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Rotters Audiobook
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(3.02) - 1,064 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Grave-robbing. What kind of monster would do such a thing? It's true that Leonardo da Vinci did it, Shakespeare wrote about it, and the resurrection men of nineteenth-century Scotland practically made it an art. But none of this matters to Joey Crouch, a sixteen-year-old straight-A student living in Chicago with his single mom. For the most part, Joey's life is about playing the trumpet and avoiding the daily humiliations of high school.
Everything changes when Joey's mother dies in a tragic accident and he is sent to rural Iowa to live with the father he has never known, a strange, solitary man with unimaginable secrets. At first, Joey's father wants nothing to do with him, but once father and son come to terms with each other, Joey's life takes a turn both macabre and exhilarating.
Daniel Kraus's masterful plotting and unforgettable characters make Rotters a moving, terrifying, and unconventional epic about fathers and sons, complex family ties, taboos, and the ever-present specter of mortality.
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"I loved this book. I couldn't read it fast enough, due to its leisurely pacing. The atmosphere is dark, gritty, foreboding... everything you want in a horror novel, though I'm not sure that's what this is. The detail is outrageous in a good way, if you like to be disturbed. If you don't...you really should not read this. The characters were all magnificently flawed but sympathetic. I did find the teacher who publicly humiliates the MC a bit over the top. I think it's pretty hard to get away with those things in school nowadays. Boggs was crazy, horrible and pitiable. The ending was ambiguous, which I loved. There was hope, but also lingering doubt. Pretty much perfection. Watch out Stephen King."
— Rebecca (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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This is an unforgettable book. An unforgettable character . . . and an adventure that leads to unforgettable HORROR. I loved it!
— R. L. Stine -
A multi-layered, complex novel that pulls no punches. Terrific!
— Rick Yancey, author of The Monstrumologist -
Uncompromising, dark, and true.
— Guillermo Del Toro, coauthor of the Strain Trilogy and director of Hellboy and Pan's Labyrinth, and Chuck Hogan, coauthor of the Strain Trilogy -
A cerebral romp through a fascinating, revolting underworld.
— Kirkus Reviews -
One of the darkest, wildest, most unsettling adolescent novels I've ever come across. . . . Kraus is absolutely original.
— The Millions -
A new horror classic.
— Fangoria -
Starred review, The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, May 2011:
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A masterly touch at thriller pacing, Kraus gives the current crop of pretentiously serious supernatural YA novels a wild run for their money."
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Starred review, Booklist:"A tour-de-force combination of reader and writer."
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School Library Journal:"A gripping and emotional tale."
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Kirkus Reviews:"A cerebral romp through a fascinating, revolting underworld."
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VOYA:"Twists and turns will leave readers gasping."
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As suspenseful and masterfully told as it is gruesome and terrifying. You'd be hard-pressed to find a coming-of-age story as satisfying as this.
— Cory Doctorow, author of Little Brother and coeditor of Boing Boing -
Grueling, demented, and so crammed with noxious awesomeness that I had to read it twice.
— Scott Westerfeld, author of the Uglies series
Awards
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Winner of the 2012 ALA Odyssey Award
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A 2011 Bram Stoker Award Finalist for Young Adult Novel
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Winner of Odyssey Award, 2012
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Winner of YALSA Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults, 2012
Rotters Listener Reviews
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" I picked this one up with some reservations. Grave-robbing? I wasn't sure my mind wanted to go there, but once I began reading I was completely hooked. After the death of his mother, Joey Crouch is uprooted from his Chicago home and sent to live with a father he's never met in rural Iowa. Little does he know that his dad's occupation of choice will have a profound effect on his own future. Joey's transformation from a straight-A student into a shovel-wielding apprentice to his father's line of work is both gruesome and weirdly, achingly, oddly... poignant. If you had the stomach for Rick Yancey's The Monstrumologist and its sequels, dig into Rotters and you won't be disappointed. "
— Laura, 1/8/2014 -
" Couldn't finish this. Super intense. "
— Sarah, 11/24/2013 -
" Not for the faint of heart! Very descriptive. I really liked it as well as several of my middle school students. "
— Kathy, 10/30/2013 -
" With such morbid subject matter, I knew this was going to be a twisted book. However, this one got MUCH darker than I expected it to... and I was completely fascinated. Superb writing for a YA novel. "
— Kelly, 9/28/2013 -
" Holy darkness! Well written, sucked me right in. One of those dangerous books that made me moody(er)for a while after reading it. Lots of corpses and rats and violence and bullying. Recommended to fans of gory horror. "
— Jenny, 9/2/2013 -
" This was disturbing on so many levels. the beginning, the end, the entire plot. I liked his writing. I want to read more by him. "
— Lyn-clair, 7/10/2012 -
" A really great read. One of those books that teaches you a ton about a subject that you had no idea you'd find intriguing. Every time I see someone digging a grave on a tv show (you'd be surprised how much it comes up) I can't help but share what I've learned to whoever is nearest me... "
— Melissa, 6/29/2012 -
" Strange. Slow at times and melancholy. I suppose it was an interesting idea but I just got so depressed I could hardly finish it. Not so much "
— Allyson, 1/31/2012 -
" Not completely my taste but again another good read around Halloween. "
— Hilary, 7/30/2011 -
" Holy fucking shit this book was fucking amazing. I <em>hate</em> YA but I read this in a little over a day. On the technical side, it had its problems, but on the keeping me reading and keeping me not despising the main character, it aced it. Jesus that was good. "
— Erin, 6/28/2011 -
" This was sooooo good. Creepy, noxious, exhilarating. If you want to read about the private lives of modern grave robbers, you are totally in luck. Can't wait for more from Mr. Kraus! "
— Katie, 6/27/2011 -
" This grisly tale of modern day grave robbers is perfect for teen guys: gory and twisted. I'm not sure what that says about me though, since I thoroughly enjoyed it and I am neither a guy nor a teen :) <br/>--Review by Lauren "
— Mrs., 5/29/2011 -
" Dark, disturbing, and I absolutely could not put it down. I've never read anything like it! "
— Tena, 5/29/2011 -
" this was an exercise in reading out of my comfort zone. gross, but compelling. "
— Jennifer, 5/19/2011 -
" I liked it- it was dark, disturbing..... "
— Stephanie, 5/12/2011
About Daniel Kraus
Daniel Kraus is the author of numerous novels, including Rotters, The Death and Life of Zebulon Finch duology, Bent Heavens, and the Teddies Saga. With Guillermo del Toro, he wrote the New York Times bestseller The Shape of Water and Trollhunters, which is the inspiration for the Netflix series. His novels have been winner os the Odyssey Award and Bram Stoker Award,and Parents’ Choice Gold Award and have been named Library Guild selections and YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults picks, and more.
About Kirby Heyborne
Kirby Heyborne is a musician, actor, and professional narrator. Noted for his work in teen and juvenile audio, he has garnered over twenty Earphones Awards. His audiobook credits include Jesse Kellerman’s The Genius, Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother, and George R. R. Martin’s Selections from Dreamsongs.