Winged Creatures is the startling story of six survivors of a gun massacre at a fast-food restaurant along a Michigan highway.
Teenagers Anne and Jimmy watch the gunman indiscriminately murder Anne’s father and others, then himself. Struggling to understand her father’s death, Anne experiences a virulent religious conversion, while Jimmy becomes mute, not speaking at all. Charlie, a barely-wounded teacher, attempts to make his luck work for him at the casino. Carla, the restaurant cashier, loses her ability to take care of herself and her infant son. Ron Abler, a psychologist, tries to help the survivors but gets little response. Dr. Laraby, an ER physician who failed to save two of the victims, turns to his wife as someone to “save.” Driven by secret torments, each struggles to regain trust in the ordinary world.
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"Loved this book. So interesting, different and thought provoking. I really like his writing style." — Lisa (4 out of 5 stars)
"Loved this book. So interesting, different and thought provoking. I really like his writing style."
“A riveting debut novel about the aftermath of a mass shooting in a fast food restaurant. The author achieves the amazing feat of following an utterly disparate cast of dramatis personae through the vicissitudes of their lives as they are irrevocably scarred and changed forever. A sure-fire page-turner.”
“A stark, impressive debut…While emotionally charged, the narrative isn’t weighed down with sentiment as the characters search for, but don’t necessarily find, closure.”
“This well-crafted debut packs a wallop.”
“[A]n intriguing look at unique yet interrelated patterns of trauma and recovery.”
“Graham’s voice is rich, smooth, and full, and his narration ably captures the range of personalities in the story. He easily switches emotional tone to fit the perspective of each character…Graham gives continuity to the emotional essence while individualizing the stories. His narration is arresting, as unsentimental and insightful as the author’s prose.”
" It started off well and it had such potential but along the way the reader gets lost. I began to skip parts and jump to where I could follow the storyline. The character development was not forthright and lacked correlation at times. "
" Great book. Reminded me a lot of "Nineteen Minutes" by Jodi Picout. "
" I was only going to give it a 1 or 2 star rating, but I find myself thinking about it days after I finished it so a 3 star seemed fair. I couldnt tell if the mother was in jail or had her baby taken from her. If anyone needed to go to jail it was the Dr! "
" i didn't feel rocked by it, but i wanted to know what happened in the end. the definition of compelling i guess, but i wouldn't re-read or completely recommend. "
" Interesting story -- innocent bystanders shot in fast-food place -- but to me oddly written (like the reader is in the same traumatic fog of the survivors). "
" Shattering. Heartbreaking. And then... there is redemption. A brilliant novel. "
" another book I did not finish...I thought it was too whiny. "
" All I can say is thank god I'm done with this book -I can see it being a better movie screenplay than novel and if anyone else dares read it let's talk about the ending/secret - I thought that was totally and I mean "totally" lame. "
" I didnt particularly care for this book. Just couldn't seem to work up much sympathy for the characters. "
" I skipped to the end in this book, mostly because I wanted to know what terrible secret the teens were hiding. I was hoping that it wasn't a certain scenario, but it was, and that pretty much ruined it for me. "
" I thought that the beginning was a little uneasy to read considering the little boy and girls father was shot right in front of them. I do think the story was a bit rushed, so much going on that it was hard to keep up. All in all the book was ok. "
" I could not get into this book at all "
" a very engaging look at the aftermath of a random act of violence well written "
Roy Freirich is a screenwriter and songwriter living in Malibu, California. Winged Creatures is his first novel.
Dion Graham is an award-winning narrator named a “Golden Voice” by AudioFile magazine. He has been a recipient of the prestigious Audie Award numerous times, as well as Earphones Awards, the Publishers Weekly Listen Up Awards, IBPA Ben Franklin Awards, and the ALA Odyssey Award. He was nominated in 2015 for a Voice Arts Award for Outstanding Narration. He is also a critically acclaimed actor who has performed on Broadway, off Broadway, internationally, in films, and in several hit television series. He is a graduate of Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts, with an MFA degree in acting.
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