Secret Histories

Young Repairman Jack #1

by F. Paul Wilson

1983 Johnson, NJ, a small town on the edge of the fabled and mysterious Pine Barrens. Among its odd an old woman with a three-legged dog; some call her a witch. There's the town drunk, Weird Walt Erskine, who always wears gloves, no matter what the temperature. There's USED, the store that sells all sorts of things from the past. And that's just a sampling. The a fourteen-year old named Jack. Nobody knows Jack. Not his parents, not his few friends, not even Jack himself But he's learning. He's discovering that he has a knack for fixing things. Not bikes or toys or appliances -- situations. Here is where it all starts -- with a withered corpse discovered deep in the Pine Barrens…the victim of ritual murder. And unearthed with it is an ancient artifact carved with strange designs. Where and when is it from? What is the secret of the corpse? What other mysteries hide in the dark, timeless Pine Barrens? And who doesn't want them revealed? The world, Jack's town, the surrounding Barrens, even Jack himself -- they all have… SECRET HISTORIES

Genres: Horror, Mystery, Young Adult, Thriller, Fantasy, Fiction, Urban Fantasy

237 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2008

About the author

Francis Paul Wilson is an author, born in Jersey City, New Jersey. He writes novels and short stories primarily in the science fiction and horror genres. His debut novel was Healer (1976). Wilson is also a part-time practicing family physician. He made his first sales in 1970 to Analog and continued to write science fiction throughout the seventies. In 1981 he ventured into the horror genre with the international bestseller, The Keep, and helped define the field throughout the rest of the decade. In the 1990s he became a true genre hopper, moving from science fiction to horror to medical thrillers and branching into interactive scripting for Disney Interactive and other multimedia companies. He, along with Matthew J. Costello, created and scripted FTL Newsfeed which ran daily on the Sci-Fi Channel from 1992-1996.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/fpaulw...

Reviews

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Secret Histories
By F. Paul Wilson
This is a teen or young adult book. It's interesting and a mystery and modern age Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew book. I didn't know it was going to be a teenage book. I really wasn't in the mood for one. Entertaining, I just wasn't in the mood.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been reading Repairman Jack books since I was in Junior High…like the character Jack is in this book. In fact, I started reading F Paul Wilson books IN 1983 which is the year in which this book is set (creeepy). If you are into slightly supernatural, mysterious adventure books & you haven’t read any Repairman Jack books (no matter whether you are a “young” adult or just act like one when no one’s looking) this is a series you ought to investigate. Wilson is a master at constructing conspiracies and page-turning adventures. Pick one up for yourself and the YA in your life. There’s even a handy reading guide to the series in the back! And if you are already a fan of the author or the character, DO NOT let the YA label scare you away. How much fun do you think it is finding out what Jack was like as a teen? You get to watch him pull his first fixes! Priceless! (sorry about all the exclamation points)

[David B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young Jack and his friends discover a dead body and some mysterious artifacts in the New Jersey Pine Barrens, and soon they are enmeshed in a mystery concerning more murders and a secret society that may be older than anyone suspects.

This fast-paced novel has many pleasures but frustrations abound as well. As this slim YA novel neared its conclusion, it became increasingly apparent that the most intriguing plot threads were not going to be resolved until later in the trilogy--probably not until the final volume. The immediate crisis of the murders is solved, but so many more interesting aspects of the story are left hanging that there is very little sense of closure. I will read more, but I can't help recalling how many novels, movies, and TV shows have great set-ups but fall apart when it is time to reveal their secrets and pay off on the promises they have made. The more author F. Paul Wilson leaves the reader in suspense from book to book, the more he is upping the ante in the form of raised expectations. He is a talented writer of thrillers, and I'll be rooting for him to pull it off.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

As far as boys' adventure stories go, this one is top-notch. Adults will probably prefer something a little more sophisticated, but REPAIRKID JACK: SECRET HISTORIES is sneaky in the way it steadily engrosses you despite its obvious YA limitations and contrivances. F. Paul Wilson does a fantastic job of simplifying his writing style for young readers while still respecting their intelligence. My only real complaint is that the constant stream of references to '80s American culture becomes grating after a while. Fans of REPAIRMAN JACK will be happy to know that this book retains many of the dark, supernatural elements of Wilson's other novels. Be warned, though: the story here is not self-contained. If you want all the answers, you're going to have to continue on to the next couple installments.

