This was not a good read; it's as simple as that. The Ballad of Ballard and Sardine seemed interesting enough on paper, and I had heard good things about Peter Straub, but this book was not the best introduction to his work (I hope).

Traveling like a parabola through time, the narrative shifts backwards and forwards through three specific years as the two main characters flow down a river on a mysterious boat. Neither Ballard nor Sardine are especially interesting. One is a creepy old man and the other is a young girl with daddy issues. They have a sadomasochistic relationship that is very uncomfortable to read. Ultimately, Ballard groomed a young Sardine when she was a teenager, and now they are trapped in this toxic, hazy cycle.

While these elements could have made for a compelling tale, nothing interesting happens plot-wise, the characters are stagnant, and no greater meaning is ever revealed. In addition to being unsettling, it is plain boring. Weird and bad things happen for shock value, and that's about it.

While I honestly cannot recommend it, of course, read it for yourself and decide.