Disappearance at Devil's Rock

All my reviews can be found at The Tiny Reader's Reference! Come on over and say hello!Short & Sweet: Disappearance at Devil???s Rock is a muted, slow burn, character-driven horror story with rich human detail and little plot. This is not a ghost story told by the fireside; it is the tale of a grieving mother, the innocent foolishness of young children, and experiences that can defy explanation. To summarize this novel simply: The devil is in the details. And truly, that is where Paul Tremblay shines, placing small details, both relevant and otherwise, weaving a tale that shines with atmosphere.When I opened the first page, I went in with lowered expectations; the rating on Goodreads didn???t impress me, and the polarity of the reviews is the only reason why I picked up this book ??? and boy, am I glad I did.Plot is put aside for [b:Disappearance at Devil's Rock 27064358 Disappearance at Devil's Rock Paul Tremblay https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1464530350l/27064358.SY75.jpg 47104908], and instead, is driven by the characters and their experiences. We learn much more about the backgrounds of every character, from main protagonists Elizabeth and Kate, all the way down to the one-time view of a police officer driving to scope out houses. Throughout these background dumps ??? a fact of this book that did get a bit frustrating ??? are sprinkled small tidbits that are overall irrelevant, but provide a richness to the story and give life to the human connections.Everything in this novel is a slow burn. There are no action scenes, no hold-your-breath with every page turn. It builds and builds, teasing a conclusion only to gently pry it away from your hands and replace it with another. And another, and another, until the conclusion delivers with a nail-biting, page turning swiftness, clearing the mist and bringing you out what felt like a fog of possibilities ??? only to deliver with one final twist, just when you concluded you knew how everything ended.I can see why others may have struggled with this novel, due to the lack of action, the strange dialogue tags that are often employed, and the chapter titles (of which I actually enjoyed). Truly, nearly half of the book is in the quite expansive summary, as shown above. But again, the beauty of this novel is not within plot, or story, or environment, but the very real human element that propels events forward. Nothing felt forced.I know this review is shorter than my others are, and honestly, it???s because there isn???t a lot plotwise here. Tommy goes missing, there is a search, truths about that night are slowly unveiled, and strange paranormal happenings occur ??? or do they? If you???re looking for an emotional, character-driven story with possibilities, definitely pick this one up.