Set in 1980s Niagara Falls, the story follows twelve-year-old Jake Baker during a summer spent with his eccentric Uncle Calvin. Calvin organizes the Saturday Night Ghost Club, a small group dedicated to visiting local sites tied to urban legends and tragic histories, such as the screaming tunnel and a haunted amusement park. While the outings begin as supernatural investigations into local folklore, they gradually unmask the specific traumas and suppressed memories involving Calvin and his friends. The narrative shifts between Jake’s childhood experiences and his adult perspective as a neurosurgeon.
This book serves readers who value coming-of-age stories grounded in the psychology of memory rather than traditional horror tropes. People who enjoy small-town settings and the camaraderie of misfit groups will find a realistic depiction of how the mind processes grief. Readers walk away with an understanding of how people construct myths to shield themselves from unbearable reality. It functions as a study of the physiological nature of the brain and the fragile boundary between ghost stories and personal history.
Balanced in tone; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Curious Generalist. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2018
- Language
- EN
