Customer Reviews

In This Way I Was Saved: A Novel

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

While mental illness was definitely at the core of this book, there was also a sinister ghostly aspect to this novel that permeated throughout. Luke's relationship with Daniel, beginning at the tender age of 6, is never fully revealed, but there are multiple histories buried within the plot that lead me to speculate Daniel was more than just Luke's imaginary friend. Luke's coping mechanisms for dealing with his parent's divorce are skewed by his mother Claire's metal illness and her erratic personality constantly impedes Luke's development as an individual. Where Daniel fits into all that is originally as that of a much needed companion, but as Luke becomes more independent, especially in college, no longer under the oppressive eye of Claire, Daniel's influence leads Luke to more destructive behavior. With the final culmination comes a dynamic collision between Luke and Daniel that will leave readers guessing as to the true nature of their existence.

When I first started reading, I picked up the on premise relatively quickly, drawn in by the bleak landscape and tense atmosphere. But it was a little too rigid and uptight at times, and I was frustrated with Claire's desperation and Luke's indifference and inaction. Though I was not fully engaged during the entire duration, the creepiness and the desire to read the final showdown kept me engaged.

I was really surprised I liked the novel IN THIS WAY I WAS SAVED so much. When I first started reading the book and discovered Daniel does not have a corporal presence outside of his "friend" Luke I was afraid the novel would be too surreal and ambiguous for my taste. However the book is so fast moving and convincingly written that I could barely put it down until I reached the ending which I found perfect and chilling.

The story is set in the very often used environment of privileged Manhatton. In part one we meet Luke as he meets Daniel and both are presented as six years old. Luke invites Daniel home and we soon find Luke's parents are divorcing and Luke's mother who has inherited a publishing house that specializes in suspense novels has quite a few emotional issues. Luke and his mom with bodiless Daniel hidden away in a trunk abandon New York City soon after to spend the winter in solitude on deserted Fire Island. There Daniel convinces Luke to do a horrible act which forces Luke's mother to move back to Manhattan and consult a psychiatrist for her son who blames his "imaginary" friend Daniel for misdeeds.

Daniel goes in to hiding for twelve years thanks probably to Luke's use of antipsychotic drugs and more stability in his life. Then in part two Luke's mother starts to mentally unravel and Daniel is back asserting control. Daniel's influence really increases in the third part of the book when Luke enrolls at a university that sounds a lot like Princeton. Luke's college experience contains more evil doings and eventual tragedy.

I was surprised how many reviewers believe this story is simply one of familial mental illness. I felt that the author strongly implies Daniel is a supernatural being rather than just the product of psychosis. Apparently something in his mother's family history makes Luke more susceptible for such a doppelganger but this is just hinted at and never fully explained. IN THIS WAY I WAS SAVED is an entertaining, thought provoking, read with just the right balance between horror and reality to make it memorable and disturbing.

I have slowed my breathing down; I have willed my heart to stop beating so rapidly. My eyes scan the cover of the novel again and again. I find myself almost obsessively drawn to the shoes and smoke. Who is Daniel? I ask myself. Who is he? Where did he come from? Luke?... I try to begin the review, I tell myself focus, what was In This Way I Was Saved about? I can't stop looking at the cover and thinking: Who is Daniel and what does he mean to each of us?

Luke is a sick little boy, or is he? In the beginning Daniel is not necessarily timid but easy going, Daniel is a way for a small mind to cope with his father's departure. Later the bond grows sick and twisted. With the death of Luke's dog Midnight Daniel is regulated to a caged existence inside of Luke's skull. Kept there with little yellow pills and mounds of mental discipline.

On the eve of another one of Luke's mother's breakdowns the shackles are released and Daniel is one again free to roam alongside his best friend and keeper. What follows is confusion, murder, drugs, depression, sex, and finally self-realization in a crystallized moment from a six year old boy. Who is Daniel?

It is hard to see Luke as he truly is. The reader honestly has no idea how he feels except for the few insightful glimpses we are given through Daniel's eyes. Does he know he is sick? Truly sick? Is Daniel some tagalong ghost or the just an imaginary friend used to cope with the harsh reality that sane people find sometimes too much to handle? The answer is I don't know and no one will unless you are Daniel or you know him intamitely.

Brian DeLeeuw is a riveting, fascinating author who uses minced words and revulsion of the human race and their pathetic existence to give Daniel a voice. This is a true novel and I recommend it to anyone looking for an extraordinary view on reality and living.

Everything about this book held promise. From the cover design, the marketing copy, and the wonderful first line about a boy waiting for a mother to tell her he has murdered her only son, I was expecting great things from this novel. It's a shame that things went awry so quickly, because I think this is a writer with great promise. But I immediately felt cheated when I realized the author was trying to do some sort of SIXTH SENSE kind of thing with the character of Daniel (like, around page 5 or 6), which made me resistant to go along with him on this journey. It would have been better if he had just called Daniel an imaginary friend right from the start; to do otherwise insults the reader's intelligence. I also found the plot, if one can call it that, to be rather plodding. This was not a book I was eager to return to and begin reading again. And worst of all, the characters were pitiable, rather than sympathetic. The writing here is good and the premise ambitious, so I would not rule out reading more from this author. But, for me, IN THIS WAY I WAS SAVED was a disappointment.

