[HDNA #01] - Disappearance at Devil's Rock by Paul Tremblay

[shiki-jitsu]

I don't know about you, but I like the Allison character. She's being used perfectly here, and she's really likable while at the same time you know she's on her game.

As far as Janice, it's going to be really weird if she doesn't come back, because her whole role would be pointless. Why invest all that time in the character just to have her leave?

I sound like I am being negative. I am trying not to be. I am still very much enjoying the book. I'm about to start in on the next chapters.

I just started the first chapter of the final three. I'm a tiny bit concerned because it feels like things will have to be rushed. Like...there's been a LOT of buildup, but nothing huge has happened. And now were're getting down to it. I'm only mildly concerned, though. Trembaly knocked it out of the fucking park with A Head Full of Ghosts and apparently his latest novel is even better than that. So I could be overthinking it.

However, I'm super curious if Arnold just turns out to be a regular dude who happens to be a sociopath; nothing supernatural at all. Everything is already explained. Nothing really out of the ordinary has happened. If that's the case, it's kind of genius because of the setup. I'm thinking it's going to go that way.

Did you ever see 8MM? If not, at the end, when they find the guy, he's just a dude. (I won't tell you who plays him, because that's pretty funny/cool.) Anywho, the guy looks at Cage and says, "What did you expect? A monster?" From what I remember, 8MM is not a good movie, but that line (or, at least the gist of it) always stuck with me, and I think it applies nicely here (maybe). We're expecting a monster, but at the end of the day, it very well may just be a man. And it will work and I won't feel cheated at all.

I'll tackle the Allison bit first. Through out most of the book I feel she has been under-utilized. I would be interested to read more about her character. I think there is a beginning of depth to her. He hints at her private life a bit with her parents, but never enough for me to care all that much. Most of the scenes she is in she's just kind of there.

I did start reading Head Full of Ghosts, I am only 3 chapters in so far but I am liking it so far.

I have seen 8MM but I don't honestly remember much about it.

I'll post about the final chapters tonight...

[Alien Redrum]

While you are waiting on me, check this out.

I didn't know hobo nickles were such a thing.

[shiki-jitsu]

While you are waiting on me, check this out.

I didn't know hobo nickles were such a thing.

You didn't really know about them? Yeah some of the things people do with coins are insane.

[Alien Redrum]

Spoilers for Chapters 13-15:
Allison Driving in Brockton with the Boys, He's Not Feeling Too Good, Three Horrors
Elizabeth at Home and at the Station, Three Statements
Elizabeth and Kate and the House and the Notes

Finished!

Okay, a few mixed emotions here.

First, these last three chapters were (overall) phenomenal. From the moment Elizabeth started reading the interogations, I was hooked all the way to the end. Not only were they emotionally draining. I was reading it on the metro, and admittedly I had to stop reading in parts (in particular when they were going through the empty house together) because it got hard to read.

I also love how this ended up being not supernatural. The dude was just a piece of shit. Nothing magical about him at all. And I didn't feel cheated because all the clues/parts were there.

However, I wish the book had ended after Elizabeth and Lucy had dropped the papers on the floor and left the house. That there is a pefect ending. Elizabeth going back in the house and finding the two other sheets? What was that? What did I miss? Did I competely overlook something? It's all so pointless. That entire page feels shoehorned and I'm really hoping it's me because overall I dig the book, but this part was so jarring. It's not as bad as the ending of High Tension, but it leads to too many questions and is not a fitting end.

Yet, (ironically, not unlike High Tension), overall I enjoyed it. This isn't as good as A Head Full of Ghosts, but it is a well handled supernatural-but-not-really novel.

3.5/5

(Seriously, that might have been pushing 4 if it weren't for that last page.)

[shiki-jitsu]

Fuck my fucking life.

I had a whole big post written and I fucked up and lost it.



more to come....

[Alien Redrum]

A book club of one.

[shiki-jitsu]

Spoilers for Chapters 13-15:
Allison Driving in Brockton with the Boys, He's Not Feeling Too Good, Three Horrors
Elizabeth at Home and at the Station, Three Statements
Elizabeth and Kate and the House and the Notes

Going to try this again.

