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

[shiki-jitsu]

The first book in the official Horror DNA Book Club!

Disappearance at Devil's Rock: A Novel by Paul Tremblay

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.

“A Head Full of Ghosts scared the living hell out of me, and I’m pretty hard to scare,” raved Stephen King about Paul Tremblay’s previous novel. Now, Tremblay returns with another disturbing tale sure to unsettle readers.

Late one summer night, Elizabeth Sanderson receives the devastating news that every mother fears: her thirteen-year-old son, Tommy, has vanished without a trace in the woods of a local park.

The search isn’t yielding any answers, and Elizabeth and her young daughter, Kate, struggle to comprehend Tommy’s disappearance. Feeling helpless and alone, their sorrow is compounded by anger and frustration: the local and state police have uncovered no leads. Josh and Luis, the friends who were the last to see Tommy before he vanished, may not be telling the whole truth about that night in Borderland State Park, when they were supposedly hanging out a landmark the local teens have renamed Devil’s Rock.

Purchase here (or at the bookstore of your choice) and join in on the discussion:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015M ... orror06-20

[Alien Redrum]

Spoilers for Chapters 1-3:
Elizabeth and the Call
Josh at Home and with the Boys at Split Rock
Elizabeth at the Park, at Home with Janice, Kate, and a Ghost

Okay, first 3 chapters finished. Nothing much has happened other than Tommy's disappearance, but I love how Tremblay really nails the mother's grief, anxiety and fear more through her actions than anything else. It's all very seamless. The indecision of doing or not doing something and her reaction to her kid missing is all pretty believable.

One thing I thought was interesting was this:

She covers her eyes and says to herself and the quiet house, "This can't be happening. Not again."

Now, she (the mom) could very well be talking about her husband's disappearance when saying "not again", but it feels like she didn't really care when her husband left. You say "not again" when you don't want something to happen. So does this mean Tommy has done this before? Or is she really referring to her husband?

The shape she saw at the end of chapter 3...foreshadowing? Is she an untrustworthy narrator, or is it grief?

[shiki-jitsu]

One thing I thought was interesting was this:

She covers her eyes and says to herself and the quiet house, "This can't be happening. Not again."

Now, she (the mom) could very well be talking about her husband's disappearance when saying "not again", but it feels like she didn't really care when her husband left. You say "not again" when you don't want something to happen. So does this mean Tommy has done this before? Or is she really referring to her husband?

The shape she saw at the end of chapter 3...foreshadowing? Is she an untrustworthy narrator, or is it grief?

I agree with this. That stood out to me as well, and while I thought originally it was just maybe a poorly written line, now I am thinking it’s a little more important. You wouldn’t put that out there and immediately explain it with the fathers disappearance in the next chapter. It has to have more weighted the story.

I thought her vision was interesting as well. The dots where eyes were is an interesting way odf seeing him. I wonder what is really going on.

Th banter between the kids was annoying, but I had to keep reminding myself they are young middle schoolers so it’s their job to be annoying.

Liking it so far. On to the next batch of 3 chapters.

[Alien Redrum]

I didn't think about it, but on reflection you're right. Thinking back, it was dumb shiit they were saying, and their little made up slang was stupid. But not stupid as far as writing, stupid because they are dumb teens. Good point!

You wouldn’t put that out there and immediately explain it with the fathers disappearance in the next chapter. It has to have more weighted the story.

I wonder if the father will come into play somehow. It seems so, since it was made a point to go into detail on how he left, but at the same time acknowledging he was irrelevant to the kids now. The more I think about it, the more I think that she's not talking about the father when she said "...again", but it really feels like he's going to be part of this.

[shiki-jitsu]

Oh he is definitely going to be a part of this. Curious to see how, but the little bit of info shared about his departure and death has been mysterious to say the least.

Also wanted to add that ghosts being mentioned and shown with Tommy vision opens up a whole realm of possibilities of where this is going. I’m looking at it now as more of a thriller story so let’s see where it goes.

Note about the thread.: maybe we should start each post with a line saying where the discussion is up to so that people (Neon) joining later or visiting this thread later won’t read the thread too far and get something spoiled. Like:

Spoilers Through Chapter 3

And then start the comment...

[Alien Redrum]

Agreed. I haven't read much past chapter 3 yet, but yeah, please do that.

[Alien Redrum]

Spoilers for Chapters 4-6:
Kate Eavesdropping and Finding Coins
Elizabeth Finds Notes from Tommy
Elizabeth, Out of the Corners of Her Eyes, and More Notes

Okay, I like how he switched up to the sister in chapter four, and like the mom, I love how he captured the uncertainty and...the best way I can say it is he nails the age pretty good. On the stuff she does, that's what a kid would do. Like how she texted her brother that she hated him if this was a trick, then immediately took it back and kept texting apologies. Not going to lie, my heart broke a little when her grandmother came in and took the phone.

Two other passages I like (fuck I love Kindle's highlighting feature):

Kate continues to monitor the live feed, and another guy tweets about a party at Split Rock tonight. Kate responds to that tweet and asks if she can go too and if they would help her search the park for her brother. He doesn't respond, and he takes down the tweet a few minutes later.

