Current:Home > Back'Middle of the Night' review: Childhood disappearance, grief haunt Riley Sager's new book-LoTradeCoin
'Middle of the Night' review: Childhood disappearance, grief haunt Riley Sager's new book
View Date:2024-12-23 23:43:39
The summer days of our youth can feel like a sun-bathed path of endless possibilities. Ten-year-old Ethan has a lot that he’s looking forward to, but one night in July changed everything for him, his family and his neighborhood.
The approach of summer also brings a new novel by Riley Sager, the best-selling author known for his thrillers, “Middle of the Night” (Dutton, 352 pp., ★★★ out of four) out now.
Ethan Marsh is back in Hemlock Circle, the quiet fictional New Jersey neighborhood where he grew up, and it hasn’t changed much since he was last here. Almost all the same neighbors remain, too, except for the family of Billy Barringer.
Billy was Ethan’s best friend and next-door neighbor, but one summer night in 1994, Billy disappeared from Ethan’s backyard while the boys were having a sleepover in Ethan’s tent, and he was never found or seen again.
And now 30 years later, Ethan has reluctantly returned, haunted by his memories… and maybe something else?
Check out: USA TODAY's weekly Best-selling Booklist
It wouldn’t be a Riley Sager novel if weird stuff didn’t start happening pretty much right away.
Ethan’s not sure if the mysterious occurrences behind his parents’ house or around the neighborhood are real, a cruel prank or just a figment of his sleep-deprived imagination, but the increasing number of eerie events can no longer be ignored, so Ethan starts his own investigation into what’s happening now, and what might have happened to Billy all those years ago.
Graphic novels are getting more popularHere's why that’s a good thing.
Sager’s novel, one of his first to focus primarily on a male protagonist, doesn’t linger with Ethan — or even in the present — jumping between now and the ’90s, peppering Ethan’s investigation with the events leading up to that fateful July night seen through the eyes of preteen Ethan, Billy, Ethan and Billy’s mothers and other assorted kids from the neighborhood.
Several of those kids, now adults, haven’t strayed far from Hemlock Circle, reconnecting with Ethan in his truth-seeking journey. There’s Russ next door, a family man and very different from the short-tempered kid that used to tag along with Ethan and Billy; Ethan’s old babysitter Ashley, who is now a single mom to super-smart, sweet Henry; and Ragesh Patel, former neighborhood bully who is now a no-nonsense police officer.
In typical Sager style, there are many sudden turns as the story builds, quite a few suburban secrets to uncover and there are so many questions: what happened to Billy? What’s happening to Ethan? What was really happening behind closed doors on Hemlock Circle? Is Hemlock Circle haunted by ghosts?
Your next read'The Reformatory' by Tananarive Due is a haunted tale of survival, horror and hope
But even as the truths untangle and reveal themselves in Sager’s novel, many of the deeper questions about Ethan, his relationships and the losses from which he never really moved on will largely go unanswered here. Disappointing, but perhaps realistic as an exploration of trauma.
Grief can be complicated, and can affect everyone differently. But it can’t be ignored, the body knows.
Sager’s “Middle of the Night” is a twisty mystery with a touch of the supernatural, but it’s also about the complexities of friendship, those fleeting but overwhelming feelings from growing up and coming to terms with profound grief.
veryGood! (21)
Related
- Cruel Intentions' Brooke Lena Johnson Teases the Biggest Differences Between the Show and the 1999 Film
- Highest court in Massachusetts to hear arguments in Karen Read’s bid to dismiss murder charge
- 76ers star Joel Embiid suspended 3 games by NBA for shoving reporter
- Brianna LaPaglia Says Ex Zach Bryan Blocked Her on Social Media After Breakup
- Kim Kardashian and Kourtney Kardashian Team Up for SKIMS Collab With Dolce & Gabbana After Feud
- Christina Milian Reveals Why She Left Hollywood for Paris
- ROYCOIN Trading Center: The Introduction of Spot ETFs Fuels the Maturity and Growth of the BTC Market
- 76ers star Joel Embiid suspended 3 games by NBA for shoving reporter
- She's a trans actress and 'a warrior.' Now, this 'Emilia Pérez' star could make history.
- Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney tried to vote but couldn't on Election Day
Ranking
- US wholesale inflation picks up slightly in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
- College Football Playoff ranking snubs: Who got slighted during first release?
- Appeals court says Colorado ban on gun sales to those under 21 can take effect
- Alexa PenaVega Reveals How “Insecurities” Took a Toll on Marriage While on DWTS with Husband Carlos
- Prominent conservative lawyer Ted Olson, who argued Bush recount and same-sex marriage cases, dies
- Tom Brady Shares Quote on Cold and Timid Souls in Cryptic Post
- Big Ten, Boise State, Clemson headline College Football Playoff ranking winners and losers
- ROYCOIN Trading Center: Reshaping the Future of Financial Markets with Innovations in NFTs and Digital Currencies
Recommendation
-
Roster limits in college small sports put athletes on chopping block while coaches look for answers
-
Bubba Wallace, Austin Dillon and Ross Chastain penalized after Martinsville race
-
Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler's kids watched '50 First Dates' together
-
West Virginia voter, ACLU file lawsuit after Democrat state senate candidate left off ballot
-
Republican Gabe Evans ousts Democratic US Rep. Yadira Caraveo in Colorado
-
AP VoteCast: Economy ranked as a top issue, but concerns over democracy drove many voters to polls
-
Why AP called the Texas Senate race for Ted Cruz
-
AP PHOTOS: The world watches as US election results trickle in