Customer Reviews

A Stranger Like You: A Novel

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Author Elizabeth Brundage definitely knows how to write. Her intelligence and skill with characters shines through on each page but sadly what this book is being marketed as is in no way what it actually is. You see the cover and read the synopsis on the back with the huge letters advertising "a taut and terrifying thriller." The story is described as being about a man Hugh Waters who had written a script that was accepted to be produced by Gladiator Films. When the executive producer who gave the go ahead is replaced by Hedda Chase she quickly cancels the production due to the over the top violence. Hugh decides to teach Hedda a lesson and flies to LA, stalks her and then kidnaps her and locks her in the truck of her car leaving it at the airport parking lot which was the plot of his script. He wants to prove to her that the actions were not implausible as she stated. All this does indeed occur at the beginning of the novel but it is not a starting point of a suspenseful, exciting thriller but rather a premise that leads to deep character studies of a handful of characters and what ends up being more of a thread among them all is not so much Hedda's kidnapping but rather the Iraqi war, the Islam people and the effect war and differing societies have on all people.

Author Brundage succeeds at a high level in her character studies. We have Hugh Waters, Hedda Chase, her boyfriend Tom Foster, the Islam exchange student Fatima and Iraqi war veteran Denny as the main characters. Sadly the way the novel is described and presented readers will be expecting the suspenseful read promised and many will be turned off totally by what is presented for it is not what they had been promised. Had it been described correctly then the proper audience for this intense piece of work would be picking it up for a read. This novel is intense. The characters are very believable, very troubled and all have lives and stories that have made them jaded. We get to know them all fully. Those expecting a thriller will be very surprised by how Hugh just goes on with his life after putting Hedda in the trunk and feels very little about it. It is quickly obvious that he is psychotic and being inside his head actually begins what becomes a character study of many. The way the Iraqi war is added into the plot is actually very inventive. The war is such a part of our culture right now and to read different perspectives on its effects on people is always an intense, necessary read. War and its effects has a great impact on people, their beliefs and how we live our lives. Hedda is presented as very unlikable at first but when we get to know her deeply and why she is the way she is she becomes a very sympathetic character.

The ending tries to return to the thriller theme and it is not a total success. It relies on totally circumstantial happenings which the reader is asked to accept but put those aside and you have a very good novel here. I hope potential readers take the time to sift through the reviews here so they see what the novel is really about. It is an intense, perhaps troubling read with characters that will stay with you. And that person in a trunk. This book is actually about the war and how difficult life and the world can be. Intelligent and very perceptive, I highly recommend this novel but just say please note - it is not a thriller as described on the book.

It all starts with a Premise!!

Hugh Waters was so excited that he had sold his script. His whole life was about to change. Then a new person was put in charge so the contract was canceled. He believed the new person, Hedda Chase, was wrong when she said "NO!" to his project. So Hugh jumped on a plane to Los Angeles just to talk to her, make her see the script was good.

The conversation didn't go as planned when she declared his story unbelievable. Stressed to a breaking point, Hugh decided to reenact the terrifying ending using Miss Chase as the victim. Now her life hangs in the balance when Hugh plan takes an unplanned turn.


This is story about how far someone may go to fulfill his dreams. Set in the high pressure of life in Hollywood, it is a scary look at just how quickly things can go wrong. I would characterize the story as more intense psychological story than as a thriller.

The characters are uniquely fit together, sometimes at too much of a coincidence to ring true, but the characters themselves are believable with their many faults. Hugh is bored with his life, including both his job and his marriage. I felt sorry for his wife. The character of Hedda Chase is very unlikable so it takes a little work on the part of the reader to become concerned about her fate. The homeless girl showing up at weird times and places gave me pause. Bringing in a character, Denny, an Iraqi war vet adds a sense of current events to the story, but again his actions were confusing at times.

With all that said I did enjoy the book, it just was not what I expected. It was much more psychological as first Hugh definitely suffers a break from reality but it seems all the other characters do as well. This turns into a character study set off by one event that connects it each character to the others.

The way the story itself was written was the part that made it interesting, as it was told from the points of view of three different people and we actually got to read what was in their minds, what they were thinking. To me this saved the book. The characters were well written the plot just seemed forced and contrived.

This is the first book I have read by this author and understand her past novel, The Doctor's Wife, was very successful and received excellent reviews so I will probably add it to my wish list. This one was just a bit off the mark for me.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Plume Books, A Division of The Penguin Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

A Stranger Like You is well written, and its premise of a frustrated screenwriter taking his revenge on the producer who turned him down by forcing her to live the plot she rejected as implausible is interesting and, I think, unique. However, the book was seriously diminished by the fact that I didn't like and could not sympathize with any of the characters.

Hugh Waters, the wannabe screenwriter, has left his wife (unbeknownst to her) and job to stake everything on his screenplay. Soon after arriving in Los Angeles, he begins stalking Hedda Chase, the screenwriter who pulled the plug on the film for which his screenplay had originally been accepted.

Hedda is an ambitious woman who has put everything into her career, enabling her to rise quickly but also requiring that she be willing to make hard, absolute decisions. When Hugh maneuvers his way into meeting her, she makes clear that there is no hope for his screenplay being produced.

Hedda's limited personal life does allow room for her boyfriend, Tom, if only he will commit to her and leave his wife. Hugh, in turn, after blithely informing his wife that he never plans to return from his "business trip," finds a girlfriend in Ida. One rung above him in the Hollywood food chain, she gets paid for her writing, although none of it ends up in production. Meanwhile, Daisy, a homeless rat fancier, and Denny, a petty criminal, find that they're right for one another.

