Disappearance at Devil’s Rock audiobook

congratulations! semifinalist in goodreads' best horror category 2016! after reading enough* books by an author, usually you learn to anticipate their beats, you have certain reasonable expectations and you know the general path they're going to follow.not so with paul tremblay.he plays all sides of the tonal field, from the over-the-top-grotesquerie of Swallowing a Donkey's Eye to the ambiguity and restraint of A Head Full of Ghosts.this one is much closer to the slow-dread unfolding of A Head Full of Ghosts, and for 3/4 of it i really thought i was predicting his angles, seeing the threads and what they would become when all was eventually revealed, but i swear it's like he felt me tracking him through his own narrative and just violently shook me off into a completely unexpected ending, leaving me baffled and spluttering "who wrote these words??"it's absolutely not the direction i saw this going. and i can see how that reaction might read like a complaint or a criticism, but it isn't, not exactly. i like having my expectations so emphatically destroyed, i do. i thought i'd figured out what was going on, using my close reading skills and my experience in worlds he'd previously built but it's like he knew i was going there in my head and pushed me down with some violent I WRITE THIS WAY NOW maneuver that completely threw me. which is not to say that the ending doesn't make sense. it does. it's a case of "boy, i didn't see that coming!" only in the opposite way that it usually means. i don't know how to explain it. i'm confused, but in a good way. up until the ending bits, i was very confident in where i was going and i thought it was a perfect follow-up to A Head Full of Ghosts: he has such an aptitude for atmosphere; the way he builds it and drags it out and does that straddle over the line that separates the supernatural from the psychological explanations, between magic and the mundane, between hope and fear and answers. and it's really intense and creepy and utterly riveting, but it's ultimately a completely different kind of story from A Head Full of Ghosts. again, not a bad thing, just … different. it's like a pretty girl with a baboon heart - it'll work fine, but you still have to acknowledge she's full of monkey parts. * three novels plus one co-authored novel, one short story collection, and one novella**********************************************best week ever - in which i receive three books in the mail i really really want to read and maggie really really wants to sleep on.best week ever part one: however, there are zero characters named "karen brissette." paul tremblay, this is what they call "backsliding." best week ever part twobest week ever part threecome to my blog!

Full Disclosure: I still need to read A Head Full of Ghosts which I’ve heard amazing things about. Due to this I cannot compare the two. My excitement to get my hands on it has only increased..for what that is worth.So completely atmospheric, creepy, and page-turning. If I had to pick three words to describe this book, these would do the book justice. Paul Tremblay sets a tone maintaining it well while giving off an eerie vibe. He teeters over that line of the supernatural keeping you guessing whether these are the elements at play or if it could be something a little more logical, maybe psychological.Thirteen going on fourteen year old Tommy Sanderson is missing. His mother Elizabeth gets the call in the middle of the night. He is supposed to be spending the night at Josh’s house with Luis - his two best friends. It’s the end of the summer and no one knows where he could be.What follows is the family trying to pick up the pieces and find out what happened to Tommy. What were the boys up to that summer before 8th grade? The police investigation begins right away with Detective Allison Murtagh leading the case. It doesn’t take long for the first lies to be uncovered. Where did Tommy go? What else could these boys be hiding? Who is leaving pages from Tommy’s secret diary on the living room floor at night?We spend most of the time following Elizabeth’s perspective, but there is also some of her twelve year old daughter Kate’s, and a little of Josh, Luis, and Detective Murtagh as well. We get Tommy’s POV through the diary pages. And at one point the storytelling switches to police interview transcripts.It is hard not to appreciate the blend of genres at play here: mystery and thriller with elements of horror. I love the way suspense was built up over time. The multiple perspectives gave additional insight to scenes other characters may have viewed differently. Some may view this as repetitive, but I think it adds to the whole unreliable narrator aspect. A lot of mystery/thrillers focus on teenage girls lately, so it was rather exciting having one focused on teenaged boys for once. Paul Tremblay has a knack for writing absolutely believable, realistic characters and it shows in Disappearance at Devil’s Rock. The man has talent.Read this if you’d like some fear mixed with your mystery.

