Mr. X

By Peter Straub

First off, I apologize if this review is not as detailed as I would typically write. Having just finished a move, it has been a while since I have read the book. Having immensely enjoyed the collaborative books by Stephen King and Peter Straub, I thought that this book would be a comparable read to what I am used to. Boy was I wrong.

The book revolves around the main character Ned Dunstan and his family. We learn that he was born to a free spirited mother who wasn’t around much, and an unknown father. Because of this he often stayed with foster parents or his aunts. I don’t really remember much detail about this part of the book, and one reason for this is because it was so unimportant. It was not essential to the story and did not help to develop the character or provide insight to the story. The family and friends of the family are so hard to keep track of, I often didn’t know who was talking or being talked about. We also learn that he has supernatural seizures occurring on his birthday about the mysterious Mr. X. The book is further convoluted due to the constant switching between the main story from Ned’s perspective, and Mr. X.

Also, thrown into the story are a few supernatural aspects. The main character has a secret twin brother, who has certain powers (not being easily seen, time travel). The Dunstans have special powers, that are mentioned frequently but not described. (In fact, when these powers are finally explained it leaves you wondering how this even belongs in this book). The book continues slowly revealing the big “mysteries” that the author has created, which are also of little consequence. We follow the trite storyline involving several love interests. One which develops further, but is also incredibly unimportant and uninteresting. Yes, there is a connection…but really who cares. It’s awful.

Most frustrating about this book, aside from the cheesy clichés and the convoluted story, was the ending. We get a conclusion to the “story” and the book basically peters out. It was incredibly unsatisfying and I was pissed by the end of this book.

I am not ready to dismiss Peter Straub, but I can’t help but be unimpressed with him thus far. It made me wonder how much of Black House and The Talisman was actually written by Peter Straub. I hated this book, and would not recommend that you read it. Hopefully I will find a different book by this author and he will be redeemed.

Rating: 1 out of 5 Bunsen Burners

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