Every once in awhile a book comes along that grabs you from the very first paragraph. IN THIS WAY I WAS SAVED by Brian DeLeeuw is THAT kind of book, to the tenth degree.

Main characters Daniel and Luke establish a relationship at the tender age of six years old. They instantly become inseparable and, at times, undistinguishable one from the other. As they grow from child to adult, both battle and manipulate to gain control over their own relationship, as well as their dual relationships with Luke's mother, father and step-sister.

It's not rare that a book brings you along on it's journey, but it is very rare the way IN THIS WAY I WAS SAVED gets you so enmeshed in the story and the characters that there are times when you are actually removed from your own reality and into the fiction-reality of the book. The story has fascinating twists and turns, but all the while stays focused on the relationship between Luke and Daniel. It is easy to see how this title might at some point be turned into a major motion picture.

Author Brian DeLeeuw has a gift of storytelling, and I already look forward to future titles from this author. Plain and simple. Buy this book. It's worth every penny.

This is going to be a hard book to review without spoilers!

As this was Brian DeLeeuw's first novel, I had no preconceptions or prejudgements going into this story. All I had was the synopsis on the back cover.

Luke meets Daniel at the tender age of 6, and he quickly invites Daniel to be a part of his life. Over time, Daniel and Luke become inseparable and Daniel becomes jealous of the other people in Luke's life.

Daniel manipulates and coerces Luke into doing some unspeakable things...and in the end, it comes down to a matter of will - who has the stronger will to survive?

I read this during a recent plane trip and I found myself wishing the flight was longer so I didn't have to stop reading in between layovers. Each segment delved deeper and deeper into the relationship between Daniel and Luke, and each time I heard the "fasten seat belt" chime I found myself rushing to get to the end of the next segment.

Once I finished this book, I sat back and thought about what some people will do to survive...and I couldn't help but smile. This was a FANTASTIC introductory novel. The pacing was a little slow at the beginning, but it picked up rather quickly.

This is one of those stories that you can't describe the plot without giving everything away. In all honesty, if you read the dust jacket of this novel and your curiosity is piqued, that's the best way to know if you'll enjoy "In This Way I Was Saved".

I could go on, but that would be telling.

...and I found the cover pretty misleading. I won't delve too much into what the story is about in this review, as other reviewers have already done so.

As you must have read by now, the protagonist's childhood friend-turned-something-else, "Daniel" was left open to interpretation. So, what/who is Daniel? A schizophrenic delusion? An imaginary frenemy? A ghost? At times, it seemed like the author didn't know himself. I understand the concept of leaving this aspect of the novel open to interpretation and allowing the reader to decide for himself, it's a dramatic effect. But `twas a bit too open for me and left me with too many unanswered questions:

Is the book a psychological thriller or a trip out ghost story? At times the story seemed to sway back and forth between the two, and I found that to be somewhat annoying. I got the book on the premise that it was tale of a young man being taken over by a delusion, but when I tried to apply that idea to the events that unfolded, it didn't always work...sometimes "In this Way" came off as a ghost story. Supernatural stories are not my taste, so if I had any idea that this was one, I wouldn't have ordered it in the first place. I felt sort of deceived.

I must say, however, that the prose was well written and the plot never felt slow. Mr. DeLeeuw is definitely a writer. However, based on the above, I never could get past the fact that the story never really decided which direction it wanted to take. Leaving such a major aspect of the novel open to interpretation left me feeling like I was left out of the loop.

This book was really a great surprise that I enjoyed from beginning to end. The premise was interesting, a story told by a boy's imaginary friend, and the author could not have done a better job at capturing this. I was truly amazed that I have never read a book like this one before, so imaginative and creative, and throughout the book the author took me down turns and corners that I was not expecting at all.

I thought the writing was wonderful, descriptive but not overdone. The author definitely puts you into the story, and I found myself swept away in some of the scenes where I felt like I was watching a movie more than reading a book. At times it was hard to put this book down, even as I watched my clock inch towards 3:00am.

If you are looking for a storyline that is a little different and creative, I thought this one was so good. I hope this author writes more books in the future, because I would read every single one of them.

This is not your normal novel. It appears to be a story about a family suffering from mental illness (schizophrenia, depression, ??), but the end twists it into a supernatural story. It is very well written, but I didn't find it enjoyable and will not recommend it to friends. If you like Dean Koontz (which I often do), you may like this. It was too depressing and disturbing for my taste.

I'm not sure how to review this book without giving the story away so let me just say this: think Chuck Palahniuk rewrites Augustine Burroughs. When you finish this dark little novel you will have to decide for yourself - is this a murder mystery, a chronicle of insanity, or a supernatural teaser. Just read it, it's well worth the time.