It's 1:50 PM here and I just now woke up, thanks to my having stayed up all night to finish this eerie, disturbing (and at times profoundly moving) gem. Other books don't interest me anymore. I want to read more of this one. Full review to come.Update 7/17/16: While billed as a horror novel, Disappearance at Devil's Rock is actually more of a mystery/thriller, with ambiguous undertones of supernatural goings-on. This story of a missing teenage boy, lost in the immense woodlands surrounding his New England home, and his mother and younger sister left behind to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives, is totally heartbreaking. And riveting.I love the fact that the reader is never on solid footing, never quite sure whether the paranormal events are real or imagined. Are the pages from Tommy's diary that mysteriously show up on the Sandersons' living room floor being left by Tommy's ghost, or is there a more rational explanation? What about the creepy face that appears in their (and others') windows late at night? Or the "presence" of Tommy that Elizabeth Sanderson feels during the witching hour? Real, or just a grieving mother's imagination getting the best of her?The characterizations of Tommy's family and friends, as well as the lead investigator, are fully realized, and I came to care about and sympathize with their plight. The unsettling revelations sprinkled throughout seemingly impacted me as much as they did Tommy's loved ones, as I was entirely absorbed in the story, and it took me a few days before I was able to fully move past it and get into another book. There were several moments that sent serious chills down my spine, as well as a couple that were gut-wrenchingly disturbing, and I still think about them occasionally even though it's been nearly two weeks since I'd finished this book. Tremblay's imagery is so vivid that during one particularly horrifying scene, I actually felt like I was witnessing the event, and had to set the book down for a while in order to fully process it. It was one of the most disturbing things I'd ever read, and yet I was strangely moved by it at the same time. It's an emotion I'll rarely if ever feel again, I'm sure.Anyone looking for a captivating blend of mystery/thriller and supernatural horror would do well to check out Disappearance at Devil's Rock. Just be prepared for a marked decrease in the amount of sleep you get in the nights to come.5 Stars.

IMPORTANT PSA: Please, for the love of tiny grasshoppers and baby hedgehogs, DO NOT under any circumstances get the Kindle edition as it currently stands. It's terrible. It makes crucial parts of the story unreadable, and unless you can zoom and enhance times infinity, you will not be able to read it. *Thankfully, this has been corrected in updates on the Kindle edition! Yay for readability!*Please learn from my mistakes. I struggled through 2/3 of the Kindle edition before giving up and getting the hardcover. I thought surely it was just me. That there was some mistake. That maybe I was just fucking dumb, that I didn't know how to read it?Examples, because what is life without visual evidence. A key point of the story is revealed through handwritten diary entries. Here's a look at Tommy's diary on Kindle.And the same page in the hardcover.Hello shitty formatting issues!Okay. Now that we've established that you will learn from my mistakes, (also don't move furniture on your own and don't mainline dark rum), let's talk about Disappearance at Devil's Rock! "He could only see the devil out of the corners of his eyes. You know what I mean? You know how to look out of the corners of you eyes, right? You can only see him when you're not really looking at him." Disappearance at Devil's Rock is a excellent read. My anticipation was up at the top of the beanstalk, and that can be hard on a book. But despite the Kindle formatting fuckery, I was very happy. It feels less horrory than A Head Full of Ghosts, which isn't a negative. It's a less forward horror, more insidious. There's some creepy, lurky shadowy stuff going on. I love what Tremblay does with mixing more human horrors (view spoiler)[(missing kids, brutal stabbings, stranger danger) (hide spoiler)] with those of the supernatural sort (view spoiler)[(a shadow or a smell that shouldn't be there, silhouettes in windows, unexplained nighttime happenings) (hide spoiler)].I didn't find it to be scary as AHFUG. (I was going to abbreviate A Head Full of Ghosts, but I can't type AHFUG with a straight face either.) It's not as scary as that other book he wrote, which you should also read in addition to this one. But you know straight up scary isn't everything. I don't need something to grab me by the balls and scream in my face and scare me. First, because I do not have balls, and second, because sometimes building a spine tingling tension can be just as effective. She believes ghosts are everywhere and anywhere. They are always watching and they are always coming for you. They can be in any room, in any closet, under any bed or desk, behind the door, in any dark corner, more dark or less dark it doesn't really matter. A big thing I loved? The family dynamic. Elizabeth, her daughter and mother, and of course her missing son Tommy round out the family story in many ways. They are so well written. I felt their anxiety, fear, and panic. When they shut down and stopped communicating, when they turned to distrust and accusations, I cared so much what happened. I particularly liked Kate. As a general rule, I'm not a fan of children in fiction. That sounds super bitchy? Probably is. Whatever. But Kate is old enough and smart enough that she feels real. She wasn't there to be the precocious kid, or the creepy horror movie child. She was herself, and I liked that.(Side note: If I leave this review unfinished, it's not my fault. I was typing, but then Chloe farted on me. What the fuck, cat? I can't even be in the living room. What part of Lucifer's ass did she eat? If I fall victim to cat-butt-fumes, someone read The Winds of Winter to my grave.)The writing, as I have already come to expect, was A+. Dude's got a way with words that I have not. It's a very easy style to read and enjoy.Final Thoughts: I can't say I liked it more than A Head Full of Ghosts. That book is still one of my favorites. However, they are such different animals that comparing them may do them both a disservice in the end. I'm not chilled to my core and sleeping with the lights on, but I was sufficiently creeped and thrilled by Disappearance at Devil's Rock. It was a story that I enjoyed reading. My gut says yes to it as a whole, and I go with my gut. When it comes to pizza and books, it has yet to steer me wrong.---------------------Original pre-release book flailing:I need this right now or I may explode from book-craving.["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>

