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Oct 12, 2007

Lara rated it:

This book is the perfect illustration of why I don't read horror. The author has one mediocre idea, and forcibly bolsters it into a book with flat characters, wooden, implausible dialog and embarassing attempts at proving he did his research on youth culture by tossing in some skate shoe brand names. He's stingy with the "scary" parts, and if I want blood and gore I better stick with Palahniuk and Brite. I thought it might be fun to read something creepy for October, but I may not More...

3 comments like (2 people liked it)

Aug 13, 2007

John rated it:

The unsettling account of the connections between a suicide, a missing boy, a missing girl, a serial killer and a haunted house, Lost Boy Lost Girl is a strange amalgam of parts. Even its narrative is scattered for such a short book, with a heavy emphasis on the uncle of the missing boy. His presence is so dominant (despite him being removed from nearly all of the plot, mostly learning of events after they happen) that the more intimate perspectives that come later feel out of place. Straub summ More...

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 23, 2011

Sara rated it:

For some reason I avoided Peter Straub like the plague until one day in my twenties whilst stuck in Penn Station I happened upon a copy of "Lost Boy Lost Girl" and out of desperation bought it. I have never looked back and as soon as I finished it I ran out and read everything else the man has written in something like a month.

"Lost Boy Lost Girl" is a ghost story but its also a story about surviving unspeakable loss.

Successful novelist Tim Underhill (a f More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 14, 2009

Mark R. rated it:

Peter Straub's easy-to-read, fast-paced writing style makes this a pretty fun read. "Lost Boy Lost Girl" is a story that mashes together a few different staples of horror fiction, with ghosts, suicides, and serial killers all converging on one another, in a story that jumps between first- and third-person, past and present.

Parts of the novel are told from the point of view of Tim Underhill, the protagonist, a middle-aged novelist attempting to explain the disappearance of More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Apr 13, 2010

TJ rated it:

Peter Straub once again dazzles with this horror novel. Indeed, Straub has returned to the style that made him famous.

Anyway, this is a very complex literary novel, the type that begs for a second reading. Although this might throw some readers off, it is the literary complexity that draws me to Straub. The protagonist, Tim Underhill, we’ve met before. If you’re a fan, then you’ve also encountered Tom Pasmore, and the city of Millhaven; in lost boy lost girl we meet them all again.
More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jul 28, 2010

Zoe rated it:

What's not to like in this book? An all male cast filled with one dimensional stereotypes. A major failing of the Bechdel test. A serial killer sub-plot that goes nowhere. An evil house that does nothing. A story about evil where the only person who dies is a suicide, and that's on page one. A story about a ghost where the ghost who finally shows up just wants to have sex...but "off screen," of course. Wouldn't want anything to actually happen in this book, would we?

In a bo More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Nov 27, 2011

Emily rated it:

Okay,so I really don't know what to think about this book. The plot was very intricate, so points for that. And it kept moving, which kept me reading, but it took a little while for it to get going. At the end it seemed like there was some stuff that wasn't fully resolved. For example, does Mark really just vanish into some spirit world? I would have liked a tad bit more explanation on that front about how it happens. Or does he get killed? Or go crazy? And what about his mom's suicide? More...

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May 27, 2011

Stockwell rated it:

Picked this book up in the library because the title intrigued me and I had nothing with me to read. Couldn't put it down. A fascinating story with an intriguing and satisfying ending.

There are many disturbing elements to this story, but for me personally, that simply adds to the overall effect. I know some people who hate disturbing books to the point where they will throw the book out in the trash, and while I don't like seeing mistreated books like that, it's your book so whatever More...

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Dec 31, 2011

Kylene rated it:

I was hugely disappointed in this book. It is the story of a young teen that becomes obsessed with an empty house on the other side of the alley where he lives. It is a house that horrible murders took place many years prior. His mom knows the secret of the house and she ends of committing suicide and then the boy disappears. There is a serial killer on the loose and the assumption is he was now a victim of this man. There were parts of the story that were quite interesting but it did jump aroun More...