[tonya_with_an_o · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a delightful and fun romp back to the 80s, coming of age with conspiracies, secrets, and adventure. Somehow, I've never heard of these books or the author before, which is criminal, considering how much I enjoyed this book. I'm on the Repairman Jack fan train now, and I'm riding it until it runs out of track. Lucky for me there's so much more material to consume!

[Peter Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack: Secret Histories by F. Paul Wilson



I am not a "Repairman Jack" reader. I think I tried one a few years ago and decided that it was too much of a by the numbers actioner with the uber-competent hero. On the other hand, I liked F. Paul Wilson forty years when he was writing libertarian science fiction, although I didn't follow him when he turned to horror. Also, I read some of his "secret history" stories and enjoyed them.

So, bottom line, if there are references to later books in here, and I imagine there are, I didn't catch them.

What I found was a solid young adult mystery story with a cultic overlay. Young Jack is fourteen and it is the summer before entering ninth grade at the local high school. He and his friends, Weezie and Eddie, travel out to the New Jersey Pine Barren and find a body and a strange object. They try to ascertain if the object is an ancient artifact but find themselves being stalked. And then deaths tied to the strange and secret Septimus lodge start happening around time.

It's up to Jack to figure out what's happening to whom.

I particularly liked Wilson's Pine Barren setting. He has had some other stories in the same setting and it seems that he has local knowledge. I would never have considered New Jersey a place for the occult, so I was surprised to discovery that the Pine Barrens hold their own mystery.

[hotsake (André Troesch) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid YA novel but only a mediocre Repairman Jack book.
3.5/5

[Tim Healy · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's nothing wrong with this book. It's fine. It's not quite what I was hoping for. Honestly, I read it only because I'm trying to read the "Secret History of the World" books.

This is a young adult novel. It deals with Jack as a teenager with all of the uncertainties that come with that. At least he's a realistic teen. He and his friends have real issues to go along with their teenaged angst. I appreciated the effort that it took to do this.

The story wasn't actually that bad. However, it stops more than it really ends. I also felt strongly that Wilson was reaching for this story. He was purposely trying to show us where Jack developed parts of his later skills set and personality. It just all feels like a setup for that.

If you like Wilson, read it for completion's sake. If not, you could take a pass on this for something else of his.

[David Agranoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great YA entry to the RMJ series. It helps add a level to the last couple books. Reading this series before Repairman Jack novel Ground Zero.

[Jeff Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Start of a prequel series for the Repairman Jack series aimed at YA.

Pretty enjoyable and ties into the overall series very well. I am not too much of a fan of prequels where they try to explain the origin of almost everything about a character. This doesn't do that, just that you can see traits that are being developed.

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tale of young Jack in his formative years is just as good as the later years as Repairman Jack

[Bradley Valentine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love the Repairman Jack books. I especially love the three books detailing Jack's first years in NYC, which mostly did away with the supernatural elements to the core Repairman novels. I just sort of liked the back to basics crime aspect. And frankly F. Paul Wilson had become a better writer by then.

Here are the newer Repairman Jack stories where Jack is even younger. The year is 1983 and young Jack goes into the New Jersey woods with childhood pals, whose names I didn't care enough about to remember. Only that the girl reminded me of Lydia from Beetlejuice and her brother was there to be dumb, cowardly and give us probably a more realistic idea about how kids in real life would probably be in such a situation.

Look, I know this is a YA novel, but I'm reviewing it with the same standard as I would anything else. YA doesn't mean it has to be dumb and predictable. That's pretty much this book in a nutshell. I got this vibe like F. Paul Wilson decided he'd dull his approach to this project and not be called out on it because, you know, for the kids. But why would any kid bother reading F. Paul Wilson in the first place if said kid didn't want to be treated with the same respect as he'd treat an adult reader?

