Book Review: lost boy lost girl

Reviewed By: Woodstock - RAM

lost boy lost girl     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Peter Straub
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Supernatural

Millhaven is an unremarkable midwestern town, and unremarkable events happen there. As in many communities across the globe, teenaged boys bemoan the dense attitudes of their parents, moon over teenaged girls, and spend spare time cruising on skateboards and lounging around a popular park.

One afternoon one of these boys fastens his attention on an abandoned house in the neighborhood. For reasons he never stops to articulate, he is drawn to explore the house, discover its history, wander through its rooms. With the unwilling assistance of his best friend, he spends more and more time there and eventually disappears.

Told consecutively with Mark's obsession with the house, the town of Millhaven is frightened and puzzled by the disappearances of other young men. To add to the uneasy mix, Mark's mother commits suicide and rumors of her family's connection to the abandoned house begin to circulate.

Tying all these threads together is the character of Mark's uncle Tim who arrives in Millhaven for his sister-in-law's funeral and remains to assist when his nephew disappears. The tone of the book, at first a fairly straight forward mystery narrative becomes more and more surreal, and eventually the supernatural reigns supreme.

Probably best read during the day with all the lights on!

Woodstock - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Woodstock - RAM