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Troubled
TROUBLED
When twelve-year-old Freeman Mills arrives at Wendover, a group home for troubled children, it’s a chance for a fresh start. But second chances aren’t easy for Freeman, the victim of painful childhood experiments that gave him the ability to read other people’s minds.
Little does Freeman know that his transfer was made at the request of Dr. Richard Kracowski, whose research into the brain’s electrical properties is revealing new powers of the human mind. Kracowski is working for a secret society called the Trust, but also has his own agenda in exploring the nature of the soul. His experiments have an unexpected side effect, though. The electromagnetic fields used in his experiments are summoning the ghosts of the patients who died at Wendover back when it was a psychiatric ward.
Freeman simply wants to survive, take his medicine for manic depression, and deceive his counselors into believing he is happy. When he meets the anorexic Vicky, who may also be telepathic, he’s afraid some of his darkest secrets will be uncovered. But when the other children develop their own clairvoyant abilities, and insane spirits begin haunting the halls of Wendover, he can’t safely hide inside his own head anymore.
Meanwhile, the Trust is installing sophisticated equipment in the home’s basement, aggressively probing the threshold between life and death. And they’ve brought in another scientist who doesn’t share Dr. Kracowski’s reluctance to push the limits.
This scientist is a pioneer in ESP induction, and he performed most of his work on a very special subject: his son, Freeman Mills.
When twelve-year-old Freeman Mills arrives at Wendover, a group home for troubled children, it’s a chance for a fresh start. But second chances aren’t easy for Freeman, the victim of painful childhood experiments that gave him the ability to read other people’s minds.
Little does Freeman know that his transfer was made at the request of Dr. Richard Kracowski, whose research into the brain’s electrical properties is revealing new powers of the human mind. Kracowski is working for a secret society called the Trust, but also has his own agenda in exploring the nature of the soul. His experiments have an unexpected side effect, though. The electromagnetic fields used in his experiments are summoning the ghosts of the patients who died at Wendover back when it was a psychiatric ward.
Freeman simply wants to survive, take his medicine for manic depression, and deceive his counselors into believing he is happy. When he meets the anorexic Vicky, who may also be telepathic, he’s afraid some of his darkest secrets will be uncovered. But when the other children develop their own clairvoyant abilities, and insane spirits begin haunting the halls of Wendover, he can’t safely hide inside his own head anymore.
Meanwhile, the Trust is installing sophisticated equipment in the home’s basement, aggressively probing the threshold between life and death. And they’ve brought in another scientist who doesn’t share Dr. Kracowski’s reluctance to push the limits.
This scientist is a pioneer in ESP induction, and he performed most of his work on a very special subject: his son, Freeman Mills.
298 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2005
199 people are currently reading
877 people want to read
About the author
Scott Nicholson
211 books768 followersWith more than 800,000 books sold worldwide, Scott Nicholson is an international bestselling thriller writer. He won the Writers of the Future Award in 1999 and was a Stoker Award finalist in 2003. His Fear series was published by Amazon's Thomas & Mercer imprint and 47North released the supernatural thriller McFALL.
He's also published a number of supernatural, paranormal, and fantasy books and stories, including the AFTER, NEXT, and ARIZE post-apocalyptic series, as well as children's books, comics, and screenplays. His 2006 novel The Home is in development as a feature film.
He's also published a number of supernatural, paranormal, and fantasy books and stories, including the AFTER, NEXT, and ARIZE post-apocalyptic series, as well as children's books, comics, and screenplays. His 2006 novel The Home is in development as a feature film.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
September 11, 2023
I have had the pleasure of working at several group homes as a counselor when I was younger. The adults were all mentally handicapped in some way, and although they all had consistent, active family connections, visitation was infrequent. I imagine it's a very difficult thing to live in that setting. The homes were all situated in beautiful Long Island neighborhoods, but the residents were constantly in a state of emotional flux.
In The Home, Nicholson manages to tap into that emotionally kinetic movement that seems to keep residents of group homes in a state of constant agitation. The Main Character, Freeman Mills, is a troubled 12-year-old new resident of Wendover. He along with the other residents are subjected to a battery of experiments that the Trust has paid to see reach specific aims. The situation becomes notably grievous when the psychotropic drugs used along with electromagnetic fields serve to open pathways between the here-now and the here-then. Freeman wonders if the ghosts of his past are also destined to be the ghosts of his future, or even whether he has a future, at all.