This book. *sigh* I don't want to give too much away. Paul Tremblay breaks all the rules here. He breaks technical, writing rules with head hopping, weird dialog tags and some other literary tricks. But it's fine with me, he can do what he wants-I'll read all his books. He also breaks genre rules. Is this a paranormal thriller? Ghost story? Horror? What is it? I'll tell you all the things he did right: Tremblay can write teens. He's got them down. I loved all the teens in this story so hard. I loved the mother, Elizabeth, like I was in her head-like I could feel all her feels. The book wrecked me. Straight ruined me for the rest of the day. Good job Paul Tremblay. You seriously drew me in, grabbed me by the heart and gut punched me. Well done.

Kindle version is $1.99 at Amazon US today!This is a slower paced mystery about a missing 14-year-old boy, his devastated mother and his heartbroken sister. It is a good story but it is not a horror novel. Do not be led astray like me.A family is shaken to its core after the mysterious disappearance of a teenage boy in this eerie tale, a blend of literary fiction, psychological suspense, and supernatural horror from the author of A Head Full of Ghosts.I think I missed the supernatural horror bits. First The Turner House disappoints with its false ghost promises and now there’s this one. Damn, I am totally striking out in January. Anyway, I listened to this book on audio and though it was too long and I drifted here and there, I never felt an urge to shut it off. I’d probably give it a 3 ½ but I’ll bump it up to a 4 because it was quite a bit better than “meh”. The story revolves around what really happened the day (or was it night? The mind fails me once again) Tommy and his two pals went out to Devil’s Rock to do something . . . Tommy’s two buddies returned home safe and sound but Tommy did not. Now it’s up to Tommy’s mom to piece together exactly what happened. When Tommy’s diaries pages start appearing out of the ether she begins to question everything.And I don’t blame her. I really felt compassion for Tommy’s mom. She was a well written character and even had some realistic flaws, eventually breaking down and losing her cool. I loved to read that. It made the story come alive for me. Basically, the story is one long, slow reveal of what happened prior to that fateful day (evening?) at Devil’s Rock. It’s set in the present day but the past is shown via the diary entries and through flashbacks and that's all I'm going to say so I don't spoil the reveals for you.It's an enjoyable thriller only marred by too much inane and repetitive dialogue between the boys. They are teenagers and their conversations always go a little like this: Josh: Anyone up for Mindcraft? Luis: Mindcraft is AWESOME man but dad says I need to get homework done tonight. Tommy: Your dad is such a Hard-o! (I did not mean hard-on pervy spellcheck)Josh: Chirps!They have their own lingo, which is normal for most teen boys, but that doesn’t mean it’s fun to read and, believe me, it's even less fun to listen to. Almost immediately that lingo annoyed me and when the boys were together it never let up.The narrator, Erin Bennett, does a decent job with the work but she's just a little too polished at times and I did feel pulled out of the story quite a few times, especially when she calls out a name before speaking their dialogue. I’m not sure if it was a narrator choice or if the book was written that way but it was off-putting and kind of strange.The actual mystery is doled out slowly as it should be, I take no issue with that. I only wish the book had been pruned a bit where the silly conversations and sometimes repetitive scenes were involved. Audiobook Challenge: Book #4 HA Mount TBR Challenge: Book #5HA Pages Read Challenge 2017 Horror Reading Challenge Book #2See this and the rest of the crap I write at my blog.