I agree a lot with some of your points. The part with the interrogation statements was amazingly well crafted. To piece all those statements together in the different viewpoints and voices and have it be cohesive was fantastic. And the way he made that happen felt organic and real, did not feel like a gimmick at all. Kudos to Tremblay for that. Absolutely amazing.

One thing I will say is that reading through that section there was a part of me kind of hoping that what Arnold was saying happened with his uncle was the true story. That is was the boys initiating it. It would have been a really interesting flip to the story. That these group of seemingly normal kids ended up being the problems. And created this whole shit to get away with it and to terrorize this dimwit Arnold. I knew that there weren't enough chapters left in the story... but that would have been interesting I think.

I also love how this ended up being not supernatural. The dude was just a piece of shit. Nothing magical about him at all. And I didn't feel cheated because all the clues/parts were there.

I'm of mixed emotions on this part. Part of me wishes it was a supernatural story. Well, more so than it is. And the other part of me is kind of glad it went just straight dumbass psychopath. Keeping the horror real and grounded. The thing I think that bothers me with it is that Tremblay toyed around a lot with the supernatural elements of it. The vision of Tommy in her room, the pages on the last page, etc. Some of the weirdness in the interrogations. So there are definitely hints at supernatural elements being part of the story. And I would argue that yeah maybe you could argue a lot of them away... except when you get to the end. Either way... why not have both? Supernatural shit can happen in a real life story. Ultimately I am ok with that.

However, I wish the book had ended after Elizabeth and Lucy had dropped the papers on the floor and left the house. That there is a perfect ending. Elizabeth going back in the house and finding the two other sheets? What was that? What did I miss? Did I completely overlook something? It's all so pointless. That entire page feels shoehorned and I'm really hoping it's me because overall I dig the book, but this part was so jarring.

100% agreement here. It left a bad taste in my mouth. The book should have ended without her going back in the house. It was silly. It was Tremblay's attempt at the hand coming out of the grave or Jason popping out of the lake. But it was fucking pointless. Unnecessary and yeah, left me rethinking how I felt about the rest of the book. Which is shitty. Because overall it is a solid read, but it just sucks to end on such a cringe worthy thing.

Ultimately, I really liked it. I immediately started Head Full of Ghosts because of it. And so far I am really digging it. Definitely will want to read Cabin after that.

[Alien Redrum]

I definitely here you on the 'why can't it be both' aspect. And, you know, if it was both, I'd be cool with that too (at the very least, that damn ending would be accounted for). I think I like it not being supernatural because it was done so well as not to be a cheat. I mean, aside from the last what? 2 pages? Every supernatural aspect could be explained legitimately. Kind of like 6th Sense. All the clues to the ending were there, and it was a sucker punch when you got to it. Granted, Devil's Rock didn't have that sucker punch, but I didn't feel cheated. FAIR IS FAIR!

I'm a little sad that I didn't miss something regarding the ending. I really was hoping you would say, "You fucking idiot, that was explained right here!" But if you feel the same way, well shit. It's a dropped ball for sure, made all the more frustrating from how great everything before it was (grandma's purpose aside).

Well said about the interogation. Organic. That is the word I was looking for. It didn't feel like the exposition dump that it is at all. This is the big reveal, we finally get to see what happened to Tommy, and Tremblay fucking brought it and I ate it up.

I didn't consider the option of Arnold telling the truth, but my god, that would have been something. I think things would have to be slightly modified in the book to make it more believable, but I would have been fine with that too.

When you finish with A Head Full of Ghosts, start a thread! There are things about that book that I desperately want to discuss. I won't say anything else, although I'm dying too.

Do you have Cabin yet? I'm down to read that next, but man, the Kindle version is still like $15, but maybe I can try to score it from Overdrive. I'd be down to discuss that (or if you have something else in mind, that's cool too). I really enjoyed this a lot.

[shiki-jitsu]

I say we do something non-Tremblay next... Not sure what yet. But I would be down for Cabin after that.

Let me look on my wishlist and what is around cheap and I will make a couple suggestions in the other thread.

[Alien Redrum]

Cool by me.

[Alien Redrum]

This was on Tremblay's page today:

[shiki-jitsu]

Ha, awesome.

A coworker of mine is currently reading Head Full of Ghosts and got excited yesterday because Tremblay liked and commented on his IG post about it.

[Alien Redrum]

Tremblay's son made a trailer for the book a few years ago. The rock shows up at the end (video of it).