In 2016, Paul Tremblay had the unenviable task of following up 2015's A Head Full of Ghosts, aka "one of the best books I've ever read." Tremblay won the Stoker award for that novel, and also won my hard-won respect and excitement for his next move: Disappearance at Devil's Rock.
I will admit that I picked this book up with some amount of trepidation. I've always thought that the second book that you read from a particular author is a make-or-break moment. The novelty of a writer's original style has less impact on a second read, making it more difficult to impress. And....I was definitely impressed.
Disappearance at Devil's Rock is more of a mystery novel than a horror novel, if you care about that sort of thing (which I do not). Tremblay's book has a slow steady pace and keeps the reader involved throughout. This is where Tremblay's originality shines. In both books I've read by him, he inserts a major sense of ambiguity into the plot. He basically allows the reader to use his/her own imagination to process major plot points; he seems to be fully aware of doing this because he doesn't seem to be interested in beating you over the head with his story...he wants it to be your story too.
4.5 out of 5
Review by Jason Cavallaro
I will admit that I picked this book up with some amount of trepidation. I've always thought that the second book that you read from a particular author is a make-or-break moment. The novelty of a writer's original style has less impact on a second read, making it more difficult to impress. And....I was definitely impressed.
Disappearance at Devil's Rock is more of a mystery novel than a horror novel, if you care about that sort of thing (which I do not). Tremblay's book has a slow steady pace and keeps the reader involved throughout. This is where Tremblay's originality shines. In both books I've read by him, he inserts a major sense of ambiguity into the plot. He basically allows the reader to use his/her own imagination to process major plot points; he seems to be fully aware of doing this because he doesn't seem to be interested in beating you over the head with his story...he wants it to be your story too.
4.5 out of 5
Review by Jason Cavallaro
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