This graph in particular really hit home on how much she's just a kid. She's oblivious to these fools' intentions of just getting drunk, and her naivete is showing. God. I felt so bad for her.

I also like this line after the kitchen argument:

No one else speaks. No one gets up to go to the other. They stay at their three points on a triangle. The kitchen is all quiet tears and quick breathing.

I love that last line. That's real pain.

I'm now ready for the book to move on. I mean, I think Tremblay has done a phenomenal job to this point of establishing the fear, uncertainty, pain, loss, and more of those in the house, and now I want to proceed. I don't need any more of what the mom is going through. Time to plow ahead.

Side note, if you are reading this on a Kindle Fire, you can double tap the boy's notes and they'll fill the screen.

Speaking of which, I like the insecurity the boy has in the diary, and how stupid his diary is and how he's going to toss it like he did the first one. We've all been there, bro. We've all been there.

[shiki-jitsu]

SPOILERS FOR CHAPTERS 4 - 6.

Again I agree with everything you have said. The Kate stuff is perfect. Dead on to her age and reactions, etc.

We’ve all been there.

so true

While yes, I do think he needs to start moving the story forward now, I will say I have liked how he has treated Elizabeth seeing Tommy everywhere now. And how she is questioning herself even. How she wanted to apologize to her mother.

Looking forward to where this is going. Finishing this to be read more now.

[Alien Redrum]

While yes, I do think he needs to start moving the story forward now, I will say I have liked how he has treated Elizabeth seeing Tommy everywhere now. And how she is questioning herself even. How she wanted to apologize to her mother.

That's a really good point, and upon reflection, I may have been quick to push. Maybe he's building it up more, and looking at it from your perspective, I can dig it.

Man I love this. Too bad Ron doesn't like wizardry.

[shiki-jitsu]

When Ron’s calligraphed manuscript is finished by those monks’ delicate hands and delivered to him on angel wings he is going to have some brilliant insights into the story.

[shiki-jitsu]

Spoilers for Chapters 7-9:
Luis Goes to the Sandersons, Kate and All the Apologies, Luis Asks Questions
Elizabeth at Split Rock, Camera Set Up, Notes About a Man Named Arnold
Allison and Luis, Luis and the Devil at the Rock

Ok, so we are still introducing characters, but the story is starting to move along now. I have to say these were the chapters that really started to get me into the story, for a number of reasons.

I guess the biggest impact in this group of chapters was the introduction of Arnold. Who is Arnold, what does he have to do (if anything) with Tommy's disappearance? Is he really a seer? Is he Old Scratch? All new questions that need to be answered.

I was reading the chapter that introduced Arnold in Tommy's diary pages. I had just crawled into bed and Sam was out cold next to me. The rest of the house was dark and quiet. I have to admit that reading about Arnold in the diary pages was downright creepy. I legit was getting uncomfortable. Maybe it was the tension Tremblay created before showing us what was on the new pages. Kate's re-readings and reactions and Elizabeths initial reaction. In the diary pages Arnold came across as supernatural. I really liked the way that plays against the next chapter when we are getting Luis' version of Arnold and the story of Old Scratch. There is still a sinister air, but not as fantastical. More real.

I've never heard of the devil referred to as Old Scratch... and I kind of like that nickname.

I have to say, Tremblay really caught a lot of what I think Tommy would be feeling. I have some similarities to the experiences of that character and I felt his writing to be really honest when it came down to Tommy's feelings on losing a parent. My parents divorced when I was 5 and my father left. I did see him, but not nearly as often as it should have been. He died when I was around 11, after he had moved out of state for a few years.

"He pops into my at these totally random times. I'll go days, maybe even weeks, without thinking about him. Then there'll be days where I'm like totally obsessed with him. I get stuck there sometimes, wondering what he would look like, what he would think of me."

Maybe it is a sons and their fathers thing that I don't really understand. Or maybe it was losing him so young, but I get that quote. 30 years on and I still have those thoughts. And it is so random. Sometimes something kicks it off... others I don't know why. But I do get "stuck there sometimes". In a very different way than I do with my mother who I lost in adulthood. I wonder how his "disappearance" has shaped my own life... for better or worse. The contacts he had that I lost out on or the motivation he may have given to make different decisions.

I wonder if Tremblay lost a parent young.

So, onto other things from the chapters. I am glad to see that Josh and Luis are also seeing Tommy.

I was confused by this one line that shows up I believe at the end of chapter 7:

She falls backward, landing on the couch, and her phone vibrates with the motion detection alert, then a video clip opens of her sitting on the couch, light spilling out of her eyes.

I hated how this is just there and then nothing else about this. What the fuck is going on here? Am I just miss reading this, being too literal? It felt out of place and jarring and then its not mentioned again.

I think I am going to start moving through this fairly quickly now. I'm not sure how I will be able to hold back from reading further. I do know I need to finally go back and read Head Full of Ghosts now. I had picked it up really cheap (or free) a while back on your recommendation, AR. But I never read it.