All of the players finally connect when Hugh kidnaps Hedda and abandons her in the locked trunk of a car Denny steals. All of this takes more than half the book to happen, and if I'd found the characters more enjoyable, it would have been an intriguing half. However, ultimately I just did not care what happened to any of them; their bad fortune seemed inevitable, and any good luck, undeserved.

The cover blurb describes A Stranger Like You as a "taut and terrifying thriller about the lengths we will go to, to make our dreams come true." The last half of the statement is explored very well in the book, and is the basis for the 3 stars I give it. The first half is, unfortunately, absent. It is more of a rambling and tepid adventure of a group of characters in which I had no investment, leaving me indifferent to their fates and ultimately, indifferent to the book.

Admittedly, I had heard some negative comments about Elizabeth Brundage's "A Stranger Like You" before reading it. Unfortunately, the book--which is an accomplished piece of writing--has fallen victim to its own marketing campaign. Billing itself as a thriller may not serve the book well in the long run. The book jacket, alone, convinces the reader they are in for a harrowing story of revenge and kidnapping. And plot-wise, that does describe the essence of "Stranger." But those seeking fast paced chills may be a bit taken aback by the contemplative nature of Brundage's work. As a character study, "A Stranger Like You" really delivers. Commenting on Hollywood, feminism, and even war--Brundage packs this novel with plenty of insight and has a real gift for language.

When a successful, yet unlikable, film executive rejects a violently implausible script--the screenwriter is none too pleased to be cast aside. Stalking and abducting the powerful woman to prove the merits of his own story, the screenwriter seemingly falls over the edge of sanity. This incident is the catalyst for the remainder of the novel, but instead of playing for excitement--the story really delves into the psychological implications of the act and what led each participant to this particular moment. And it is a really accomplished work. Brundage's capacity to get into the minds of her characters is a singular talent. My feelings about every major player within the novel shifted as more of their personal stories begun to be revealed.

In truth, the ending does rely on some pretty large coincidences--but I absolutely think that Brundage successfully reaches her goals. I found "A Stranger Like You" to be an odd, yet fascinating read. It's such an unglamorous portrait of Hollywood and can be so somberly depressive--but that just makes it more compelling when unlikely heroes emerge and redemption comes when you least expect it. "A Stranger Like You" may get lost on the thriller shelves, but it's a shame. It's bigger and better than that--but its own advertising may set false expectations for those looking for light entertainment!

Elizabeth Brundage has written a captivating novel that is driven by both plot and great characters. Nothing is simple in A Stranger Like You. Characters that at first appear self-centered and unlikable turn out to be heroic to some degree, while those who initially seemed sympathetic end up deserving their awful fates. This nuance gives the novel more substance than the usual thriller while still offering enough action to keep readers turning the pages.

One of the characters that I especially enjoyed is Denny, a disabled veteran from the Iraq War. He's crazy, but the kind of crazy that sometimes makes him appear wise and righteous. He is at once a criminal and a killer, a young man done wrong by his country and family, and a hero who saves the day for another of the main characters. By the end of the book, the unappealing Denny has become someone you root for and hope he catches a break as he moves on with his life.

Overall this is a very good read with important themes that make the story and its people stick with you. If you like intelligent thrillers, this is for you.

I can honestly say I have read hundreds and hundreds of books in my short life-time, and this was the one of most unique and fascinating one I have ever read. It began in one beautiful and sad place, then ended up in a completely new and hectic, chaotic finale where all of the characters exploded into crystalline detail. I didn't cry, but I thought for a good 24 hours long and hard about what the hell the book meant to me. Excuse me while I go read it five more times.

This book drives home the hidden costs of ego driven cruelty and of war. The cascading damage to people and countries. This is not an easy read or beach book. Tension builds as each character appears with their own narrow perpectives ... Yes, the world is all about each of them and they tend to not think much beyond themselves.
The end was very weak, but the rest of the book was excellent.

I really enjoyed this book and I couldn't put it down! It was a mystery, thriller, and psychological case study all rolled into one. The book switches point of view with one character - to the second person POV which took some getting used to. It's always interesting, too, to see the viewpoint of a character who doesn't seem to realize how horrible he is - he justifies his terrorizing actions and doesn't see himself as evil. I thoroughly enjoyed this book as it was a real page turner for me. Highly recommended!

Your characters are gritty and real. Life is messy and you show that in your work. The reality is that people face moral dilemmas, have their dreams quashed and still must go on. Your characters all have their struggles and challenges and you show how they work through them to get to their resolution- or not. I can't wait for your next book.

Gladiator Films producer Hedda Chase rejects the script of The Adjuster that her late predecessor approved. The scriptwriter New Jersey insurance underwriter Hugh Waters rages. His violence against women script contains no hint of a redeeming quality. Leaving his wife behind, a fuming, in spite of being paid for his script, Hugh goes to Hollywood to confront Hedda.

In her driveway, he demands she explain why she said no. He ignoring her response as nothing she says will appease him. Instead Hugh drugs Hedda and dumps her in the trunk of her BMW. He drives her car to A Los Angeles Airport parking lot and leaves. He next meets and becomes friends with Hedda's married boyfriend documentary filmmaker Tom Foster. Hugh begins a reinvented life in California while Hedda struggles to survive as her car is stolen by war veteran Denny and Daisy a runaway heading to Vegas.

This is an exciting psychological thriller that deftly follows the thoughts and escapades of the lead trio (Hugh, Hedda, and Denny) though the viewpoints applied differ as for instance the producer is from a second person POV and almost seems like a camera perspective; the others are more first and third person. Entertaining, fans will enjoy this fine tale in which Hollywood considers going Abu Dhabi.

Harriet Klausner