Stranger Things: Suspicious Minds (Stranger Things (Official Novels) Book 1)

This was an absolutely brilliant read. As someone obsessed with any-and-all-things Stranger Things, as well as everything that inspired it -- I am a Stephen King/Steven Spielberg/80's nut -- I was both excited and nervous about this new novel. My fears were swiftly pushed aside from page one. The author, Gwenda Bond, has achieved everything about what makes the original show so great, while at the same time bringing her own unique touches and ideas to the story, reestablishing together characters we've come to already know and introduce us to some brand new faces that manage to add new depth to the story. What I respected the most was Bond's ability to tell a story entirely her own without invalidating what information has already been provided to us through the show itself. In doing so, she manages to make the book and her writing stand on its own, honoring what made the television show so special and adding something just as special to it. As I read, I fell in love with the new and engaging characters while the story captivated me on a multitude of levels, answering many of the persisting questions I had about both the "Stranger Things" and Hawkins Lab mythology without taking away its mystery and mystique. Another aspect of the novel that I appreciated was the way in which it brought a significant season two character full circle. This was a character that many fans of the show, myself included, had written off entirely, not showing any particular care or interest. And that was the character of 008, or Kali as we've come to know her. I, like many others, was not a fan of the much talked about seventh episode of Season 2. The addition of Kali, and her gang of Chicago street toughs, is one of the most polarizing moments of the show thus far. Many viewers like myself didn't connect with, didn't like, or didn't respect her character. Ultimately, we didn't see the point of her being there. For myself, the most nagging question I had watching the episode was: "Why did Eleven go all this way to find her mother only to leave her immediately to go find this mysterious girl we have never met before?" Bond offers a brilliant answer. In her writing, she brings Kali and Eleven's mother, Terry Ives, together in a stunning, beautiful, and almost tragic way. This significant plot-device adds a whole new layer to the show, making one look at that much-maligned Episode 7 of Season 2 and the character of Kali in a much different way. What impressed me was Bond's ability to keep me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Having watched the show countless times, I know all too well what becomes of Terry Ives, Dr. Brenner, Kali, and eventually Baby Jane or Eleven. But Bond kept my full attention, had me holding out hope that things will turn out okay, despite myself knowing the truth of what happens next. The end result is a tragic tale that at times brought a tear to my eye. But what I appreciated the most about "Suspicious Minds" was the way it introduces the reader to a whole new era of American history and culture. While the television show focuses on the 80's and the Reagan era, "Suspicious Minds" takes the reader back to the late 60's/early 70's Nixon and Vietnam era -- a time period only hinted at in the show. In doing so, Bond is able to accomplish what the show has done so successfully -- bring the reader right into the world in which it is set, providing entertainment and the occasional history lesson. This novel is a brilliant addition to the Stranger Things Extended Universe. It is a must read for any fan. Even if you've never seen an episode of Stranger Things (what are you waiting for?), the book itself is still a wonderful read and is easy to follow. If you are coming into the world of Stranger Things and Hawkins Lab for the first time, you won't find yourself lost or confused. I, for one, am anxiously looking forward to not just what future Stranger Things novels will reveal (such as the recently released "Darkness on the Edge of Town" and "Runaway Max"), but also digging deeper into the work of Gwenda Bond. This novel has made me a fan! Thank you, Gwenda!

Taking place in 1969-1970, this prequel introduces us to Dr. Brenner and the start of the project at Hawkins Lab in Hawkins, Illinois. He begins a series of experiments using college students that have shown promise in different areas of mental abilities. We meet Terry and her boyfriend who end up being Eleven’s parents. Of course Brenner keeps the truth from her as long as possible in order to keep drugging her so that he can run his experiment on her. He has promised Kali (#8) that she will have a friend soon and then she won’t be alone. Terry’s friend Alice, who’s also in the study has seen the future and knows that Eleven will be a force to be reckoned with. This was a wonderful book and I will enjoy reading more of the backstory books about the other characters.

