A review by saroz162
Chocky by John Wyndham

3.0

I saw the television adaptation a few years ago, so I knew roughly what to expect from the plot, but this was my first John Wyndham novel. What impressed me was his ability to very quickly draw the reader into the situation, maintaining a very fine balance between a quirky, almost comical scenario and the parents' increasing concern. The book definitely becomes tense - I think my criticism would be that it never quite reaches the levels of fear one might expect. It feels a little neutered by the end, and I think it's very telling that the book has sometimes been reprinted as a YA title. As a kid of 12, I'd have found this completely absorbing; as an adult of 30, I enjoyed what I read, but I wanted more.