Hush

I read his novel 'The Bone Parade' and found it thoroughly enjoyable and original. Which made me a fan and wanted more. 'Hush' was disturbing and intense and I couldn't put it down. It was a quick read for me, and as a victim of abuse, there were moments that made me step away with a familiar feeling of dread that left a dry, metallic taste in my mouth and my heartbeat pounding in my ears. I wanted to skip to the end to see if it turned out how I had hoped it would, but I persevered. I'm thankful that I struggled through and was happy for the ending.

I was turned onto Mark Nykanen by a fellow reader, and boy am I grateful to him. `Hush' is a tale of child abuse that is comparable to Lorenzo Carcaterra's `Sleepers' or Luanne Rice's `Stone Heart'. Unlike other reviewers, I didn't find the sex overdone at all, in the case of the child it was simply hinted at in real life, but painted that dark shade of horrid from the mind of the abuser. Atypically well done for this type of no-no subject. No monster or vampire or ghastly apparition can ever be more horrifying than an abuser of children, a sick control freak who preys on the innocent to feed himself. This is horror in its truest form, the everyday form of humanity. Young Davy Boyce watches his stepfather Chet kill his mother, a pattern Chet has established before in order to gain control over young male children. But unlike Chet's other victims, Davy stops talking and begins to display very disturbed behavior, such as biting. After an incident in Davy's class in where he bites both a fellow student and the teacher, Davy is sent to a special school in the hopes that artistic psychotherapy can help him. Celia Griswold works at the Bentman Children's Center in rural Oregon where Davy is sent to, and uses drawing and art to try and pull Davy out of his silence. Celia has her own problems with a wandering husband, her own desire to have children, a wandering sheep herder that has moved his flock near their land, and a new boss who doesn't understand the therapy she excels in. Davy's artwork points to something very wrong with Davy's homelife, but Celia's extremely clinical boss refuses to recognize Celia's suspicions. Chet, in the meantime, has his own agenda for Davy. Feeling forced into bringing Davy to the Center and trying to hide his dark secrets long enough to take full advantage of the boy in his custody, Chet sees Celia as a threat to his plans. With his psychopathic cunning, Chet embarks on his own sick mission to distract Celia from Davy, and instill enough fear in her for her to let go of her suspicions about the boy. `Hush' is Nykanen's first novel, and while it has a few problems with the POV flow at times, it doesn't take the reader long to figure out who's mind they are in because of Nykanen's excellent characterizations. I really liked these people, Davy was a real victim, no miracles here, and Celia was easy to relate to. Chet was nothing more than pure evil, and the lush forest surroundings came to life as I walked them on Celia's hikes through the hills. Don't miss your opportunity to get acquainted with this fresh new author. `Hush' will leave you gasping for air and wanting to sink a long knife into every child molester on the planet without a moment's hesitation. This is a work of fiction that brings true life horror to the page. Enjoy!

I'm a huge fan of psychological thrillers, but most books do not live up to their hype. This isn't the case with Mark Nykanen's debut book, Hush. I couldn't tear myself away and I was actually disappointed when I finished it. The art therapy aspect is so original and it's easy to fall in love with little Davy and Celia. As I read some of the more traumatic scenes, I found myself crying for what Davy went through. I had to continually remind myself that it's just a book... a work of fiction. I think this novel will amaze readers and I hope Mark Nykanen comes out with more work of this caliber!

This was a fabulous book! Full of suspense, my hands were glued to the book and could not put it down until I read the final word. Not for the faint of heart.Celia, an art therapist, develops a particular bond with Davy, a child who has witnessed horrors no child (or adult) should ever be exposed to. Davy doesn't speak, and communicates only with Celia through his drawings. Celia becomes his advocate when others believe he is beyond reach and in so doing, immeshes herself in a world of violence and fear.

As seems to be the status quo, I picked this book up from a bargain bin - in Acme of all places! The title sent a little shiver down my spine. And once I started reading I absolutely could not stop! This book is horrifying and so well-written that you feel you are in the room, in the woods, in the water, in the truck, experiencing everything with Davey and/or Celia... When I audibly gasped at one point my co-worker came around the corner to see what was wrong. When I explained what had taken part in the story SHE was hooked! I had to give her a blow-by-blow summary each afternoon of what happened next! A horribly scary, scary book - the suspense is palpable. A definite recommendation - but not for the faint-hearted! And don't read when you are alone!!!

I found this book to be very suspenseful and a psychologically thrilling novel. It kept me on the edge of my seat and always wondering what was going to happen next. If you like a race, against good and evil, then you'll like this book.