While it makes no bones (ha!) about the fact that it isn't a "horror" novel in the vein of "It" or "The Shining", there is still enough of an otherworldly presence that readers looking for scares will still get their fix. While the goings on are usual "ghost" fare, the scenes are still quite creepy in their own right. Even though the book may not have been aiming to be chilling first and foremost, it pulled it off when it wanted to.
Really, though, the true strength of the book comes from the characters themselves and King's prose, which really shines here. There are parts where the narration tries to come off as more philosophical than it needed to be, but by and large, the book is just as engaging as many of King's other books.
You'd think that Mike Noonan would be just another standard King writer protagonist, but given how the narrative plays out, you connect with him and feel for him as he goes through his various ordeals. His growing bond with Mattie and her daughter, Kyra, is legitimately cute and the scenes they share make for many of the book's highlights. It also allows the book to give us a glimpse into the professional novelist lifestyle. If you're a writer, you'll likely get a good deal of enjoyment out of those scenes as well.
The supporting cast also stands out as all being fleshed out and likable. Not only does it make them feel real, but it makes you want to root for them and you legitimately feel bad when things go awry. Mentioning Mattie and Kyra seems redundant, but even characters like Mike's lawyer, his brother-in-law, and even his deceased wife get strong showings. The latter is especially impressive as that's mostly done through allusions to past events. While she dies very early in the book, her actions still have a significant impact on the narrative. That's not easy to do.
Sadly, the same can't be said for the villains. The malevolent spirits pull their weight, but Max Devore, Mattie's father in law, ends up being underwhelming. He comes off as appropriately spiteful and mean spirited when he does appear, but that's only a couple of times. It's very peculiar, as you'd think that he's the main antagonist. His status as billionaire titan is also undercut by the fact that Mike is pretty rich himself. It works well for when Max is facing off against Mattie, but there's a sense that the playing field is essentially leveled when Mike decides to step in.
Even the hinted eldritch abomination that appears in the climax doesn't wow. I mean, sure, the hint of a bigger bad is unnerving, but it seems like it was unnecessary. The multitude of ghosts at play were more than enough. The epilogue further undercuts by turning it into a stand-in for the grim reaper, which is a tad anti-climactic, all things considered.
The book's pacing is also uneven. There are a lot of factors at play here and it can seem like they are dealt with rather abruptly. This is especially noticeable in the final act as we have to deal with the spirit, do the big reveal about why it's doing what it's doing, and tie it back into the custody battle all in a very rapid fashion. You'd think with 700 pages that this wouldn't come up, but there you go.
You'll also notice that the chapters in this book can get quite lengthy. It proves to be a double edged sword. On the one hand, it helps make the book more immersive. If you can find a nice block of time to sit down, get comfortable, and dive in; it works really well. However, it can prove frustrating when day to day life events interrupt you and you don't have those convenient stopping points.
Minor flaws aside, this does still stand as a strong entry in the library and I do recommend giving it a read, if you haven't already. If you have, what the heck, read it again.
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