[Alien Redrum]

SPOILERS FOR CHAPTERS 7 - 9.

Ok, so we are still introducing characters, but the story is starting to move along now. I have to say these were the chapters that really started to get me into the story, for a number of reasons.

I guess the biggest impact in this group of chapters was the introduction of Arnold. Who is Arnold, what does he have to do (if anything) with Tommy's disappearance? Is he really a seer? Is he Old Scratch? All new questions that need to be answered.

Right!! Once I got to those letters and the mention of Arnold, I literally sat up straighter. I was all, "Okay! Here we go, now!" I keep trying to make Arnold into another name or word, like you see sometimes (Angel Heart comes to mind). I think we have to wait until we get a last name.

I will say, though, I'm... I don't know if I'm jaded, but part of me thinks this could be a regular dude too and just got this info from social media (Tommy is big into instagram, remember). But this is also a horror novel, so we'll see.

I was reading the chapter that introduced Arnold in Tommy's diary pages. I had just crawled into bed and Sam was out cold next to me. The rest of the house was dark and quiet. I have to admit that reading about Arnold in the diary pages was downright creepy. I legit was getting uncomfortable. Maybe it was the tension Tremblay created before showing us what was on the new pages. Kate's re-readings and reactions and Elizabeths initial reaction. In the diary pages Arnold came across as supernatural. I really liked the way that plays against the next chapter when we are getting Luis' version of Arnold and the story of Old Scratch. There is still a sinister air, but not as fantastical. More real.

I'm fucking jealous. I was reading it on the metro.

I've never heard of the devil referred to as Old Scratch... and I kind of like that nickname.

That actually surprises me that you've never heard that, considering all of the stuff you read. (Not judging by any means, just genuinely surprised.)

Funny, one thing I highlighted to bring up was something Luis said to Josh:

Luis: "Do you thiink Tommy wrote about...?"

He stops, afraid to saya anything more.

Josh: I--I don't know."

Well I guess that answers that.

But, later on during that same conversation (and also, as you mentioned):

Josh says, "I saw him standing outside my window again last night."

Luis doesn't say anything. Doesn't look at his friend.

"That's three nights in a row."

Luis asks, "What are we going to do?"

Josh says again, "I don't know."

I was confused by this one line that shows up I believe at the end of chapter 7:



I hated how this is just there and then nothing else about this. What the fuck is going on here? Am I just miss reading this, being too literal? It felt out of place and jarring and then its not mentioned again.

Okay, you are misreading this I think. It goes like this:

1. She falls on the couch.
2. The phone vibrates because she fell on the couch in front of the camera; she set off the motion detector and it alerted her phone as designed.
3. The video clip opens of her sitting on the couch because it recorded because the motion detector went off and she's watching that clip. The light is her Ghosthunters-Donna-Night-Vision-Eyes.



Does that help?

think I am going to start moving through this fairly quickly now. I'm not sure how I will be able to hold back from reading further. I do know I need to finally go back and read Head Full of Ghosts now. I had picked it up really cheap (or free) a while back on your recommendation, AR. But I never read it.

PLEASE DO. I'm so fucking curious on what you think of that, and you will blow through that for sure.

I didn't comment on the part about Tommy's dad/your dad because I simply can't relate to that. However, I think it further shows Tremblays ability to extract emotion. He's so good at it. Something else I highlighted that was simply...painful. It took place right after the camera setup I think and Elizabeth takes Kate to bed (when Kate was saying don't turn off the light before she got in the bed):

Kate flips onto her stomach, and with her head turned away from Elizabeth she says, "This is hard, Mom."

There is SO MUCH in that one little sentence. The feels!

[Alien Redrum]

Related: I hate the word hardo. Fucking hate it. Almost takes me out of the book whenever it's used.

[shiki-jitsu]

Related: I hate the word hardo. Fucking hate it. Almost takes me out of the book whenever it's used.

Holy shit yes... and it is used a lot. That and the Chirps thing. Wtf is that? I feel like an old man anytime these fucking kids talk

[shiki-jitsu]

Spoilers for chapters 7 - 9

To hit on some of your post.

The Old Scratch thing. Yeah I don’t know. I looked it up and looked at the books it is in and I have read atleast half of them... so I don’t know why I forgot it but I did. Still like it.

The night vision Donna part.

Yeah I was afraid that’s what he meant with that line. And if that is the case as it seems I don’t like it. Feels forced and out of place. Like it was something he came up with and was really into and had to make it in there. Feels shoehorned.

One thing neither one of us mentioned is the fact that Elizabeth’s mother left. Seems like an odd choice. Wonder what’s going to happen to her. She is definitely set up to disappear, or come back with a big reveal. Not sure which way that will go.

Not to jump ahead and not a spoiler, but there is an interaction and decision made in the next chapter that irritates me with how out of character I think it is. I am assuming it’s a means to an end for Tremblay, and it is going to annoy me if it plays out the way I think it is going to. More to come.