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Dec 28, 2011

Greg rated it:

A quick and enjoyable read, with a bit of bitter aftertaste when it's all said and done. The story is engaging for most of the novel and there are parts that are genuinely scary, but it's wrapped up in a very unsatisfying way. On top of that, I couldn't help but think that parts of the story line were "borrowed ideas" from three of Orson Scott Card's stabs at the horror genre... "Treasure Box", "Homebody" and the wonderful "Lost Boys" all come to mind. Onl More...

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Feb 11, 2011

Maciek rated it:

This is a short story that could have worked at 20-something page count, but instead was stretched to 300. The best thing about it was meeting the familiar characters from Koko, but that's pretty much it.
Lost Boy, Lost Girl is divided into three parts - presentation of the mystery and introduction of the characters and setting - the investigation - the conclusion. Narrated in the third person, the narration constantly switches between the characters and sometimes parts are relayed through More...

5 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jun 28, 2009

William Herschel rated it:

Lost Boy Lost Girl is my first book by this author. This would be my last but I'm going to give one of his other books a chance.

The first 30 pages of the book are very slow. And then it gets very confusing. Something will happen, and then something else will happen, and then it'll go back to the first thing that happened and write it over again in another character's perspective-- barely adding any new information to the story.

As you know from the description, Mark's moth More...

3 comments like

Jan 21, 2012

Mary rated it:

What a great spooky story!
Writer Tim Underhill travels back to his small hometown, Millhaven, to attend his sister-in-law's funeral. While there, he learns that she committed suicide. He comforts his distant brother and his 15 year old nephew as best he can, then goes home. Shortly after returning to New York, Tim must again travel back to Millhaven because his nephew has disappeared. As he attempts to unravel the mysteries of his sister-in-law's suicide and his nephew's disappearance, Tim More...

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Jul 12, 2010

Kirsten rated it:

Ok, so this is definitely a book that improves with re-reading. When I first read it, I only rated it three stars. This time, it blew me away! I had forgotten how creepy and atmospheric the novel is, particularly several scenes inside and abandoned (and possibly haunted) house. Last night I had to put it down to go to sleep during a particularly creepy bit, and I actually found myself turning off the light and then immediately pulling the covers over my head because I was feeling so spooked. More...

3 comments like

Feb 18, 2008

Janet rated it:

This is the first Peter Straub book I've read (I raided my husband's bookshelves), and I enjoyed it. The book is divided into five sections, and the narration changes point of view in each (and within sections, as well). As a result, the reader sees the same events occur multiple times, but from different points of view. From a literary standpoint, I appreciated that construction. It's interesting and gives the author the opportunity to imbue multiple meanings (and layers of meaning) into th More...

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Feb 12, 2008

Nancy rated it:

First off I will tell you that this is definitely a chiller. It is also a novel that you will not want to put down. Second...if you're looking for an ordinary horror story, you're not going to get it here. It is a mystery with added components: ghosts, haunted houses, parallel universes. Not your average horror novel and if that's what you're looking for do not read this book. You'll be disappointed.

A great device used by the author in this story is the foreshadowing...certain things More...

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Sep 14, 2007

Christopher rated it:

Straub has always liked to play games with narrative. In The Throat his narrator (who is back as the narrator of this book) came forward as the author of one of Straub's previous books Mystery and retold that tale by deconstructing it. In Mr. X the point of view would alternate at each chapter between the protagonist and the clearly deranged antagonist.

But the game he plays here is... too clever? It made me respect the book, but also dislike it a little more than I would have otherw More...

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Dec 11, 2010

Shawnee rated it:

This was my first Peter Straub book. I must say, he kept me reading without wanting to rush through it, yet the interest was maintained. I would read some, think about it, then read more. I liked the way he jogged back and forth between the actions of the boy and the thoughts of the uncle without confusing the reader. The mystery of the boy's disappearance almost disappointed me until I read the intro to his next book. Now, of course, I want to get my hands on the next book! Nice going, Pe More...

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Apr 28, 2009

MG rated it:

This was recommended to me by a friend. I am grateful. I had a difficult time getting started with the book. By the end of the first chapter, I was hooked though. I flew through it. I liked the POV. I enjoyed the setting. It was well orchestrated. I enjoyed the cast. I picked it up because it was a ghost story first. It is much more than that. It was, as advertised, a collection of my favorite elements of horror. I think it has something for almost all walks of horror fans. Check it out.

