Reprieve A Novel
Reprieve, a novel by James Han Mattson, published by HarperCollins Publishers in 2021, is a literary exploration that intertwines elements of horror and social critique. This 406-page work delves into a chilling narrative centered around a brutal killing that occurs within a full-contact haunted escape room in Lincoln, Nebraska. The story unfolds on April 27, 1997, as four contestants navigate the terrifying challenges of the Quigley House, where they must endure horrors without uttering the safe word, “reprieve,” to win a cash prize. However, their competition takes a dark turn when a man breaks in and murders one of the contestants.
Readers will encounter a diverse cast of characters, including Kendra Brown, a teenager grappling with loss; Leonard Grandton, a hotel manager entangled in toxic relationships; and Jaidee Charoensuk, a gay international student searching for connection. As their narratives intersect, themes of obsession, prejudice, and complicity emerge, revealing the complexities of their beliefs and actions in the face of tragedy. Reprieve presents a thought-provoking examination of capitalism, hate politics, and society’s fascination with fear as entertainment, making it a significant addition to contemporary fiction.
Official synopsis Publisher
“Like Whitehead’s The Intuitionist, Alyssa Cole’s When No One Is Watching or Zakiya Dalila Harris’ The Other Black Girl, Reprieve straddles genres in the best possible way. . . . Sure to spark conversation and debate at book clubs across the land.” -LOS ANGELES TIMES
“An eventual American classic that is unrelenting in its beauty and incisive cultural critique.” – KIESE LAYMON
Recommended by New York Times * Los Angeles Times * NPR * Today * Esquire * O Quarterly * Boston Globe * Chicago Tribune * Harper’s Bazaar * Shondaland * Thrillist * The Millions * Crimereads * XTRA * Tor * Literary Hub * and more!
A chilling and blisteringly relevant literary novel of social horror centered around a brutal killing that takes place in a full-contact haunted escape room–a provocative exploration of capitalism, hate politics, racial fetishism, and our obsession with fear as entertainment.
On April 27, 1997, four contestants make it to the final cell of the Quigley House, a full-contact haunted escape room in Lincoln, Nebraska, made famous for its monstrosities, booby-traps, and ghoulishly costumed actors. If the group can endure these horrors without shouting the safe word, “reprieve,” they’ll win a substantial cash prize–a startling feat accomplished only by one other group in the house’s long history. But before they can complete the challenge, a man breaks into the cell and kills one of the contestants.
Those who were present on that fateful night lend their points of view: Kendra Brown, a teenager who’s been uprooted from her childhood home after the sudden loss of her father; Leonard Grandton, a desperate and impressionable hotel manager caught in a series of toxic entanglements; and Jaidee Charoensuk, a gay international student who came to the United States in a besotted search for his former English teacher. As each character’s journey unfurls and overlaps, deceit and misunderstandings fueled by obsession and prejudice are revealed, forcing all to reckon with the ways in which their beliefs and actions contributed to a horrifying catastrophe.
An astonishingly soulful exploration of complicity and masquerade, Reprieve combines the psychological tension of classic horror with searing social criticism to present an unsettling portrait of this tangled American life.
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