I gave Schroeder ★★★☆☆. The book offers a deep dive into the mind of a spree killer, presented through a stream-of-consciousness narrative. While the approach provides an intimate look into the protagonist’s psyche, it can be challenging to follow at times. The story is intense and not for the faint-hearted, with graphic depictions of violence. The final diary entries offer some clarity, but overall, it was just a good book, wrong time read for me.

Schroeder by Neal Cassidy is a psychological thriller that delves into the mind of an ordinary young man whose life takes a dark and violent turn. The narrative follows the protagonist, Schroeder, as he embarks on a day-long journey through his city, carrying a backpack with a sinister purpose. Through a stream-of-consciousness narrative, readers gain insight into his thoughts and motivations, offering a raw and unfiltered look into his psyche.

Cassidy's portrayal of Schroeder's internal struggles is both intense and unsettling. The use of stream-of-consciousness narration effectively immerses the reader in the protagonist's turbulent mind, highlighting his feelings of isolation and despair. However, this narrative style can be challenging, as it often leads to a disjointed and erratic flow, which may hinder some readers' engagement with the story.

The novel's pacing is deliberate, reflecting the protagonist's meticulous planning and the unfolding of his grim intentions. While this approach adds depth to character development, it occasionally results in a sluggish progression, particularly in the first half of the book. Some readers may find themselves yearning for a quicker tempo to maintain heightened suspense.

One of the novel's strengths lies in its exploration of societal issues, such as the impact of isolation and the potential for violence in seemingly ordinary individuals. Cassidy prompts readers to reflect on the underlying factors that can lead to such drastic actions, offering a commentary on the fragility of the human psyche.

However, the graphic depictions of violence and the protagonist's disturbing thought processes may be overwhelming for some readers. The explicit content serves to underscore the novel's themes but can be discomforting, necessitating a cautious approach for those sensitive to such material.

In conclusion, Schroeder provides a thought-provoking and intense exploration of a troubled mind. While the narrative style and pacing present certain challenges, the novel succeeds in delving into complex psychological and societal themes. It is recommended for readers who appreciate deep psychological character studies and are prepared for a dark and unsettling journey.

Schroeder is a very unique story, told in a stream of consciousness style of writing. The story is non-linear, which can capture the attention of the reader or leave the reader feeling lost. Schroeder is immersive if you allow it to be. However, with that being said, I feel that it didn't quite capture the full understanding of what was happening at times. The plot was lost in the style.

I read a lot of true crime books, but this one did not fulfill my expectations. I did like the desxriptions of what he saw on his daily bike rides, but what I had trouble with was the narrative way the book had been written. I could not get into his head the way the author had anticipated, but that is just me and I am sure many people could fully understand that type of narrative. The storyline itself is sad and compelling. What does go through a killer's mind?
I do thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A big thank you to M & S Publishing and NetGalley for getting a chance to read this ebook!

I was drawn in by the cover, mystery surrounding who was "Schroeder" and really fell in love with how the chapters were laid out and the non-linear story telling. The unique and clever stream of consciousness writing style can really captivate your attention, and immerse you inside the mind of the main character. However, it's definitely not a nice place to be what-so-ever. Bleak, disturbed and had me audibly gasping at horrific scenes during my read. I tried to understand their intentions and actions, however with the shocking and graphic scenes of violence, it was really hard to see through the emotions I felt for those people they encountered that day... the ending, however, gives you the full perspective.

