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3.06 AVERAGE
3.06 AVERAGE
This was a very suspenseful book, right from the start. I was disappointed with the ending, but enjoyed the path it took to get there. Ghosts, herbalists, or are they witches, twins, an old house filled with secrets, this book has all of the old standbys for a suspense book, but refrains from getting cheesy or carried away.
Absorbing read as all of Bohjalian’s books are. But ruined for me by a horrible ending. I see from other reviews that I’m not alone in feeling this way. Clearly he tried a surprising twist at the end but it was a horrible and impossible to believe one, inconsistent with the characters in the family during the rest of the story. Definitely not the author’s best book.
CREEPY!!! I have read everything Chris has written, and love them all. This one is very different from his others. I liked it just because it was
Chris... But creepy is the best word for it.
Chris... But creepy is the best word for it.
I did not expect the ending. Even though it was a dark unhappy book the writing kept me engaged.
The first half or so of this was a strong five stars -- really eerie and creepy and just amazingly atmospheric. It couldn't fully sustain that, and dropped off a bit in the second half. As the mysteries start to be solved, much of the atmosphere dissipated.
This book seemed a cross between "The Shining" and "The Little Stranger". Who is dead? Who is alive? Is that person crazy? Is that house possessed? None of the characters are necessarily reliable narrators (or so it seems), leading to sense of dread mixed with unreality.
And it takes place in New Hampshire -- bonus!
This book seemed a cross between "The Shining" and "The Little Stranger". Who is dead? Who is alive? Is that person crazy? Is that house possessed? None of the characters are necessarily reliable narrators (or so it seems), leading to sense of dread mixed with unreality.
And it takes place in New Hampshire -- bonus!
Chip is an experienced pilot, but some things even the best pilot can't control - like birds flying into the plane's engines, causing an emergency landing. 39 people died that day, and Chip can't bring himself to fly anymore. He, his wife, and their twin daughters move to New Hampshire for a new start at life, moving into an old house with a sad history. It isn't long before Chip isn't just haunted by memories of that day, but by ghosts of some of the deceased passengers.
We also find out that the locals are a bit odd - women who claim to be "herbalists" but are more like a coven, each having named herself after some plant or herb. Oh, and one of them can read minds. And the boy who used to live in the house and committed suicide? It was murder. By them. And he's buried in the basement. And the witches want to kill one of the twins for her blood.
TOO. MUCH. Seriously: tragedy, ghosts, witches, psychic powers, a body in the basement, AND human sacrifice?
And this is just a stylistic choice but I can't stand it when the narrator speaks in second person. "You walk down the street..."
We also find out that the locals are a bit odd - women who claim to be "herbalists" but are more like a coven, each having named herself after some plant or herb. Oh, and one of them can read minds. And the boy who used to live in the house and committed suicide? It was murder. By them. And he's buried in the basement. And the witches want to kill one of the twins for her blood.
TOO. MUCH. Seriously: tragedy, ghosts, witches, psychic powers, a body in the basement, AND human sacrifice?
And this is just a stylistic choice but I can't stand it when the narrator speaks in second person. "You walk down the street..."
I had not read any of Chris Bojalian's fourteen novels until I picked up "The Night Strangers" and based on this example I can't wait to read more. The main character is a pilot of regional jets and is poised to be promoted to larger planes and international flights. Alas, as he takes off on a routine flight he hits a flock of geese. The engines fail and he plans a "Miracle on the Hudson" type
landing on a lake. Unfortunately the plane hits a ferry boat wave and splits in two and thirty nine passengers meet various gruesome ends. Media scrutiny, post-traumatic stress syndrome, and survivors guilt ensues. The family makes a move to a sleepy hamlet in New Hampshire where there is a strange density of greenhouses. The herbalists are darker than they seem and take a creepy interest in the pilot's twin daughters. The new homestead has a strange door in the basement with thirty-nine bolts hiding its contents. It is here that the pilot is visited by the souls of a few of the departed passengers.
This story does not progress in an expected way. I remained surprised until the end. The characters were multi-layered, neither all good nor all evil, as is true in our world as well. My absolute favorite part of the novel is Bojalian's use of second person narrative (only for the pilot's character.). This literary device serves both to provide a view into the pilot's thoughts as well as make him seemed removed from himself, much as would be expected in a traumatized person. Brilliant. I loved it! I can't wait to read more from this author.
landing on a lake. Unfortunately the plane hits a ferry boat wave and splits in two and thirty nine passengers meet various gruesome ends. Media scrutiny, post-traumatic stress syndrome, and survivors guilt ensues. The family makes a move to a sleepy hamlet in New Hampshire where there is a strange density of greenhouses. The herbalists are darker than they seem and take a creepy interest in the pilot's twin daughters. The new homestead has a strange door in the basement with thirty-nine bolts hiding its contents. It is here that the pilot is visited by the souls of a few of the departed passengers.
This story does not progress in an expected way. I remained surprised until the end. The characters were multi-layered, neither all good nor all evil, as is true in our world as well. My absolute favorite part of the novel is Bojalian's use of second person narrative (only for the pilot's character.). This literary device serves both to provide a view into the pilot's thoughts as well as make him seemed removed from himself, much as would be expected in a traumatized person. Brilliant. I loved it! I can't wait to read more from this author.
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
I loved this author's first book, but haven't liked many of the rest. Why I keep reading them I will never know. This book is utterly ridiculous. I love a good horror story--especially a smart one--and can usually suspend disbelief but a 21st century town in which there is a coven of "herbalist" witches who will murder to get what they want and NO ONE stops them, or even seriously questions them? We are supposed to believe that half the town belongs to the coven, and the other half runs scared while continuing to live there anyway without attempting to change things? Despite the trauma from which the main character is suffering--PTSD--it was difficult for me to summon any kind of sympathy for him or anyone else in this book. This is the last book I will read by Bohjalian. Do not waste your time.
This book is a hard one to rate. I really enjoyed parts of it but I also thought a lot of it was unneeded filler. I think the book could have been about a 1/3 shorter and just as impactful. Also that ending - still deciding how I feel about that, but overall an interesting read.