Lost Boys - Orson Scott Card

I love mysteries. I love following a story and not knowing how it is going to turn out in the end. But Orson Scott Card has a way of wrapping up a story in such a way that when he reveals his twist, I usually have to stop and see if I read it right. Or if I do read it right, the twist catches me so off guard that have to stop, flip back and read it again to catch the clues that I didn't recognize as clues. I love that.

The premise of this book is that a family moves to a new town as the father follows work. And their oldest son has trouble transitioning. He does not fit into school well, and begins to play with imaginary friends. But his parents become worried when they find out that the names of his friends match up with the names of several boys who have gone missing in the town. And so the mystery begins...

One issue I have is that the plot as outlined on the book jacket (ok, and here) is about the boy. But it is not even revealed in the story until well over halfway through the book that there is even the possibility of a serial killer in this sleepy little town. It feels like too long to wait for the advertised story to get going.

But here is what I loved about the book. While the story did not exactly take the path I would have expected, it was not bad. It followed the ups and downs of a family trying to make it work through some very tough times. And the characters are realistic. They are flawed. But they keep going. The effect this had on me is that by the time I reached the conclusion, I was invested. And I cried. I am coming to realize I do that more often that I was previously willing to admit.