A Fresh Perspective

All I have to say about what happens next in Neuropath is that sometimes you win some, and sometimes you lose some.

The book actually has two perspective characters: Thomas, and his son Frankie.

But Frankie's part (so far) has only been to get us readers into the world of Thomas' kids. They're definitely an important part of his life, and very much a major part of his normalizing method in his time of crisis (finding out that his ex-wife was cheating on him with his best friend, that said best friend is a psychopath among psychopaths), but I'm not sure what Bakker could hope to achieve by letting us into their eyes except to show us how much of a construction Thomas' idea of what his kids are really is.

Yet that would require more from the perspective of his kids, and not just a scene that's kind of a tension release valve since the kids go through a perceived crisis moment while camping in the backyard (Frankie worries about "sick-sickos" coming for them out of the night, and when one seems to be approaching it's just Thomas, their dad, pretending to be a bear).

Though, at the same time, Frankie's thoughts about the world outside the tent (really outside the home, since these thoughts are accompanied by thoughts of starting pre-school) being "dark, big, and hollow, filled with great nothings and terrible anythings" seems awfully sophisticated to be merely part of a simple relief passage.

Anyway, after we get this other perspective we're brought right back to Thomas' as he sits and watches over the kids, eventually being joined by Mia. Their conversation is a neat recap of and addition to the goings on of the book so far, and the mentions of the killer known as "The Chiropractor" make me wonder if Thomas or Neil or even Mia is somehow involved in that. Only time, and more reading, will tell, though.