That's ultimately the problem I have with this project. It's basically just your standard Scooby Doo type thing. Scooby is useful here to compare how different our culture is now to back in the early 70s. Back in the 70s, the gang was a fairly equal team. Except for Shaggy and Scoobs, both seeming stoners, Fred, Wilma and Daphne each brought a equality that contributed to the whole. Today, Fred is portrayed like a privileged white jock with this Leslie Nielson obliviousness while Daphne and Velma do the real work.

That's more or less what F. Paul Wilson gives us here except there's just Jack and the brother and sister neighbors he has known most of his young life. The sister is quite literally a mix of Daphne and Velma -- Wilson describes her on the one hand as not quite beautiful and not a moment later Jack acknowledges to himself the pull of her allure and intelligence. In fact, it turns out she has a considerable amount of charm after all, haha. Surprise!

Jack isn't portrayed as being oblivious or dumb to the extent that the brother is. Wilson explains the reason Jack has sh/t between his ears (my description, not Wilson's) is only because Jack has two jobs and his ignorances is presumedly for the purposes of the story.

The sister knows a heck of a lot about a lot of things, it turns out. It's like in a lot of movies and books these days where characters have an alarming number of esoteric skills you wouldn't expect people to have. It's glibly explained in most screenplays with, "I have brothers!" Or "Uncle Jimmy served time, what do you want?" Or "I don't know how to boost a car because I'm brown, you racist! I paid for Harvard as a repo man." My favorite is, probably the most plausible, "I wanted to be a magician as a kid."

I didn't get all that far into this book. I gave it more time than it really deserved. I feel like if you lower your expectations just because of its intended audience then the book is probably patronizing that audience. Which is how it feels in books like this when the female characters aren't allowed to have flaws the way males are allowed. Boys can be goofballs, but girls always have to be super smart and brave. They're never afraid. I think editors encourage writers to approach it this way to add positive role models to the culture. From my point of view, that seems likely to backfire. You remember how boys were meant to grow up to be John Wayne? Never meant to cry or admit mistakes. How'd that turn out?

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Today's post is on 'Jack: Secret Histories' by F. Paul Wilson. It is 304 pages including a reading order for all his books at the end. It is published by TOR. The cover has two boys in silhouette with a bone arm out reached to them. It also has the opening line of the book on the cover which is 'They discovered the body on a rainy afternoon...'. The intended reader is young men but it is part of Wilson's Secret History of the World Series so anyone who likes/reads that will get something out of this book. There is some language, as the two of the main characters are fourteen year old boys but nothing really, there is no sex, and no gore. Some fighting but nothing too extreme. There Be Spoilers Ahead.


From the back of the book- Ever come across a situation that simply wasn't right- where someone was getting the dirty end of the stick and you wished you could make things right but didn't know how? Fourteen-year-old Jack knows how, Or, rather, he's learning how. He's discovering that he has a knack for fixing things. Not bikes or toys or appliances- situations...

Here's how it all starts: Jack and his best friends, Weezy and Eddie, discover a rotting corpse- the victim of ritual murder- in the fabled New Jersey Pine Barrens. Beside the body is an ancient artifact carved with strange designs. What is its secret? What is the secret of the corpse? What other mysteries hide in the dark, timeless Pine Barrens? And who doesn't want them revealed?

Jack's town, the surrounding Barrens, his friends, even Jack himself... they all have.. secret histories.



Review- This is a good strong YA. I enjoyed reading it, it was a very quick read. Wilson does not change his writing style just because he is writing a YA book and I think that is very good. It helps this book fit into the the larger world of his Secret History nicely. Also when the young adults grow into just regular adults they will have a author ready for them to continue reading. This is Wilson's first YA book so there are some things that just do not quite fit like that Jack is more emotionally mature that a normal fourteen-year-old would be. He is very aware of his place in the world and of others around him. He is honest but the reader can see where Jack is going to be when he becomes an adult. There is nothing in this book that should stop anyone from reading this. The murders do not happen on camera, the body is not described so the reader can full in details themselves mostly. The language is age appropriate. The very mild supernatural elements are just interesting and not scary at all. All in all I think that Wilson played it safe with this book.