The novel is a slow crawl that seeks to merge an old methodology of psychological treatment with a more post-modernist model with an eye toward the future, but yields more of a madman scientist from a Hammer horror film of the 1960s. Listen, I loved those movies, but definitely they don't feel futuristic. There's an exploration of death and resurrection, but I suspect most readers will find the ending less than satisfying. Good, but not great.
“Then he knew what hell was like. It wasn't a hot place where a pointy-tailed beast poked you with a pitchfork. Hell was inside your own head, where the doors were closed, where hope never knocked, where darkness and pain and self-pity were the only companions. Forever.
In The Home, Nicholson manages to tap into that emotionally kinetic movement that seems to keep residents of group homes in a state of constant agitation. The Main Character, Freeman Mills, is a troubled 12-year-old new resident of Wendover. He along with the other residents are subjected to a battery of experiments that the Trust has paid to see reach specific aims. The situation becomes notably grievous when the psychotropic drugs used along with electromagnetic fields serve to open pathways between the here-now and the here-then. Freeman wonders if the ghosts of his past are also destined to be the ghosts of his future, or even whether he has a future, at all.
The novel is a slow crawl that seeks to merge an old methodology of psychological treatment with a more post-modernist model with an eye toward the future, but yields more of a madman scientist from a Hammer horror film of the 1960s. Listen, I loved those movies, but definitely they don't feel futuristic. There's an exploration of death and resurrection, but I suspect most readers will find the ending less than satisfying. Good, but not great.
“Then he knew what hell was like. It wasn't a hot place where a pointy-tailed beast poked you with a pitchfork. Hell was inside your own head, where the doors were closed, where hope never knocked, where darkness and pain and self-pity were the only companions. Forever.
November 2, 2016
What I really liked about this book was how fluid and clear it was. I really enjoy writers who have that special way with words where reading the story doesn't end up being a chore, but a true pleasure. This was my first Scott Nicholson book but certainly not my last as I have since gotten two more of his books.
The story is about a young boy, Freeman Mills who enters Wendover Home for juvenile kids, and while he has been going from home to home, this one is simply another stop for him before he can figure a way out. What he doesn't know is that this is not a regular old house. The institution itself treated mental patients very long time ago and some of them still haunt the rooms where other juvenile kids live. In this story what you get is a couple of creepy FBI type people who meddle in business that makes people disappear while cover-ups are made in case kids die while receiving their "therapy" sessions, doctor Kracowski who thinks he's second to God and who treats his young patients in very questionable ways, Mr. Bondurant who does everything in the name of the Lord, but who is a closet predator; basically a self proclaimed preacher who is a huge hypocrite. There's also Starlene, one of the counselors who purely and genuinely cares for the welfare of the kids along with a bunch of very interesting young kids such as Freeman himself, Vicky, Dipes, Isaac and Deke who's a dyslexic bully, while they are disturbed you can see that they are not bad deep down and the relationships they form have real meaning.
The story itself is pretty far fetched, it merges the world of the living with the world of the dead, and the writer does such a great job of showing how its done, that I almost believed it myself to be possible. I really liked the ESP woven through, when Kracowskis treatments were giving certain people the ability to read minds, and not only the minds of the living but also of the souls of those who died in the house a very long time ago while it was an insane asylum. I'd say reading about ghosts is scary enough but insane ghosts are really something quite interesting to submerge in. As the house itself becames more haunted with the continuous experiments involving electromagnetic fields, Freeman himself starts going into other peoples minds and pieces together a truth that is more terrifying than he could have imagined.
I really enjoyed this story as it reminded me of Shawshank Redemption, since the house was a mental institution where the kids were treated as test subjects and prisoners as only their minds remained free. The ending was also really good. Many unexpected people popped in and made it very interesting and while I don't want to spoil anything, the writer does a very good job of merging all the story lines together to form a solid tale.
The story is about a young boy, Freeman Mills who enters Wendover Home for juvenile kids, and while he has been going from home to home, this one is simply another stop for him before he can figure a way out. What he doesn't know is that this is not a regular old house. The institution itself treated mental patients very long time ago and some of them still haunt the rooms where other juvenile kids live. In this story what you get is a couple of creepy FBI type people who meddle in business that makes people disappear while cover-ups are made in case kids die while receiving their "therapy" sessions, doctor Kracowski who thinks he's second to God and who treats his young patients in very questionable ways, Mr. Bondurant who does everything in the name of the Lord, but who is a closet predator; basically a self proclaimed preacher who is a huge hypocrite. There's also Starlene, one of the counselors who purely and genuinely cares for the welfare of the kids along with a bunch of very interesting young kids such as Freeman himself, Vicky, Dipes, Isaac and Deke who's a dyslexic bully, while they are disturbed you can see that they are not bad deep down and the relationships they form have real meaning.
