11 ‘Stranger Things’ You’ll Learn In The Prequel Novel ‘Suspicious Minds’

By Brent Furdyk. 5 Feb 2019 3:08 PM

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

While the third season of Netflix’s “Stranger Things” won’t arrive until July, fans won’t have to wait nearly that long to delve into a new adventure: the prequel novel Suspicious Minds hits bookstores on Tuesday, Feb. 5.

Set in 1969, the book delivers some shocking secrets about Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine), his mysterious government research project, how Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) came to be involved and more. Find out how the “Stranger Things” universe has expanded in the novel.

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Meet Terry Ives
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"Stranger Things: Suspicious Minds" is set in 1969, as college student Terry Ives and some other students decide to pick up some extra money by participating as subjects in a mysterious experiment led by Dr. Martin Brenner. As viewers recall, Terry (played by Aimee Mullins) was seen briefly in the series, in a catatonic state.
Brenner Arrives In Hawkins
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Brenner's experiment is top-secret, but involves giving Terry and the others doses of LSD in order to see if they're able to achieve remote viewing, a.k.a. astral projection, or sending their consciousness out of their bodies and observe other places.
The Upside Down
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One of Terry's fellow test subjects, Alice, is the first to find herself in what she calls "the Beneath," or what viewers of "Stranger Things" will recognize as the Upside Down.
A Vision Of Eleven
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Alice also begins having visions, including a recurring image of a young girl with very short hair, wearing a hospital gown while a weird contraption is attached to her head. As the visions deepen, she comes to realize she's actually witnessing a glimpse of the future.
A Glimpse Of The Demogorgon
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During her journeys to the Upside Down, Alice also sees terrifying monsters, including the Demogorgon — but doesn't actually encounter them, as these too are future visions.
Kali's Backstory
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When Dr. Brenner arrives, he's accompanied by a 5-year-old child he calls Number Eight, but she insists on being called Kali. Viewers will recall Eleven encountering teenage Kali in the second season of "Stranger Things". Kali, the doctor's prized test subject, was somehow taken from her mother and placed into Brenner's program, and he believes her powers will develop stronger if she's kept away from other children.
MK Ultra
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Seeking answers, Terri's friends cause a diversion so she can sneak into Brenner's office, where she finds files marked "MK Ultra". MK Ultra was an actual top-secret CIA project that explored such areas as remote viewing, mind control and other areas most people would consider to be out there.
Eleven Arrives
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After taking the usual blood samples for testing, Brenner discovers something about Terri even she doesn't know: she's pregnant. Using his connections to get her boyfriend drafted and sent to Vietnam, Brenner leaves Terri on her own, and gives her a drug that induces labour — just as she's about to make an escape. The baby she births is Eleven.
Stealing Eleven
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Holding all the cards, Brenner steals infant Eleven from her mother, believing the baby could hold the key to his research. Terri loses her baby shortly after giving birth.
A Friendship Promised
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At the age of 5, Kali is kept in solitary confinement and encounters no other children. As a result, she's desperate for a friend. Terri's pregnancy gives Dr. Brenner a two-pronged opportunity: to groom a test subject from birth, as well as provide Kali with a friend.
Kali's Abilities
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Viewers of "Stranger Things" got a taste of Kali's psychic powers, but the book shows the 5-year-old still trying to control her ability to create what she calls "lusions" that make others think they're seeing things that aren't actually taking place. While the book ends shortly after Eleven's birth, we know that Kali manages to escape at some point, as do other young test subjects.
What Lies Ahead
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We'll find out if the backstories of Eleven and Kali will factor into the third season of "Stranger Things" when the show returns to Netflix on July 4.

11 ‘Stranger Things’ You’ll Learn In The Prequel Novel ‘Suspicious Minds’

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