Estoy conociendo a este autor gracias a esta novela, fue una lectura bastante ágil, por momentos no sabes si se trata de algo tangible o de algo sobrenatural, inclusive llegando al final pareciera que cualquier cosa puede pasar. Me gustan mucho las novelas que no son tan predecibles porque logran ese efecto de sorpresa.Esta novela trata sobre la desaparición de un chico de 14 años, y de reacciones, acciones y declaraciones de su familia y de sus dos amigos. El principal atractivo de esta novela es el misterio alrededor de la desaparición del chico, un rapto? un asesinato? un ataque de fantasma o demonio? La lectura de momentos se vuelve adictiva y poco a poco se agregan migajas de respuesta para armar el rompecabezas.Definitivamente leeré más novelas de este autor.

This transformed from a mystery thriller, to supernatural horror. From a chilling story of child abduction to a fantastical tale where nothing can be trusted as real. And this ever twisting beast combined into an ending that defied classification, just like the rest of it.Whilst I did enjoy my reading of this, the myriad of questions it raised consumed and haunted me, which mirrored the plot and enhanced my overall reading experience. I can now see why Tremblay is such a beloved author as he is certainly one I now wish to read more from.

Paul Tremblay is fast becoming the name to recognize when it comes to psychological suspense and horror. We received a generous taste of his talent in last year's A Head Full of Ghosts. Yet his latest novel reveals that last year's book was only the tip of the iceberg. The plot of Disappearance at Devil's Rock centers around a fairly typical suburban family consisting of Elizabeth Sanderson and her two children, 13 year old Tommy and 12 year old Kate. Tommy is spending the night with his two friends but doesn't return home. What results is a town-wide search for the boy, a series of events that hint of the supernatural, and numerous lies and diversions that at first hide the truth but eventually reveal a turn of events that Elizabeth or any of the people searching for Tommy will not be prepared for.This is not a fast-paced novel yet the author's quiet and determined phrasing pack more of a wallop as you think about them later. There is little violence . This is a character driven novel with protagonists that are well thought out and complex. We do not know what has actually happened to Tommy until the very end and the author gets us there through a series of events that relies on several character's perspective and even some mysterious diary pages whose appearance is a big part of the puzzle. The changes in perspective could cause a lesser writer to crumble but Tremblay writes through it like the expert storyteller he is. Overall I must say Disappearance at Devil's Rock is as impressive a novel as they come. It is a literary feat that manages to combine mystery, psychological suspense, and horror yet feels unique and different. With the year only half over, I think we have a major contender for best novel of 2016.

Tenía mucho miedo de que este libro no me fuera a gustar tanto como cuando lo leí por primera vez, sin embargo, lo devoré sin parar. Aunque ya sabía el resultado final volví a acompañar a Elizabeth y Kate en este viaje emocional y sobrenatural que representa la pérdida de un ser amado en circunstancias extrañas (por calificarlas de algún modo). Lo he dicho antes y lo repito: Tremblay es mi escritor de terror contemporáneo favorito.

4/5Me encanta este autor y ya me conquistó con su libro Una cabeza llena de fantasmas. Tenía mucha curiosidad por esta novela y aunque me haya gustado menos que el anterior lo he disfrutado enormemente. Lo acabé ayer y aún sigo dandole vueltas a todo e incluso he vuelto a releer según que cosas para teorizar.Reseña completa:-Wordpress: https://suenosentreletras.wordpress.c...-Blogger: http://addicionaloslibros.blogspot.co...

Disappearance at Devil's Rock (en) William MorrowDesaparición en la roca del diablo (es) Nocturna Ediciones

This author really blew me away with his previous novel. This book is also good, but not as good. The disappearance in this story reads a bit like a mystery with some supernatural elements woven in. I would classify this as a crime novel and not a horror novel. The story builds with a good, even pace and the tension ratchets up nicely. Once again it is the kid-horror genre, except this would be more like kid-crime lit. The central characters are well developed and the plot progresses at a mild pace, with several tense scenes involving cameras (no spoilers). The late introduction of a major character felt a bit choppy, even though it did add suspense to the story and left me wondering what else might not be revealed.The reader is often left wondering whether there are supernatural elements or not, and the back and forth play of this concept works towards developing reader interest, it just never grabbed ahold of me like it did in his previous writing, which used this theme in a much more compelling manner.Overall, the story was well plotted and the main characters were solidly developed. I felt the ending was anticlimactic, and the back and forth points of view seemed a bit dragged on. There definitely was a point at which the story seemed headed for a four or five-star rating- it just never really seemed to arrive.3.5 stars

Quite the solid read. It's a mystery, with a dash of horror, a splash of "coming-of-age", a smidgen of terror and a healthy heaping of heart. My lightly teary eyes over the course of the final few pages surprised the hell out of me, but they were well earned. This one may haunt me for a little while...4 Brightly Burning Stars