Comments (14)

What did you think about this title?
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Sep 01, 2023harveytr rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
It took me about a chapter or two to adapt to the story structure, but once I did I had a hard time putting this book down. I was constantly wondering what came next (or before?). A very interesting look at loneliness and an individual's…
Jun 20, 2023Erollinus rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I didn't like this book in the beginning, and felt apathetic towards the middle - but after I finished it, I couldn't read for a few weeks. My mind kept drifting back to this book, this story, these characters. And I remember crying about…
May 16, 2023
Sad, disturbing, engrossing, intriguing--lots here to dig into about how we use stories and imagination to survive. Those unsympathetic to the loneliness of young men might not appreciate the rendering of the main character but I felt him.
Dec 28, 2019rixonkj rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A friend gave me this book and asked me to read it just so he could have someone to discuss it with, and that is extremely this book's energy. It's the kind of book you want to discuss with people, because it's weird, and literary, and it…
Oct 20, 2017RoyalJellyIII rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Darnielle's first novel is a bit of a challenge. Not to read, necessarily, but to fully appreciate. His prose flows smoothly and his writing is evocative and beautiful and this novel is full of quiet, perfect scenes (my favorite being a…
Sep 24, 2016
This book is not anywhere as interesting as people claim. It is a thin read but I just could not find the interest or energy to finish it.
Jun 10, 2016DaydreamonPinePlace rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I started reading this book because I was a fan of John Darnielle's music. I did not expect to be so swept away by his writing. Not only are his words crafted as carefully as you would expect from a poet, but the story is so original and…
Mar 04, 2016lizmcconnell rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Aspects of this book keep popping into my mind months after I've read it. The endearing fantasy letter correspondence game, the satanic panic referenced in the title, the way main character's likable personality is entangled with his…
Nov 28, 2015LibraryAlison rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This stellar book gets my highest rating. I wanted to re-read it as soon as I finished, and I was desperate to find other readers to discuss it with. I love the labyrinthine structure of the novel; it brings to mind Jorge Luis Borges'…
Nov 23, 2015LPL_CentennialC rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Wolf in White Van is not a story for the faint of heart. In this novel, a young man named Sean creates a mail-in role playing game about survival in a fictional world--but someone takes the game into the real world, and Sean has to deal…
Jun 25, 2015CRRL_CraigG rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A haunting portrayal of how we carry the scars of adolescence with us for the rest of our lives, be they emotional or physical.
Nov 19, 2014gendeg rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
A fever dream. A stare-into-the-fire kind of vision quest. It's that kind of book. And yet the story felt thin. Perhaps because of its slim size. Read more like a novella. Usually I would be excited about a book like this. It has a unique…
Oct 29, 2014becker rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
My low rating is not a reflection on the quality of this book, which is very creative. It is simply based on my enjoyment factor while I read it. I felt so disconnected to this whole story and I could not understand the thoughts or motives…
Oct 03, 2014
Longlisted for 2014 National Book Award for fiction