The Home on Kindle

THE HOME, Scott Nicholson, Haunted Computer Books, Kindle $3.99, 352 pages, ISBN: 9781452461908, reviewed by Jim Brock.

There is a supernatural element in THE HOME but the true horror is the damage we humans can inflict on one another in the interest of power and greed and such. In this case, a scientist seeks the god-like feeling of repairing the minds of the emotionally damaged young children who live at the home, Wendover, in state custody. His work is funded and abetted by a shadowy organization known as The Trust. They seek to control the power of the side effects of the brain shocking treatments – ESP, mind reading and other enhanced mental abilities.

When young Freeman Mills comes to Wendover, the wheels of resolution begin to turn. Freeman’s father was a sadistic scientist who pioneered the “treatments” now being perfected at the home. His experiments on his son left Freeman with an unusual mental power. His sadism towards his son and his murder of the boy’s mother left Freeman with a long list of mental disorders. Father and son are re-united at Wendover. And, oh yes, there are ghosts in the machinery.

Barry and I had a good friend in college who had grown up in a church-supported children’s home. There is a lot of emotional damage done to children even in the most well-intentioned homes. When you add in the intentional infliction of pain and death and the most vulnerable of victims, children, the horrors are profound.

I have been a Scott Nicholson fan since page one of THE RED CHURCH. With each book he has shown continued imagination and use of language. With THE HOME, he has cemented his position, along with Bentley Little, as one of the most consistently good horror writers being published today. //This is currently in development as a feature film, so read the book and and be prepared for what’s coming.//