The first novel adapted from the Netflix series hit 'Stranger Things' is an astonishing work of art. Viewers of the show may be familiar with Eleven's mother, Terry Ives, which this book surrounds. Along for the ride are a few important characters that weren't mentioned in the series: Alice, Gloria and Ken - a self proclaimed psychic - all of which meet because they signed up for a human experiment at Hawkins National Laboratory, where each are given doses of LSD every week. This quickly tells readers that the book is not recommended for anyone under the age of 14. Although the series has more than one book, and no end in sight, Bond was only chosen to do this novel. 'Suspicious Minds' is categorized under Young Adult books, but with the heavy Vietnam content, it's not considered that many young adults today can actually relate with this story or even understand the devastating effects of a looming draft hanging over the heads of young men throughout America in the 1960's. But Bond does a wonderful job in relating the emotional state of this era through our main character, Terry. Another subject that Bond does a fantastic job of explaining in 'Suspicious Minds' is the taboo of being a pregnant, unwed mother in this era, something that seems to be making headlines again in the States nearly 60 years later. Bond shows us a young Dr. Martin Brenner, with neatly styled brown hair and an almost unlined face, as well as a more lively Terry Ives (which only season 2 has shown a very short flashback sequence of Terry being mobile before her dreaded consequence from being associated with the human experiments). We find out that the reason Terry volunteered for the experiment is due to her father's service in WWII, and wanting to make the world a better place. Bond brings in the other important characters, who also volunteered for the experiments, quickly bonding the four as friends for life. As far as characters go, these four are written very well. Although Terry is the main character of 'Suspicious Minds,' we get to see from the viewpoints of all people, including Brenner. Bond gives the reader a short background on what LSD is and where it came from when the time comes for the experiments to begin. Brenner doesn't really explain why he gives LSD to the volunteers, but only that it is part of a secret experiment. Even when Terry is placed in a sensory deprivation tank, he doesn't reveal anything to her, and Bond does a great job of keeping the characters enough in the grey area of knowing that it's believable. Even at one point, when Terry begins to suspect something strange from the experiments, she keeps the belief that whatever is going on at Hawkins Laboratory must be important: " 'But you can't see it's important?' Terry leaned in close, and they kept their voices down as other students walked past. 'They just called up the school and told them to give me Thursdays off and I'm getting credit for it? They're tying our grades to doing this. And no one asked any questions. They just agreed. I have to keep going.' " Bond eloquently keeps the mystery going. This mystery is even interesting to those who know what happens in the end. In 'Stranger Things,' Terry is introduced as a comatose woman in a rocking chair- who happens to be Eleven's mother. We have never met Gloria, Alice or Ken. The three become very close to Terry, and they all somehow escape from Brenner's grasp, but they also end up joining in Terry's pursuit of getting Eleven/Jane back to her mother. Fans of the show might be left asking what happened to these three enjoyable characters? I haven't seen any plans for a part two of this story, so we may be left not knowing what happened or if the three are even still alive today (in the Stranger Things' era). Even more enjoyable is the random use of J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings,' where in one scene, Alice and Terry decide to name their small group 'The Fellowship of the Lab.' Any veteran reader will be happy to see a classic brought up in a newer book of today. And also of interest, fans will recognize a little girl who is frequent throughout the story: Eight a.k.a. Kali. We never get to see through Kali's perspective, but the reader does get to see the multitude of her abilities. For instance, Kali is able to scare personnel in the lab by causing the hallucination of tidal waves inside the building, only to stop when Brenner (or Papa to her) gives her her favorite sweet: Hostess cakes. Other than that, Kali is like any child; she throws tantrums and rebels from her Papa, sometimes to the laughter of the reader. One point, Terry even meets with Kali in her LSD induced state: " Terry shook her head. 'There can be. He's just a man. He can't know everything.' She paused. 'Does he hurt you? Papa?' Kali frowned, but she didn't answer. 'If he does... I can help you.' Terry had to make her understand. The little girl shook her head. 'I don't think so. I might be able to help you, though.' A field of yellow sunflowers grew up around them. A rainbow arcing over the golden tops." Terry, understandably, begins to scheme about how they can help Kali to escape the lab. Bond does a great job of transitioning between Terry's point of view to the other characters' viewpoints. We get a young woman named Gloria, who has a secret obsession with comic books (especially X-Men). A hippie-looking man named Ken, who claims he is psychic, but just happens to have a lot of hunches that come true. And last, but not least, another young woman named Alice, who shows up in grease covered overalls and curly black hair, explaining that she works for her uncle's garage and that she loves machines. These three are delightful to read about, and the story would be boring without them. This book was the perfect novel to answer questions fans may have had about Eleven's mother. Bond writes smoothly and easily enough that you may find yourself wanting to read just one more page before setting the book down for the evening. She drags you into the world of the 1960's and helps young readers to feel the emotional time that it was for women like Terry. But with only a few inconsistencies here and there, 'Suspicious Minds' leaves us wanting more. If you are a fan of 'Stranger Things,' I say that this is a must-read! Highly recommend! If you would like to see other reviews for science fiction books or horror books, check out my blog at GoreAndTea.com

Great read

Got this for my ST loving tween son and he absolutely loves it. He said the story line is very entertaining and he could not put it down. Would recommend for any teen/young adult that is ST obsessed! Even adult, I plan tk read it myself!

Great book

Received books in a timely manner

I enjoyed this first ST novel. I found the main character Terry engaging and appealling, and the story moved along at a good pace with plenty to keep me interested, the other main characters are also interesting. And of course it confirms who the real monsters in this story are: The American government, not the ones in the Upside Down. Dr Brenner gets a lot of coverage just confirming what an evil heartless man he is. Of course, it's a bittersweet read as we all know what happent to Terry and her unborn child, Eleven from the series, so it's also heart-breaking and all through I kept praying she'd found an escape route. It also features a young Kali which is also very interesting. If you want to learn more about Eleven's origins and what a kick-ass mama she had, or would have had, then I recommend reading this.

Great Novel, especially for collector's and Strangers Things fan's.

Niektóre strony dotarły pogniecione!

The book is a prequel to the Stranger Things series

I still didn't have time to read this book, but I'm so excited with him! I love Stranger Things! And obviously he will be a great and beautiful read!