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How I discovered this book: Twitter
In a Nutshell: Long novelette/short novella, dark psychological fiction/horror: mind control.
This is a clever, short book about a boy called Zachary who is placed in an institute at a very early age, where he has contact with no humans apart from his carers for some years. He is found 'parents' at around the age of 5, and from then on every aspect of his life is monitored and controlled by a shadow organisation. His family, friends, the ups and mostly downs throughout his life—none of it happens by accident. His formative years are damaging enough, but as the tragedies and losses pile up, he becomes increasingly paranoid and sociopathic.
The story is very well written, and a real page turner; I couldn't work out why any of it was happening or what the outcome was going to be. In the last third of the book there is a massive twist, completely unexpected—and the purpose of the whole 'experiment' is revealed at last. I'm usually pretty good at predicting stuff like this, but I didn't guess it.
It's a dark and distressing story, not for the faint of heart, but for anyone who likes low-key, psychological horror, and has an interest in behind the scenes mind control (that's me with both hands up), I'd most certainly recommend it.