Stranger Things: Suspicious Minds

The First Official Stranger Things Novel

By: Gwenda Bond

Narrated by: Kristen Sieh

Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times best seller

If you think you know the truth behind Eleven’s mother, prepare to have your mind turned upside down in the first official Stranger Things novel - “[T]he prequel story that fans have been waiting for.” (Kirkus Reviews).

It’s the summer of 1969, and the shock of conflict reverberates through the youth of America. As a student at a quiet college campus in the heartland of Indiana, Terry Ives couldn’t be farther from the front lines of Vietnam or the protests in Washington. But the world is changing, and Terry isn’t content to watch. When word gets around about an important government experiment in the small town of Hawkins, she signs on as a test subject for the project, code-named MKULTRA. The remote lab, deep in the woods, contains a mystery Terry is determined to uncover.

Behind the walls of Hawkins National Laboratory - and the piercing gaze of its director, Dr. Martin Brenner - lurks a conspiracy greater than Terry could have ever imagined. To face it, she’ll need the help of her fellow test subjects, including a young girl with unexplainable superhuman powers and a number instead of a name: 008.

Amid the rising tensions of the new decade, Terry Ives and Martin Brenner have begun a different kind of war - one where the human mind is the battlefield.

Praise for Stranger Things: Suspicious Minds

“You’re left hungry for more, but in the best way possible, as the book manages the balancing act between interconnected prequel and standalone story.” (Cinelinx)

“Highly recommended for those readers interested in expanding their knowledge of the Stranger Things universe, this book is also a dark and captivating story that will stick in the readers’ minds even if they are not fans of the franchise.” (The Unseen Library)

©2019 Gwenda Bond (P)2019 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“You’re left hungry for more, but in the best way possible, as the book manages the balancing act between interconnected prequel and standalone story.” (Cinelinx)

“Suspicious Minds is the prequel story that fans have been waiting for.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“Highly recommended for those readers interested in expanding their knowledge of the Stranger Things’ universe, this book is also a dark and captivating story that will stick in the readers’ minds even if they are not fans of the franchise.” (The Unseen Library)

Well done

I enjoyed this book. I listened to it to affirm it would be suitable for my daughter of 12, as the series Stranger Things is her obsession. I will be allowing her to read this book and I am thankful they kept it PG even though it contained the aspect of a love story in the under part of this mystery.

dark but good

I really should’ve been more careful when picking this book for media tie-in. I love Stranger Things, big fan, love the concept, think it’s very well done, etc. I really hate the feeling of dread that comes from knowing things aren’t gonna end well. I’ve got some anxiety issues, and I really don’t read to get more anxiety issues. So why, you may ask, did I pick a book about Eleven’s mum knowing how she ends up? I have no clue but it was not a good choice, and it took me ages to get over the stress and start enjoying this book.

Suspicious Minds (Stranger Things Novels #1) by Gwenda Bond is the story of how Eleven’s mum met doctor Brennan and the experiment she was involved in. We meet her as an energetic young student who wants to change the world. It is set on the backdrop of the Vietnam war and Woodstock.

11’s mum and a few other students sign up for an experiment, to make some extra cash during uni, they make fast friends, and I really enjoyed all the main characters, they quirks and their dynamics as a group. Also the shift in portrayal of doctor Brennan from competent if harsh professional to ruthless monster was interesting. I’m curious to look up how many of the questionable if not outright immoral experiment practices from the book here actually happening during 60s, but afraid to find out. I was worried that it would just be expanding on the plot related to 11’s mum that we see in the show, but it was set well before that. Oh and we see a very young Kali, who is very sweet and powerful.

Personally I loved this next part, but I can imagine some readers would have the opposite reaction. I loved how modern the book felt. I’m not saying that reasonable views about people of color or women wouldn’t have existed back then, just that I haven’t found them in fantasy books all that much. Things like MC’s dad describing the horrors of WW2 concentration camps and how guards could be that horrible and not see that what they were doing was wrong, and how nothing like that could even happen in America, people wouldn’t let it. Or how the smartest person in the group is a black woman and she talks about challenges that raises for her, in town or at school.

Overall I think Suspicious Minds is a great addition to the Stranger Things universe, and fans should give it a try, but maybe not anxious fans like myself.

A great prequel for any Stranger Things fan

A little slow at first, and the reader makes all male voices sound like stoners, but once it gets going about 1/3 of the way in its really good and leaves you in suspense. As far as I can tell there are no inconsistencies with what we learned from the show's season 1&2, regarding Dr. Brenner, 11's mom, and 08. Now that I finished the book I need to re-watch them to check and make sure, but nothing stands out, so it seems true to the show in ways that matter. Really great to get more about 11's history and her true parents. Makes me really hope we learn even more in season 3, about 11's past, 08, the other subjects, and Dr. Brenner.

I need more!

I can't wait to get to the book before and the books after!!!! I hope the ones after are not screen writes, but rather, a detailed adventure.

best case read after season 1 before S2.

A pretty interesting read for the purposes of getting more in-depth background on the characters and the events that led up to the series. That being said it's not precisely a page turner so to speak because you sort of know how it's going to turn out. The best scenario for this book would be you watch season 1 read this book watch season 2, ideally that would probably give this book considerably more punch, it would also add some fun rewarding moments to season 2 as you watched. Obviously, that would be a rare scenario but if you have the choice that's what I'd recommend. likewise, I would recommend for devoted fans.

Much better than expected!

I was dubious about this title, expecting it to be contrived and frankly not very good, but I was blown away! It immediately engrossed me, the characters are fully developed and sympathetic, and the story grabs you and won't let you go. Despite the fact that anyone who has watched the show knows how it must end it still had me on the edge of my seat till the last chapter. I feel so much more sympathy for Eleven's mother now! She's not just a crazy lady in a chair.

Stranger Things Pre 11

Nice to hear Terri’s story - 11 aka Baby Jane’s mother. We follow Terri as she begins going to the Hawkins lab as a volunteer at first. They don’t let her know she is pregnant but continue to experiment. The story fills the gaps in on the existence of 11 and why she is so powerful. Also there are physics that saw 11 as we saw her in the show in the future to them.

Fantastic narration; OK storyline.

I will absolutely seek out other audiobooks from the narrator. She was fantastic. As for the story? It was OK. I wasn't nearly as invested in these characters as I was with those in the Netflix series. But listening to it helped pass the time on the road easily enough.

Requisite Backstory

3.5 stars. I wanted more of that Eleven-interaction-with-friends type of action. The background story does the job but it's almost a big info dump. The writing is solid, and it's not like Eleven's mother could slay monsters in the Upside Down, so the author did a good job with what she had.

Made me love Stranger Things even more!

Great book and great narrator! Loved learning more about the happenings at Hawkins Lab. Made me appreciate the show so much more. Really would love another book to pick up where this one left off!