Mystery with perceived paranormal elements.
When Ethan was 10 years old, he and his best friend, Billy, were sleeping in a tent out in Ethan's backyard on Hemlock Circle. When Ethan awoke the next morning, Billy's sleeping bag was empty and there was a huge slit in the side of the tent next to where Billy had been. He was never seen again.
Thirty years later, Ethan returns to his childhood home after his parents relocate to Florida. Most of the same neighbors remain in the cul-de-sac and there are still no answers as to what happened that night. Ethan cannot move on. Then Billy's remains are located in a lake at the bottom of a waterfall on some property owned by the secluded and private Hawthorne Institute. Did that creepy place have something to do with Billy's disappearance? Who took him from the tent? Suddenly, some really weird things start happening -- strange shadows on the web cam, baseballs on the lawn, and secret words from the past. Has Billy's spirit come back to answer all the questions.
Two things I generally dislike in books -- paranormal stuff and details about stuff kids do. This was told in shifting timelines by Ethan as narrator and most of the time, he seemed like just a mess. His insomnia has affected his ability to think clearly, and he has all sorts of notions and suspicions. I didn't like him much as a main character as he seemed to be devoid of personality. The whole ghost thing and the Hawthorne Institute aspects were nothing more than diversions that never went anywhere. The reveal at the end, well, not really much of a surprise if you were narrowing down the suspects and weeding out the red herrings. Way too much repetition. It was all just a letdown.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Santino Fontana while following along in the E-book ARC provided by the publisher. I liked his voice for the male characters, but the ones he tried on for the women and the kids didn't quite do it. This production would definitely have benefited from a larger voice cast.
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - mystery thriller
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