The Keeper

Langan is a damned good writer. Damned good. Her prose is exquisite without being overblown. Her characters are believable. She creates a vivid place that I can still see days after finishing the novel. I didn't understand some of her plot points (giant spider?), but maybe I was rushing through the text at that point, hypnotized by her prose, and wondering what would happen next, and didn't pay attention. In this way, the novel reminds me of "A Choir of Ill Children" by Tom Piccirilli or "Lisey's Story" by Stephen King -- writing so mesmerizing that you read on, entranced, even if some of it is beyond you at that point.

I typically read over two-hundred novels a year, and THE KEEPER is one of the best written debuts I've read in 2006. This is a top-shelf effort. The quality of the writing in this novel is simply superb. It's hard to believe that Langan is a first-time novelist. Her prose is both vivid and compelling. Langan has a real gift for characterization and all of the people in this book really came alive for me. In the end, I made an emotional investment in the story and characters of THE KEEPER, which is something that rarely happens with most books I read. The high quality of Langan's writing compensates for the somewhat creaky plot. This is a relatively slow-paced novel, with a great deal of prose devoted to the inner conflicts of multiple characters. If you're looking for fast moving suspense story, you will probably be disappointed with this novel. There isn't a great deal of action in this novel until the final few scenes. THE KEEPER is essentially a well crafted literary novel with supernatural overtones. It is more of a spooky read than a thrilling one. You either like this type of novel or you don't. I enjoyed it throughly, and I eagerly look foward to Langan's future books. If she learns to tighten her plotting a bit, she could become the next Peter Straub in my opinion.

This is a stunning debut. THE KEEPER is a novel filled with richly described characters and settings. It draws you in and down to the darkest places of the human imagination without ever losing touch with real world emotions. This veracity makes the horror all the more profound. I can't wait to read more by Ms. Langan.

I haven't enjoyed a horror book like this in a long, long time. These characters are masterfully portrayed. I sat down on the train with it and before I knew it I was fifty pages in and dying to read more. Reminded me of the sincerity and intensity of early King ! Highly recommended.

I picked up this book at a grocery story on a whim, not really knowing what to expect. I read praise by Peter Straub at the top of the cover and thought "Well, let's try it." I was blown away! This novel is written very well and includes creepy and scary stuff that might make your sleep a little restless. I loved it! Langan is a wonderful writer. Poetic,descriptive without being too Faulknerian, she is awesome. I cannot wait for a follow-up.