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jun 28, 2011

William rated it:

In the style of author T.M. Wright, Straub has created a wonderfully creepy and classy tale of terror. Fascinating and believable characters are thrust into this world of murder, suicide, and kidnapping. Although the timeline is twisted, throwing the reader constantly from the past to the present, I was never lost. I can see why Straub won the Bram Stoker award for this book. His beautiful prose will not easily be outdone. He has definitely made me into a fan.

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Jun 05, 2011

Shoshana rated it:

Peter Straub is one of my favorite authors. This one started off well, but, as with a few other books of his, became rushed toward the end. I've noticed this with several of my favorite authors, unfortunately. Hopefully, he'll be able to take his time with future novels, as he seemed to with Hellfire Club, for instance.

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Sep 09, 2010

Suzanne rated it:

Wonderfully creepy in moments, but ultimately not as satisfying as I'd hoped.

Also, I understand that authors writing modern stories need to bring in elements of current technology, too, but much of it seemed forced. The prime example? The textspeak-laden e-mails from the protagonist's nephew. They made me want to go sit on my front porch with a hose and squirt any kids that happened by. (Or do kids go outside anymore?)

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Jun 18, 2009

Amy rated it:

Ooh, boy, did I not like this. I really like Peter Straub's Ghost Story, but this book was far and away from that. One thing that really detracted from the story for me was the shifting of points of view, which frequently entailed telling me the same information that I had already learned from another point of view - without any significant embellishments. It got pretty irritating after a while. I don't know what the editor was thinking.

Plus, the story really isn't scary at all, des More...

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Oct 09, 2011

Mary rated it:

I really hated this book when I first started reading it. It was slow and complicated and the author was so verbose at times I couldn't figure out what he was trying to say. About half way through the book started to get really scary and creepy. The mystery was really interesting and I couldn't wait to get to the end, then the author totally crapped out. He didn't really resolve the mystery and the ending was very disappointing. I can't really recommend this book at all.

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Sep 23, 2011

Kilgallen rated it:

This book is a bit of a rollercoaster ride....and I love rollercoasters! The point of view changes quite often throughout the novel and it is not always clear whom is in control of the prose but that only added to the creepiness of the tale. Overall a very tragic and haunting tale. Great for lovers of ghost stories, haunted houses, tales of serial killers and the like.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Apr 24, 2009

Andrew rated it:

a masterpiece, short, concise, and brilliant. PS takes some characters from some of his previous books and uses them to tell a ghost story of sorts. It is also a story about a serial killer(s) and a tale about youth and a tale about familial relationships.
I think PS has combined a lot of the elements of his best work and condensed them all into a shorter book but one that is probably better than anything he has ever written.
The thing I like about Straub is he doesn't waste words

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May 08, 2009

Biblophile rated it:

I found this book rather mediocre and not one of Straub's better books. Went on far too long in a convoluted manner that though not losing me, irritated me beyond belief. Did the man get paid by the number of asides, commas, and parentheses? I'm not sure why I persevered to the end but I did. Could have been a good spooky mystery in the right hands.

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Aug 16, 2011

Ryan rated it:

An afternoon read that got me lost into the evening wondering where time went. Intriguing story with a tight premise. Having read other books from Straub, I found it was good how the characters and plots overlapped from the other books. Some favorite characters were there. This time the story was easy to follow, short & concise.

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Sep 06, 2010

Mark rated it:

For a master of dark, supernatural suspense, Straub offers here a story told mostly in daylight. As stories about serial killers go, there's not much in Lost Boy Lost Girl that jumps out and grabs you. The innovation here is a tie-in to an active website that should not be viewed until the final chapter concludes.

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May 28, 2009

Anita rated it:

Maybe because I read this as an e-book (purchased from Kindle store), it seemed all disjointed to me. Chapters sort of ran together, sometimes in first person POV, sometimes in third person. The ending made no sense and there were a lot of questions left unanswered. On the whole completely unsatisfying.

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