master at capturing the minute-by-minute lives of vacuous yuppies, and he absolutely shines with these characters. When Peter decides he needs to eliminate the competition, this Looking for Ms. Goodbar suddenly becomes a very funny, dark social satire. (Aug.)
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From Booklist
Starr writes dark comedies about dim bulbs. Sometimes it works--Lights Out (2006) featured an entertaining premise and a frantic pace--and sometimes it doesn't, which is the case here. Set in the party-hearty world of twentysomething Manhattanites, The Follower offers a tepid premise (a stalker sets his sights on a shallow young woman[...]), formulaic satire (the characters say like a lot and shop at Banana Republic), and uninspired delivery (the characters use cliches, and so does the author). It's a thriller with no thrills. If we cared about the characters, it might be suspenseful, but one suspects that even Starr doesn't care about them. It's fine if they're shallow jerks, but couldn't they be interesting shallow jerks? A better writer would search for sparks of humanity even in psychos and lame-o's. Many consider Starr a rising star in the genre, and his name on a spine will draw fans. But he often coasts, and here he has taken it out of gear entirely: this trip to the singles bars will leave readers desperate for a ride home. Keir Graff
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur (August 7, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312359748
• ISBN-13: 978-0312359744
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,084,220 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Defies convention from the git-go, October 30, 2007

By	Bookreporter.com (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

No one is writing books quite like Jason Starr. His latest novel is labeled a "thriller," and yes, it is most definitely that --- I was actually afraid to read the last several pages, for what they might reveal --- but like his other books, Starr's narratives handily slice in and out of life, shattering character and plot stereotypes to an unsettling degree. The reader never knows what is going to happen or how it will happen. Starr, however, does quite a bit more in THE FOLLOWER than turn an expectation or two upside down.

The book defies convention from the git-go. Starr begins things slowly, almost agonizingly so, setting up his main characters and a few secondary ones with a minimum of flash before he begins to tantalizingly disrobe their psyches. The main story ebbs and flows around Katie Porter and Peter Wells. Porter is from a small New England town, an administrative assistant fresh out of college living in Manhattan and working for a financial PR agency. But her life, as she is rapidly discovering, is neither as exciting nor as fulfilling as she thought it would be. Wells is a few years older than Porter, from the same small town, and also living in Manhattan. He is in love with her and has their life together planned out to the last nuance; he sets up a chance meeting, starts finding reasons to run into her, and slowly begins interjecting himself into her life.

No one is going to stop Porter's Peter Pan boyfriend (least of all Andy Barnett), who seems as bent on seducing everyone who moves (provided they meet his careful and exacting standards) as he is on convincing Porter to offer him the marble peach. Porter, however, is not exactly blameless. Indeed, it would be tough to pick a winner in a three-way bet among Porter, Barnett and a bassinet to pick the shallowest of the group. Porter's and Barnett's friends, with the exception of Porter's roommate, aren't much better. Wells, on the other hand, is by no means shallow. He is actually quite deep, a yawning, dangerous, dark chasm that is patiently waiting to swallow Porter and anyone who gets in his way.

Starr would have created a riveting tale just sticking to his basic plot, letting it unfurl and displaying what happens. But he takes different vignettes in THE FOLLOWER and examines each from the perspective of the participants, by showing how different each person's version of the same truth becomes. This method is particularly effective after the first extended outing between Wells and Porter; as the reader learns of the events first through Wells's eyes and then through Porter's, it becomes more than obvious that the book will either have a horrifying ending or result in horrors without end. Or both.

In the space of just a few novels, Starr seems on the verge of creating a genre unto himself, and THE FOLLOWER is one more, very important reason why.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A quick and entertaining read, September 13, 2008

By	Brenda Janowitz "Author of JACK WITH A TWIST ... (New York City, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a chick lit author, I love any book that begins with a Jane Austen quote. Especially one that's cleverly used, as in the opener to Jason Starr's psychological thriller, THE FOLLOWER.

THE FOLLOWER is a dark tale about Katie Porter, and the man who stalks her, Peter Wells. Just one warning: Parents--you may never let your children move into their own apartment in Manhattan after you read this!

Starr does an excellent job of portraying single life amongst the 20-somethings living on the Upper East Side of Manhattan--and then skewering it. I loved the irony of how Katie's creepy stalker, Peter, actually has many of the things that Katie would want in a man--the expensive co-op apartment, the big bank account, and the subtle good looks. Starr is making a powerful statement about single life in New York City, what we think we want, and what we deserve to get.

I was highly entertained by this book, and you will be, too. It was the first Jason Starr novel that I've ever read, and I will be back to read more.

4.0 out of 5 stars a good ride, July 14, 2009

By	crankyreviewer "Del" (anywhere) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Follower (Mass Market Paperback)

I've always enjoyed Jason Starr's work. This book perhaps wasn't as strong as some of his previous books, but nonetheless it's an enjoyable read and a great noir journey through NYC.