Book Review

An oldie but a goodie, The Moonlit Mind is a trippy, paranormal treat that serves as a prelude to novel, 77 Shadow Street.

The Moonlit Mind (Release Date: January 2011)

In this chilling original stand-alone novella, available exclusively as an eBook, #1 New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz offers a taste of what’s to come in his novel, 77 Shadow Street, with a mesmerizing tale of a homeless boy at large in a city fraught with threats . . . both human and otherwise.

Twelve-year-old Crispin has lived on the streets since he was nine—with only his wits and his daring to sustain him, and only his silent dog, Harley, to call his friend. He is always on the move, never lingering in any one place long enough to risk being discovered. Still, there are certain places he returns to. In the midst of the tumultuous city, they are havens of solitude: like the hushed environs of St. Mary Salome Cemetery, a place where Crispin can feel at peace—safe, at least for a while, from the fearsome memories that plague him . . . and seep into his darkest nightmares. But not only his dreams are haunted. The city he roams with Harley has secrets and mysteries, things unexplainable and maybe unimaginable. Crispin has seen ghosts in the dead of night, and sensed dimensions beyond reason in broad daylight. Hints of things disturbing and strange nibble at the edges of his existence, even as dangers wholly natural and earthbound cast their shadows across his path. Alone, drifting, and scavenging to survive is no life for a boy. But the life Crispin has left behind, and is still running scared from, is an unspeakable alternative . . . that may yet catch up with him.

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My Thoughts…

It’s been eons since I’ve read anything by Dean Koonz, but when I was younger I used to read his stuff all the time. Then I read a few titles (can’t remember them now) and they unfortunately turned me off a bit. Or, maybe I was just tired of them. Who knows?

Recently, I came across this book when I was putting together my Fall TBR list, and thought I’d give this author another go. It had been a long time and I was curious.

I was pleasantly surprised by this story. It was still very bizarre which is typical of this author, but the plot was intriguing and I liked the idea of this huge, almost living mansion, possessing all these horrible secrets. The MC, ‘Crispin’, explains the house as something that continues to grow, and that reminded me of King’s miniseries, Rose Red, which was about a mansion that collected lives, and seemed to grow and shrink at will. Side note:  If you want to lose a few night’s sleep, read The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer: My Life at Rose Red, which the miniseries was based on. Really creepy stuff!

Anyway, as I was saying, I love paranormal stories about strange dwellings, so I really liked that aspect of this story. In this case, it was more the residents making the house evil and oh wow, were they ever terrifying.

Good writing, a fascinating plot, and a very brave boy, make this a good (not great) read. It was a little convoluted at times, which is why it wasn’t a great read, but I found it entertaining. It also did its job as an alluring hook, because now I want to read 77 Shadow Street. I guess my list just got a little longer lol.

Rating… B+