"Paradise died, and we looked into the devil's face." 

In the town of Milburn, New York, four old men gather to tell stories to one another. But one story comes back to haunt them. One that is giving them similar nightmares. Something that they did long ago.. 

I'm going to start off by saying I'm really glad I ended up listening to this on audio while following along with the book. It definitely would have taken me a long time to finish it otherwise (I don't have it in me to DNF books). It was a slooow burn, but it ended up being worth it. 

There was an abundance of characters that helped build the story. I loved the friendships between the men of the Chowder Society, but my favourite characters were definitely Hawthorne and Sears. Straub really shone a light on everyone's emotions as I felt the men's fear. The terrifying reality of what was going on, the intensity of the nightmares the men were experiencing, and how they all ended up facing their fears in the end was written so well. 

I won't lie, I did get bored sometime during the middle, but it was due to filler with it being so slow. Once the action picked up, I started enjoying it again. It was very atmospheric and the dialogue was wonderful.