I greatly enjoyed some of Straub's earlier work, and listened to the book which precedes this one, Lost Boy/Lost Girl with enjoyment. However, although some of the interesting ideas from Lost Boy continue into this book, I felt that Straub was writing this book more for himself, or to prove something to himself about his abilities and his artistry. I had great difficulty getting into the book, and when I did, I found the constant references to Lost Boy irritating.
I think Straub bit off more than he could chew in this book. I have the feeling that he was trying to express his relationship to writing as an author, and how much of himself goes into his characters, and whether his writing shapes his reality, or does his reality shape his writing, or are they co-influential, but it seems to all go wrong and end up in a muddle.
If you're looking for good horror where the symbolism of author/audience/characters is fully thought out while at the same time scaring the pants off you, I'd suggest you read Stephen Kings Bag of Bones.

Lisa B. (
normsgrl) wrote on 6/14/2007...
Great story. Page turner.
A very good read and an interesting concept.

Lorraine H. (
Kit) wrote on 1/20/2007...
Willy Patrick, respected author of the award-winning novel: In the Night Room, thinks she is losing her mind. She is drawn helplessly into the parking lot of a warehouse, knowing somehow that her daughter, Holly, is being held in the building. But this is impossible-Willy's daughter is dead.
On that same day, author Timothy Underhill, who has been struggling with a new book about a troubled young woman, is confronted with the ghost of his nine-year old sister, April. Soon after, he begins to receive eerie, fragmented emails from people he knew in his youth-people now dead. Like his sister, they want urgently to tell him something. When Willy and Tim meet, the frightening parallels between Willy's tragic loss and the story in Tim's manuscript suggest that they must join forces to confront the evils surronding them.
Imaginative thriller that I could not put down! A fun ride with an unexpected twist. Another good one from Peter Straub!

Jean M. (
ripp) wrote on 11/14/2006...
this book was a great read ,didnt want to put it down
Excellent book!! Keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Cassaundra G. (
Cass) wrote on 10/10/2006...
Good book. Took me a while to get into but once I did I couldn't put it down.
A powerful and arresting foray into the dark fantastic