The Watcher: A dark addictive thriller with the ultimate psychological twist

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The Broaddus family, feeling unsafe, employed the help of local law enforcement to find out who was sending the threatening letters.

A lost horror classic back in print at last, The Watcher chronicles Martin as his quest for understanding plunges him through shifting realities and twisted corridors of time, and into the deepest recesses of the human mind. Hunger and discontent ooze from the page, as does the chill, which is never far away as the reader gets an intimate glimpse into the frayed edges of each character’s psyches, the paranoia, the loss of hope, the internal bickering and the fear of what is in the woods, watching. So far, his imagination has led him to picture books, such as I Wish I Were a Butterfly and Brontorina (about a dinosaur who dreams of being a ballerina), mysteries, poetry (in the upcoming Addie on the Inside), and fiction that deals with issues that matter deeply to him.These creatures emerge to observe their captive humans and terrible things happen to anyone who doesn't reach the bunker in time. Seriously, this book has the most pretentious dust jacket summary I've ever read -- the marketing blurbs compare it to Lord of the Flies, Tolkien, and Fowles' 'The Collector'. They received a total of three letters, with the second one identifying their children by name and nickname, and containing details they claim could have only been noted by someone who had been inside the home or extremely close to it. While based on a true story, The Watcher fictionalizes some elements of the story – namely, the Broaddus family never moved into 657 Boulevard, whereas the fictional Brannocks take up residence there. Mia Farrow, who plays one of the Brannock's slightly ominous neighbors Pearl Winslow, said she had no idea they were portraying a real story until filming had already begun.

It went real quick from zero to sixty and from that point on (if you've read it you'll know what point I mean! So yeah, however well intended, there’s just no character or plot twist or narrative surprise in this book that was worth the plodding slog of reading this book. The story devolves into a lot of areas including history and mythology which though fascinating, are difficult to relate to after a while, not really seeming to tie in or move the tale forward. The Broadduses shared the content of the letters with The Cut, with the first one reading: "657 Boulevard has been the subject of my family for decades now and as it approaches its 110th birthday, I have been put in charge of watching and waiting for its second coming. There is something outside which likes to observe those who are in the cabin and if they are not there, these creatures get very angry.Dr Somerville is convinced Martin is unwell and being in therapy is the best course of action available. I believe this book must have been the grandfather of that subgenre, or, at the very least, Charles Maclean has done it as best it can be done. Its cover is good that can hook the reader in, and help them better understand the story by judging its cover.

But from the beginning of his career (which came about somewhat by accident after asking himself what kind of vampire a rabbit might make), he has been most interested in letting his imagination take him in whatever direction it cared to. It's an interesting read, and an effective example of the unreliable narrator -- though which narrator is unreliable is ultimately one of the questions of the book. I thought the book was rather slow and it wasn’t until the last third of the book did it start to pick up the pace.In the middle of nowhere, Mina is forced to seek help inside the trees, where she discovers three people living inside a concrete bunker. Such is Tony’s love of books, he has spent well over twenty years working as a school librarian where he is paid to talk to kids about horror. Real estate agent Karen is a fictionalization for the "The Watcher" — but next door neighbors Mitch (Richard Kind) and Mo (Margo Martindale), who watch the house from lawn chairs, are likely inspired by a detail from the New York Magazine story. We then hear Dr Somerville explaining, in his notes, Martin doing the exact same thing and how he feels this is a subconscious reaction. Who are the Watchers and why are these creatures keeping them imprisoned, keen to watch their every move?