Children of Paranoia is a speculative fiction

Speculative fiction

Speculative fiction is an umbrella term encompassing the more fantastical fiction genres, specifically science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural fiction, superhero fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history in literature as well as...

 thriller

Thriller

Thrillers are a genre of literature, film, and television programming that uses suspense, tension, and excitement as the main elements. A common subgenre is psychological thrillers. After the assassination of President Kennedy, the political thriller and the paranoid thriller film became very popular...

 novel written by Trevor Shane

Trevor Shane

Trevor Shane is an American author of contemporary thriller, suspense, speculative fiction, dystopian, drama and genre fiction. His debut novel Children of Paranoia was published in September 2011 by Dutton Books. It is the first book in a trilogy set to be published by Dutton Books.-References:...

 and published in September 2011.

Plot

Since the age of eighteen, Joseph has been assassinating people on behalf of a cause that he believes in but doesn’t fully understand. The War is ageless, hidden in the shadows, governed by a rigid set of rules, and fought by two distinct sides — one good, one evil. The only unknown is which side is which. Soldiers in the War hide in plain sight, their deeds disguised as accidents or random acts of violence amidst an unsuspecting population ignorant of the brutality that is always inches away.

Killing people is the only life Joseph has ever known, and he’s one of the best at it. But when a job goes wrong and he’s sent away to complete a punishingly dangerous assignment, Joseph meets a girl named Maria, and for the first time in his life his singleminded, bloody purpose fades away.

Before Maria, Joseph’s only responsibility was dealing death to the anonymous targets fingered by his superiors. Now he must run from the people who have fought by his side to save what he loves most in this world.

Reception

Corey Michael Dalton reviewed Children of Paranoia for the Saturday Evening Post stated that "The way in which the characters on one side of the war demonize the characters on the other—even when they don’t really understand why—makes an astute observation about the way humans work in general" and concludes that "Shane’s work here is impressive." Stephen L. Brayton reviewed Children of Paranoia for Suspense Magazine and said "This is a powerful story, one where you ask for an explanation, but after the last chapter, you wind up looking at certain aspects of life and wondering about the point of them." BuzzFocus called Children of Paranoia a "disturbingly good adventure."