I give this book Four stars out of Five. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is F. Paul Wilson's first young adult novel. This is also our introduction to the young Jack who will become the famous, or infamous, Repairman Jack. Part supernatural thriller, part mystery; Repairman Jack and the stories of the secret history of mankind form the structure of Nelson's epic. I was pleased to see that this YA novel would stand on its own and that it works terrifically as a teen mystery. The story also hints at the supernatural "secret histories" behind Wilson's novels and introduces Jack's friend Weezy, a girl who thinks and acts for herself.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who knew there was a YA Repairman Jack novel? (Actually there are three-I learned something new today.) F Paul Wilson is a talented author and it is fun to see him setting Jack on the path his life will follow in Secret Histories. The action takes place in and around the New Jersey Pine Barrens, which is a great and spooky setting. I think Wilson won me over when he has Jack reading an old issue of The Spider, and when his father mentions The Shadow and Doc Savage. Just call me sentimental.

[Randy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book of a trilogy that will show Jack as a boy and the things that made him what he is today.

[Brent Ecenbarger · Rating 4 out of 5]

The young adult trilogy of Repairman Jack books kicks off with Secret Histories, also by F. Paul Wilson. Jack, last name withheld, is a teenage boy who rides around the town of Johnson, New Jersey (named as such because President Andrew Johnson stayed the night there once) with his two best friends Weezy and Eddie. Weezy is a conspiracy theorist who believe there is a secret history of the world that is being covered up, while Jack just likes hanging out with Weezy. While on one of their adventures, the three kids discover a dead body that has been mutilated and a strange cube that contains an even stranger object inside. After discovering it Jack begins to make connections about his local town and mystery of the death and object.

As a prequel series to the Repairman Jack series, Wilson has some interesting opportunities and challenges to work with. In the adult series, we never really discover how Jack becomes such a formidable individual. How does he become a master of being incognito, using weapons, defending himself and solving mysteries? When the first book, The Tomb (1984) begins, Jack is already adept at performing “Fix-its” for people, is living under the radar, and has all the same skills he is using by the end of the series. He also has a supporting cast of characters that he already has history with (Gia his girlfriend, Abe the arm’s dealer, and Julio the barkeep being the primary three). Being published in 2008, there were also 11 or 12 books worth of books exploring Jack’s mindset, and we know the fates of his mother, father, brother and sister already, but not much about their youths.

The largest challenge Wilson faces though is that his series is a supernatural one, and Jack enters The Tomb as a skeptic. As readers, we’ve either had 24 years or 11 novels of work to see Jack evolve from a skeptic to a believer regarding things like the Adversary, the Otherness, the Ally, and Mother. It doesn’t make any sense for him to experience supernatural events in the prequel novels, or else he would not be a skeptic when The Tomb begins. Wilson obviously wants to tie events from Jack’s youth to his adventures in the present, so he must walk a tightrope of having the absurd occur but have Jack not believe or remember what he experiences when he is older.

For the most part, he succeeds on both levels in this book. Jack begins to collect skills (lock picking, fix-its) and a moral compass, while not being totally aware of the supernatural events happening around him. The closest he gets to being a believer is seeing a shadowy movement at night time and an apparent government cover up, however both are certainly events that could be explained away by an adult remembering the fancies of childhood later on. Wilson also does a nice job of developing Jack’s dad and brother Tom as characters, foreshadowing the sorts of men they will be when Jack is an adult. Unfortunately his mother and sister Kate are both as one dimensional here as they are (based on what we know of them) in the adult books.

I imagine it will be more difficult to read the next two books and still believe Jack is a skeptic when he is an adult. On top of that, Wilson has written a second prequel series about Jack’s first years in New York that will likely add to that problem (while probably focusing on this supporting non-family characters in the adult books). As a standalone book this one is very fun however. Jack’s fix involving his friend Steve is as brilliant as anything he comes up with as an adult, and what we know of the mystery is enough to keep the reader anticipating the next adventure.

