The Many by Nathan Field

Book Description

Karl notices something odd about his sister the morning after a blind date. A coldness in her manner; nothing anyone else would notice. Suspicious, he confronts her about the date but she turns nasty, accusing him of taking a perverse interest in her sex life.

When he next sees her, months later, she seems back to normal, until a harmless comment provokes a sudden, violent response. As her mental state fluctuates, Karl seeks out the man she dated just before her personality began to change; convinced she is suppressing a painful memory from that night. But what he discovers is something far more sinister, and pervasive, than he’d ever imagined.

Strictly for adult readers, THE MANY is the first book of a trilogy that explores the dark side of the world we live in, and exposes an evil that is both disturbing and eerily familiar.

Review

It took me a while to read this book. I received the eARC in January but the copy that I got had very tiny fonts. It also didn’t have a cover so it just started from Chapter 1 which didn’t appeal to me. I usually struggle with tiny fonts and have to rotate my tablet so as to read such books which bothers me. Anyway, this is why it took me a while to read the book but once I got started, it took only took one Saturday morning to get through it.

The story begins with Stacey’s date with a certain handsome, successful doctor. The date seems to go well until the two decide to go home. Something happened on the way but as readers, we don’t get to know what it was as this is part of the book’s mystery. The only thing that is evident is that Stacey was a changed woman when she went home the next day. Her behavior was so bizarre especially the things she said to/about her brother. Her actions  towards her family made me uncomfortable. On the other hand, there is Karl, Stacey’s younger brother, who lives with her. He is confused by his sister’s sudden change and is determined to find answers.

There are other characters that go through  similar experiences like Stacey/Karl after going on dates with people that they met from online dating sites. It is evident that the date nights are changing the singles. Throughout the book I kept trying to guess what happened to them. I felt sorry for the loved ones who were left baffled. I mean, one day your loved one goes out on a date and then comes back a completely different person?  What was even more intriguing was the fact that the singles don’t remember what happened to them so nobody has the answers (or so it seems).

I don’t know how to categorize this book. At first I thought it was a thriller but it does border on being a horror story too. Perhaps a mixed-genre. I feel like it will appeal more to fans of horror  though. The themes are a bit too dark. The book ends with a cliffhanger so there maybe a second book. I found this to be an unsettling read but I am curious enough to read the second book in the series.