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A review by ojtheviking
Disappearance at Devil's Rock by Paul Tremblay
5.0
4.5 rounded up.
Another wonderfully written story by Tremblay! I became a fan of his writing last year after reading four of his books over the course of the year, and he does not disappoint in this one either. The plots aside, I love the little details he adds when describing things. He has a superb way of bringing the scenario to life in your mind.
Disappearance at Devil's Rock is a bleak yet periodically intense story with a touch of ambiguity. It sucks you in immediately as the book pretty much opens with the mystery; a mother realizing that her son has disappeared.
The overall tone is much darker and more serious than some of the previous novels I have read by Tremblay, but it certainly fits the theme. This is a study of how a community deals with a deeply concerning situation; the desperation of the remaining family members as they wonder where the boy has gone, the rumors, the media drama, the intricacies of the police investigation, and lies and secrets. And throughout the book, Tremblay manages to consistently maintain the reader's interest in this plot that is, paradoxically, both very simple and very complex.
The aforementioned ambiguity comes into play when you are made to wonder whether there is a paranormal element to the story, or if it's a red herring, similar to a suspect in a detective novel.
While the story is a slow burn, the tension keeps you captivated, and bit by bit, things start building up to some fairly disturbing parts. But from start to finish, Tremblay treats it all with great emotional intelligence, exploring how all the characters are dealing with an impossible scenario.
Also, there is a part that reminded me very much of an Australian movie from 2008 that left an impression when I watched it for the first time a couple of years ago. In the liner notes, Tremblay mentions that very same movie as one of his influences when putting this story together. So that was a lovely little "I see what you did there" moment for me, as I haven't heard too many people talk about this underrated horror movie. (If you're curious, the movie is called)
Disappearance at Devil's Rock is definitely draped in melancholy and grief, but it's a book I found very easy to love.
Another wonderfully written story by Tremblay! I became a fan of his writing last year after reading four of his books over the course of the year, and he does not disappoint in this one either. The plots aside, I love the little details he adds when describing things. He has a superb way of bringing the scenario to life in your mind.
Disappearance at Devil's Rock is a bleak yet periodically intense story with a touch of ambiguity. It sucks you in immediately as the book pretty much opens with the mystery; a mother realizing that her son has disappeared.
The overall tone is much darker and more serious than some of the previous novels I have read by Tremblay, but it certainly fits the theme. This is a study of how a community deals with a deeply concerning situation; the desperation of the remaining family members as they wonder where the boy has gone, the rumors, the media drama, the intricacies of the police investigation, and lies and secrets. And throughout the book, Tremblay manages to consistently maintain the reader's interest in this plot that is, paradoxically, both very simple and very complex.
The aforementioned ambiguity comes into play when you are made to wonder whether there is a paranormal element to the story, or if it's a red herring, similar to a suspect in a detective novel.
While the story is a slow burn, the tension keeps you captivated, and bit by bit, things start building up to some fairly disturbing parts. But from start to finish, Tremblay treats it all with great emotional intelligence, exploring how all the characters are dealing with an impossible scenario.
Also, there is a part that reminded me very much of an Australian movie from 2008 that left an impression when I watched it for the first time a couple of years ago. In the liner notes, Tremblay mentions that very same movie as one of his influences when putting this story together. So that was a lovely little "I see what you did there" moment for me, as I haven't heard too many people talk about this underrated horror movie. (If you're curious, the movie is called
Spoiler
Lake MungoDisappearance at Devil's Rock is definitely draped in melancholy and grief, but it's a book I found very easy to love.