Book Review: Found by T. Rigney

It has been brought to my attention that our very own Film Fiend, under the dubious name of T. Rigney, has a published book called Found.: A Novel. After finding it in the local neighborhood Amazon.com and obtaining it for research purposes (as most of you know, the Fiend has been kidnapped and I hoped to learn clues as to the identity of his kidnappers), I discovered that the Fiend is a verbal chameleon, has a twisted mind and, most importantly, should have no trouble ensnaring his very own kidnappers with his spellbinding story-telling ability.

According to the back cover, Found.: A Novel is about Marty, an ideal fifth grader. He gets good grades, listens to his teachers, and doesn't start trouble in class.

But there's a darkness settling over Marty's life.

The kids at school won't stop picking on him, his family life lacks any sort of structure, and his estranged older brother collects severed heads in his bedroom closet. And when Marty's not working on countless comic books of his own design, he's filling his head with the lessons only low budget horror movies can provide. What's a boy to do?

Join Marty as he attempts to find himself amidst the chaos of his everyday life, where severed heads roll like bowling balls and horror movies might just save your life.

As soon as I picked up Found.: A Novel, I couldn't put it down. I took it to work with me and read it on my breaks and at lunch. As soon as I got home at night I would read as much as I could before bedtime. One day I accidentally left it at work and I was soooooo upset (we are talking tears here, honest)! T. Rigney's writing style is definitely addictive and mesmerizing. In this book he writes solely from Marty's point of view and perfectly captures the feelings and actions of a fifth grader. The story is gripping and the first line alone ("My brother keeps a human head in his closet.") grabbed me and immediately drew me in.

The subject matter is unsettling, disturbing and, at times, almost uncomfortable to read (especially near the end). The book builds and builds to a fevered pitch until it reaches its climax and gets downright brutal and nasty. Rigney doesn't keep it all dark and ominous, though. To counteract the sour, there are several sweet parts that will all take you back to your childhood. Who doesn't remember the first horror movies they watched or the first comic books they liked as a kid?! The amazing bit is that Rigney always maintains Marty's perspective on everything that is going on and keeps it realistic. He never once strays from how a young kid would talk and act in certain situations.

I've always appreciated the spunk and bite in the Film Fiend's reviews and now I can see that his talent transcends to other styles and mediums of writing, too. If you want a thrilling, shocking and fast-paced read this summer, look no further than T. Rigney's Found: A Novel.

And, Film Fiend, if you are reading this, this book is your secret weapon to hypnotize the kidnappers and your means of escape! Godspeed!

Buy Found.: A Novel!