A Child Alone with Strangers

What begins as a crime novel about a child kidnapping becomes a horror-filled journey ready-made for fans of Stephen King. After a devastating accident in which his father dies, Henry Thorne awakens with the ability to read minds. Living with his uncle and aunt gives Henry’s life some normalcy, but he is soon kidnapped. His captors take him to an abandoned farmhouse that, as it turns out, isn’t quite abandoned. This tale from Fracassi (Boys in the Valley) initially feels like a descendant of Stephen King’s The Shining, except that the psychic child is trapped with kidnappers (and something worse) in an abandoned farmhouse. However, Fracassi keeps the story roaring along by moving efficiently between the narrative of Henry’s ordeal and the FBI trying to track him down. Along with the pacing, Fracassi has populated this world with fascinating, well-rounded characters brought to life by Sterling Boyns’s narration. Highlights of the narration include his high, reedy voice for young Henry and the sinister growl of Jim, the gang leader who’s a brilliant and brutal monster.