Winged Creatures-Roy Freirich

Winged Creatures
Roy Freirich
St. Martin’s, Dec 2007, $13.95
ISBN: 9780312378950

In Hunt Landing, Michigan, Dr. Laraby stops for a coffee to go at Carby’s on his way to work as an ER resident at Hunt Landing Medical LLC where his late father was a founder. Not longer after he leaves, a shooting incident occurs at Carby’s.

Laraby tries to save the lives of a victim and the shooter, but both die. Teenagers Anne Hagen and Jimmy Jaspersen are in the hospital when her mom Doris arrives. Also there are Lori and Sue Carline. The three teenage girls share in common that their dads were with them at Carby’s and are now dead as a result of the mass shootings. Jimmy was also there with Annie and her father.

Psychologist Dr. Abler offers help to the survivors and their loved ones. Abler explains to Anne about grief, but she insists she is a witness to God’s plan and she held her brave dad’s hand while she was under a table and he courageously remained exposed to the killer. The psychologist turns to Jimmy, who is unable to speak. Another survivor forty-eight year old Charlie Archenault, a father and husband, was shot, but is okay. He feels lucky to be alive so he just leaves, takes out money and drives to a casino. Twenty-two year old cashier Carla Davenport is shook up, but also just leaves to pick up her baby Davy from the sitter.

This novelization of an upcoming movie contains a strong premise of following what happens to the survivors and their loved ones of a shooting at a public place that left people dead. The ensemble cast contains unique characters with each person coping differently. However, the rotating perspective at times becomes difficult to follow with what is happening to everyone. Still WINGED CREATURES is an intriguing character study that looks deep into the aftermath of a personal tragedy.

Harriet Klausner