DISAPPEARANCE AT DEVIL'S ROCK (2016) by Paul Tremblay

[GRWelsh]

Okay, Summer Reading Club, I just put a hold at the library on this book: DISAPPEARANCE AT DEVIL'S ROCK by Paul Tremblay. I'll pick it up tomorrow morning. A couple of years ago I read his book A HEADFUL OF GHOSTS which I enjoyed so I am picking up another one of his books to get my late summer horror fix. I don't know anything about it other than I've heard it referenced on the Lovecraft eZine podcast several times and I believe it might be influenced by LAKE MUNGO (2008) an Australian horror film, which I haven't seen either. So, I'll have to put that on my near-future viewing list, as well.

I found an audiobook version of DISAPPEARANCE AT DEVIL'S ROCK on YouTube here:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWwRnQoXzFw

[GRWelsh]

I'm on p. 110 and loving this so far. The set up is that a kid goes missing in a state park. Afterwards, some strange events occur which may or may not be supernatural. I'm hooked.

[GRWelsh]

Moving right along on p. 226. I like horror novels that dig into real world aspects of horror, such as what a family goes through when someone goes missing. Tremblay portrays the family dynamics, middle school age friendships, and cultural responses to missing persons convincingly. The uncertainty a family experiences when a loved one is missing might be more torturous than simply knowing they are dead. He provides strong images of the mundane fears of transitioning from elementary school to middle school, growing up, and failing as a parent. The best horror, whether supernatural or not, resonates with the common fears of everyday life that we can all identify with and that is what makes it truly effective.

Something I'm unclear about is the geography. This is set in Massachussetts, but I think the geography (in Lovecraftian fashion) is a mixture of the real and the imaginary. Brockton is a real place. There is an Ames Library and Ames High School in Easton, Mass, but no town of Ames that I can find. Massapoag Avenue, west of the park, is a real place. The Borderlands state park where Split Rock (aka Devil's Rock) is next to Ames also is an actual place. That's pretty cool.

[GRWelsh]

Okay, I just finished this. I'd still recommend it, but the build up was better than the ending, as is often the case with mystery or horror novels. I liked the ending, just didn't love it. I'd like to post more thoughts but don't want to spoil it for anyone who plans to read it.

[geneweigel]

Thanks for the review. I'm neck deep in crap right now to even look at a novel. I have something kind of freaky next week to tell but I can't say anything yet.

[GRWelsh]

If you do get around to reading it, and want more information on the influences and the meaning on the ending, this link is very helpful. The author admits some things were deliberately left ambiguous and that even he doesn't have all of the answers. Do not read it if you want to avoid spoilers.

thelittlesleep.wordpress.com/2016/06/26/disappearance-at-devils-rock-liner-notes-all-spoilers-all-the-time/