[Mike Kazmierczak · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book left me mixed on multiple fronts. I'm not exactly sure why because any explanation I provide is thwarted by my own actions.

JACK: SECRET HISTORIES, also called simply SECRET HISTORIES, is about Repairman Jack, the younger years. As in his teen years. Before we ever see him in THE TOMB. The story follows Jack, Weezy, and Eddie as they discover in the New Jersey Pine Barrens a strange stone pyramid box. While they try to unlock the mysteries of the box, they discover in their town a cult, a cult whose members are strangely dying off. As with all Repairman Jack books, there is more happening around the mystery than the obvious. And there is a mystical connection throughout all the events.

The book was entertaining and good; so why am I mixed on it? First off, it is a young adult book. Nothing wrong with that by itself but it does tend to mean that the action and violence is muted. On the other hand, I've already purchased (not yet read) DEFINITELY NOT KANSAS and FAMILY SECRETS, the Nocturnia young adult series that Wilson co-wrote with Thomas Monteleone. However, I have not purchased SECRET CIRCLES and SECRET VENGEANCE, the final two parts of this trilogy. Also, SECRET HISTORIES does have lots of events and Easter eggs tying in to Jack's future, more events and tie-ins than I could pick out. Some of those things I knew I should know "why it was important" but I just couldn't remember. So maybe I was feeling left out a little bit? Part of my mixed feelings might also have been that I was happy with the Repairman Jack series and didn't need more. Did I really need to see his life as a teenager? And yet, I've already purchased COLD CITY, DARK CITY, and FEAR CITY (when Jack first arrives in NYC). I want more but I don't. When it comes right down to it, SECRET HISTORIES is a fun, exciting, quick story that ties very nicely into the Repairman Jack mythos and should be enjoyed by most sane people. If you are a big Repairman Jack fan, read it. But who am I kidding; you've probably done so already.

[Doug Sundseth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't read any of the Repairman Jack series, so this is a de novo review.

The story is set in southern New Jersey, in the summer before the protagonist will enter High School as a freshman*. He and his two real friends are spending the summer working and wandering around in the pine barrens doing what kids did before electronic games and widespread use of computers.

They find a body and the circumstances of the death are very unusual, involving possibly supernatural elements.

The characters are well realized and believable for their ages. The world of small town rural New Jersey is drawn nicely, and reminds me of the towns I spent time in around the same era.

There are a couple of plots, a small one involving one of the MC's friends, that could have been more impactful, but that ends up being resolved easily, and a larger one that is only partly addressed in this book. The target audience for this books seems to be between that for middle grade fiction and much of the more mature YA fiction that is being published. (It fits into something like the same niche as the old Heinlein juveniles, in my opinion.)

As a set of character studies, this is pretty good, but the plot didn't really compel my attention. Overall, it's not bad, but that's about it's limit.

* I don't know how New Jersey schools were organized in 1983, but where I was, the model was still Jr. High School from grades 7-9 and High School from grades 10-12, but this book assumes High School will be grades 9-12.

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the Repairman Jack series so much I’ve decided to reread the series. However, I’ve decided to start the universe in chronological order. This novel was a big disappointment and if I wasn’t committed to finish the universe I probably wouldn’t continue the series.

I really loved hearing about Jack’s childhood and how rough it was. However, I found the mystery bland and very juvenile. I understand that Wilson wanted to cater the crime to a group of teenagers but it seemed too immature. The crime seemed so simple that I thought Jack was eight instead of fourteen/fifteen and it took me far too long to realize my age determination was wrong.

The characters were okay with Jack being the best. He was young, inexperienced, hormonal but caring and smart. His companions were so utterly forgettable that 1.5 months after finishing the novel I forget their names and any unique personality traits.