Read at your own risk, and check your trigger warnings PLEASE! ⚠️

Loved this!! I am a huge fan of stream of consciousness novels, especially when it comes to dark themes and questions about redemption. Brilliant stuff

This is my first read by Neal Cassidy.
The cover and synopsis are what drew me to request and read this book, In the beginning, it seems to start as a normal day for him; then his plan comes to light with each incident. You literally take a "ride" with Schroeder for the entire day.
All of which makes sense when nearing the end of the book.
It is very descriptive in conveying Schroeder's feelings and the surprise when his victims realize what is about to happen.
Schroeder definitely had a troubled past. One can begin to assume this by his meticulous habits and his "planned day".
You don't uncover why he is troubled until the end; which brought EVERYTHING to light!
For me, it was engaging, but difficult to read at the same time. Yes, it has TRIGGERS, but at times the writing didn't seem to convey what the author wanted us to feel or understand. I had to re-read certain parts 2-3 times to grasp it and understand what was, or about to happen.
I needed full closure at the end, given the circumstances. Yes, one can assume, but I don't like to assume in this instance, I needed to know exactly.
All in all 3 star read for me.
If you are not a reader that can read/listen to books with triggers, this is NOT for you.

I had a tough time with this one. While I really enjoy the stream-of-consciousness story, it was a bit hard to follow. I had to go back at a few points to make sure I understood.

Even though the main character is a murderer, somehow we still see what makes him a victim. I struggled to attach myself to any characters.

2.5 stars

This is the first book I have read that utilized stream of consciousness thought narration. It reads similar to watch a one shot film. It was extremely hard to put down because I was fully immersed into the mind of Schroeder during his day of redemption and wanted to know how it would all end. As the story progresses through his checklist things become very violent and graphic. Schroeder obviously has lived a harsh cruel life which the details of are not revealed until the end when the reader is given his diary from a young age. It is a very intense, sad read shedding light on the unpleasant nature of how we treat each other. After reading you are going to want to do something nice for someone.

All too often, we willingly turn a blind eye to the causes and motives of those who do horrible things. Allegedly in the name of "not glamorizing" the perpetrators, our willful ignorance plays a large part in what causes these horrific cycles of violence to continue. To not only know the reasons but also be in the thoughts and experiences of someone in that state of mind is incredibly valuable when it comes to understanding and stopping these things from happening. Without understanding, there can't ever be change. So, while it is fiction, SCHROEDER is an incredibly valuable work.

This book wrecked me!! Truly wrecked me! I went from literally almost throwing up to sobbing uncontrollably at the end reading those diary entries. Oh my gosh this was absolutely heartbreaking. I had a feeling where this book was headed but I didn’t know exactly what was going on and I wasn’t expecting the killings to go down like they did! I was shocked! This was shocking and disgusting and bleak and yet so insightful and even had some beautiful moments. It was maybe a little bit too stream of consciousness/wordy but that’s more a me thing. This one is going to stick with me for a long time.

Summary: A young man begins a seemingly normal day before exacting a precisely planned killing spree.
Genre: Thriller, horror, suspense
Content Warnings: domestic violence, bullying, anger, violence, suicide, misogyny, gore, body horror

Thank you to Netgalley for providing this digital book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
‘Schroeder’ is about a character that suffers from what, at first glance, appears to be severe mundanity. But it isn’t until I read more that I realized he is in so much pain that it’s stopped computing in his brain. As the story progresses, you sense a deep buried trauma that is often muted and bogged down by the character’s observations of extraneous details, which I took as a sign of high anxiety and dread. He is curiously civic minded, a passive presence in the world, apart from when he is killing. He is front and center, willingly, for perhaps the first time in his life.

I was confused throughout the first few chapters; it was difficult to grasp Schroeder’s motivations. I felt the random flashbacks were not helpful to the present timeline. On the other hand, some of the internal tirades were helpful in illustrating Schroeder’s mindset, but not the reason for it. We wouldn’t find out until later.

I sensed a deep disconnect between Schroeder and the world. He floats in it, desperate for some sense of importance of his lived experiences, but he ultimately invalidates himself with their pedestrian role in the story. He lacks self-confidence and doubts himself. He presents an unforgiving notation of a mediocre life, something he is quite aware of but strains to ignore, especially in the face of what he knows to be a grand reckoning: the murders he commits and the consequences he knows are coming and does nothing to avoid. This showed me that he doesn’t intend to be around for the consequences, a clever but simple foreshadowing.

