The Mole People

The Mole People by Kevin Landt was an intense read. The novel is told from the perspective of Suzie Franks, a college student suffering from schizophrenia. Constantly bombarded by voices in her head, Suzie never truly can decipher reality from her illness. Plaguing her relationships, social life, and schooling, she struggles with any sort of concentration, as hallucinations constantly speak to her and make fun of her throughout her day-to-day life. To put the cherry on top, she is also consistently bullied for being different due to her illness, her small size, and for being a “freak.” All in all, Suzie does not have happy days, causing her to commit self-harm and have an intense loathing of herself and her body.

Then, Suzie meets Robbie. Gorgeous and popular, Robbie is everything that Suzie is not. Yet, he loves her. With Robbie’s support and encouragement, Suzie finally begins to get the medication she desperately needs and has improvement in her grades and confidence. There seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel for her. With Robbie at her side and her best friend Andrea, Suzie begins to experience a life where she actually feels it may be worth living for.

That is, until she starts taking drugs. A sharp turn in events, everything seems to be going right… until it’s not. A downward spiral from this point forward, the story follows Suzie’s journey of fighting her inner demons and struggling to stay alive.

All in all, I have to say The Mole People was exceptionally well-written. Landt has a way with words that kept me on the edge of my seat and invested in Suzie’s future. He did a fantastic job of taking a hard topic such as schizophrenia and discussing it in a way that a general reader may be able to comprehend. He shone light on what these individuals suffer with, and how excruciating it is for everyone involved when someone suffers from hallucinations and visions.

However, I would strongly encourage Landt to include a trigger warning for this novel. Discussing many dark topic,s including suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, human trafficking, and sexual assault, it is essential. Although I would not classify this novel as a mystery or thriller per its assignment, if you are a reader who likes general fiction about mental illness and heavier topics, this read may be for you. Admittedly, the plot was a little darker than I would normally go for; however, I still think Landt did a great job and would encourage readers who like this genre to indulge in it!