The voice actor was okay but I really prefer two voice actors (one for each gender) so every character has their own voices. I also thought the voice actor portrayed the characters too young with weedy voices.

I wouldn’t recommend this novel to fans, just stick to the original series and don’t waste your time on this.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jack is a 14-year-old boy living in rural New Jersey, who with his friends Louise (known to everyone as "Weezy") and Eddie, discover a corpse in the woods along with a mysterious artifact. Through the summer they look for answers to questions arising from those finds -- who was the dead person? How did they die? What is the origin of the artifact?

The story has the vibe of Stranger Things, young teens in the 80's (with plenty of 80's nostalgia sprinkled in) dealing with mystery, government conspiracy and a touch of the supernatural. But having been published eight years before Stranger Things was released, it isn't derivative.

I received this book as a gift and read it without knowing the broader Repairman Jack context, but now I can see that as a prequel, elements of the plot that seemed like they would be important for this book (like Jack learning to pick locks) are likely back story for Jack's later life in previously written novels.

This book is targeted at teens, so I'm a bit out of the target demographic so my rating has to take that into account, but it was a generally enjoyable read.

[Michael J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

F. Paul Wilson pens a young adult novel that employs all his wonderful story-telling skills and includes links to several of his other adult works of fiction. This is a glimpse into the early days of one of Wilson's most popular characters - - Repairman Jack - - featuring Jack at the formative age of fourteen.
JACK: SECRET HISTORIES is a formidable blend of all the elements that make Wilson's novels so much fun to read - - - action adventure with a blend of horror and the supernatural as well as conspiracy theories (aliens, secret societies, etc). You don't need to have read any of his other works to enjoy this. You don't need to be a "young adult" reader either. This one is a page-turning entertaining novel for all ages.

[Brett Grossmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s good but it’s so illogical that all this happened and jack conveniently forgot. That and you could make a drinking game out of the use of the phrase “secret history.” Enough we get it. Imagine if you watched alien resurrection and they kept name checking the title thru the movie? It’s annoying and silly.dissapointed that the author ended the jack series so poorly and then wrote this unbelievale prequel stuff. When wheezy showed up in the books I was dissapointed in how she replaced Gua. These prequels are just a way to cash in.thus after Paul Wilson stares he wanted to end the series cause it was finished

[John Michael Strubhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

From an author who can do no wrong, this has all the elements of Stranger Things before that show was anyone's idea. Faithfully set in the '80's, loaded with the adventures of meddling kids and told in an engaging manner that makes the book extremely hard to put down, this first in a series of three Young Repairman Jack novels will keep you riveted. If you pass this one up, you'll probably be stalked by a klazen and nobody wants that, so go read it already.

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun! I have read the first three of Repairman Jack and had no idea there was a young Jack series. The narrator is a personal favorite of mine with Perry Mason books, although I don't like the other stuff in audio form he generally reads otherwise (romance), so I was happy to see he narrates these. It's definitely YA and a different feel than the adult books but there's recognition there and love the areas called "The Barrons" and his friends.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story, but narrator was really annoying by using voices similar to those from Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure! If they used a different narrator or the narrator used more “normal” (less high-pitched and squeaky) voices, the audiobook would have been much better. We do get to meet “Mother” and her dog for the first time (a character that recurs in all the later Repairman Jack books).

[Brett's Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd recommend this quick read for fans of Repairman Jack fiction, and any fans of adventure tales. Secret Histories has just a hint of the sci-fi and fantasy that are coming in later Repairman Jack novels; kind of reads like a Hardy Boys paperback.

[Kurk Prater · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Repairman Jack Series is a great roller coaster ride of being both having hints of supernatural happenings along with a great adventure story....

as an addition to the series, these pre-history books are awesome

Keeping an eye out for Women with dogs still....

[Rick M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Secret Histories introduces readers to a teenage Repairman Jack as an origin story which starts with he and his friends discovering an odd cube containing a small pyramid inside when they go exploring the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. A solid read that crosses the horror genre and YA.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not usually into YA but this was an engaging read and did contribute ti the secret history of the world development. 4.5 stars