Overall, this is a story of a man racing from his sudden realization that he will die, his horrible actions muted in his mind by his observations of simple details or even his more existential musings that display an effort to shrug off blame. The beginning of the book felt shaky but steadied after the second chapter. The writing was more at east in the killer’s headspace. I thought it was an interesting and creative inclusion on the author’s part of the letters per chapter that spelled out Schroeder’s name, and the accompanying word definitions that the reader would find later in the chapter, like easter eggs.

Ultimately, the killer’s existential questions are ones we all have and that haunt our more vulnerable moments. They are common queries often paralleled by gory and unsettling imagery that help the reader understand why this character is the way he is. Coupled with the diary entries at the end, we see a sad and broken person. It’s easy to lose sight, amid all the insistent observations of mediocrity, of the killer’s main objective: to find his targets and kill them. At the end, I wondered, maybe he was right. Amid the muddied extraneous details, the reader almost looks forward to the killings, in a sense coming to accept the heinous as justified.

I think ‘Schroeder’ is good for people who seek stream of consciousness, existential musings and don’t mind some murder. It won’t vibe with people who need well-structured syntax and are a bit squeamish.

I will not be giving publish feedback off-site on this book as I couldn't finish it.

DNF @ 57%

Some of this book was good, but it really needs to be edited as the constant stream of thought made for a distracting read. I honestly kept questioning the point of it. As the main character road around on his bike. Like did we need to hear everything? Leave us some mystery just like the real life killers, please.

The pace is a little off but I quite enjoyed it for the most part. If your interested in a stream-of-consciousness, social commentary from the perspective of a guy on a killing spree, then you might like this.

I was a fan of this.
I would buy a copy of this for my shelf.

The perspective of this book was spot on and engaging and you felt the paranoia.

My only complaint was the format of this.

“Schroeder” by Neal Cassidy is the perfect example of why I try not to DNF a book. We open to Schroeder preparing for his killing spree. He has perfectly mapped out his day to the hour and we are taken along for the bicycle ride. When I started this book I sarcastically said it should be renamed “A Day in the Life of a Psychopath”. It is a hard, heart shattering look at society as a whole. I cannot say you will enjoy this book, but I think you should read it.

This book is deep. Really deep. Like, what's wrong with Neal Cassidy, the author, deep. And, make your stomach sick, deep. So deep that the word deep is starting to not look like itself.

Don't read this book if you don't like horror, or gruesome murders, or detailed descriptions of heinous crimes.

But DO read this book if you're looking for an opportunity to get inside the mind of a killer, of someone who has been pushed to the brink of no remorse. DO read this book if you've ever, even for a second, sympathized with the killer on trial, wondering what happened to him to make him so hurt, so angry, so dark and cynical, and so aggressive. DO read this book if you're jaded and think that nothing you see, read, or hear can shock you anymore. DO read this book if you're naive, if your life has been so innocent and so fortunate that you can't even imagine the hardships that some people have to endure to make it through. If you've never experienced or can't even fathom the level of bullying that would make someone lose hope, turn sadistic, and psychotically murder a number of people, READ THIS BOOK.

If you have the same feelings as me as you progress through the book, you'll likely start out with a low rating. Then you'll continue reading because you're curious. Then the end will start to give you some sense and peace. But when it's all over, you'll really get an understanding of why it all happened. And it'll feel deep.

Thank you netgalley and m & s publishing! for this e copy.

I thought it was well written unique, written in a way i haven't read before, we get look into the perspective of the killer in a consciousness form of writing. very interesting!
i enjoyed it.

This is a dark look at a spree killer, from his perspective. Written in a stream-of-consciousness form, it is a unique novel about how this young man goes on this horrible spree. It is not for the faint of heart, but is it a unique read.

Not for me, but I think it could be for someone. People tend to think that just because you don't enjoy no one will enjoy it, but that's just not true. This will definitely be someone's favorite, just not mine.