The story itself is pretty far fetched, it merges the world of the living with the world of the dead, and the writer does such a great job of showing how its done, that I almost believed it myself to be possible. I really liked the ESP woven through, when Kracowskis treatments were giving certain people the ability to read minds, and not only the minds of the living but also of the souls of those who died in the house a very long time ago while it was an insane asylum. I'd say reading about ghosts is scary enough but insane ghosts are really something quite interesting to submerge in. As the house itself becames more haunted with the continuous experiments involving electromagnetic fields, Freeman himself starts going into other peoples minds and pieces together a truth that is more terrifying than he could have imagined.
I really enjoyed this story as it reminded me of Shawshank Redemption, since the house was a mental institution where the kids were treated as test subjects and prisoners as only their minds remained free. The ending was also really good. Many unexpected people popped in and made it very interesting and while I don't want to spoil anything, the writer does a very good job of merging all the story lines together to form a solid tale.
January 18, 2022
This was a total rip off of John Sauls' "Shadows"....IMO just skip it unless you like books about doctors who think that they can play God. This was just WAY too Sci-Fi'ish for my likings. And the fact that nothing happens till page 270!!!?
I could not think if this was trying to be more of a 'Clint Eastwood films archive book' or a ticket to attend my local church for forgiveness? Nicholson tags what MUST be EVERY single Clint Eastwood film ever made! Just not a good book.......i thought. And definitely one of Scott's less scary books of his career.
Skip it!
2 Snoozes
I could not think if this was trying to be more of a 'Clint Eastwood films archive book' or a ticket to attend my local church for forgiveness? Nicholson tags what MUST be EVERY single Clint Eastwood film ever made! Just not a good book.......i thought. And definitely one of Scott's less scary books of his career.
Skip it!
2 Snoozes
October 26, 2012
The Home by Scott Nicholson is a book that you can't put down. Nicholson way of telling the tale always keeps you on the edge. The novel includes Ghosts, ESP, Weird Science and mystery. The characters in the novel are well developed. The novel is written so it will attract all kinds of readers. I found the ending very surprising. If you are a Scott Nicholson fan, The Home is a must read for you.
October 11, 2012
Ghostly sightings, corrupt government agencies, mad scientists, kids locked up in an abusive environment, murder, deception and redemption. Scott Nicholson delivers another great book!
November 28, 2012
Disclaimer: I am a colleague of Scott Nicholson. I have professionally edited several of his books outside of this genre. I approached this book as a reader exclusively, and this is an independent personal review/analysis based upon my perspective as a reader who enjoys this particular genre. It is based upon my subjective enjoyment of the content, and is as objective as possible regarding quality of content.
Book Description:
Twelve-year-old Freeman is en route to Wendell, a group home for problematic, orphaned children. He has a history of truancy trailing him along with a traumatic early childhood.
The property that Wendell occupies is over 50 years old, and was originally a mental hospital with a dark history. Horrors untold and secrets not revealed are hidden deep within.
The Trust: Without morals, bound by ultimate conceit, this secret group procures and uses children as a means to an end for their own cause. While fostering paranormal traits in these children, they unknowingly release the horrors of the past that taint THE HOME.
Review:
Experience Southern religious dogma, ESP, paranormal activity, mad scientists, and a world beyond that is left to your imagination. Venture through a world of science versus religion as each is taken to the extreme. Face chilling inhumanity buried deep in the past as the victims seek vengeance, intent on destroying everything in their wake. Be thrilled, be horrified, and be entertained. A definite buy and read.
Analysis
Pros:
THE HOME is a fast, enjoyable read. Fans of Scott Nicholson will not be disappointed. A definite page-turner. Lots of action, creep factor, and paranormal activity. Nicholson gives the perfect amount of detail to create the structure, and allows the reader to create the rest of the detail in his or her imagination.
As an example: In the beginning, Nicholson does a superb job describing the Wendell properly. He is not overly descriptive, allowing perfect narrative structure in the most simple non-obtrusive form. It is beautiful piece of narrative--one of the best descriptive narratives I have read in a long time.
Cons:
Although Nicholson ties up almost all of the loose ends in the denouement, I would have preferred it to have been fleshed out a bit more. The ending felt abrupt and hasty. Additionally, I believe one particular character could have been tied up a little bit more clearly (to write about him/her would be a spoiler.)
Some of the characters could have been developed more fully, providing a richer experience. The trade-off would have been a longer novel. These days, readers expect novels no longer than 300 or so pages, which limits authors considerably. In this case, however, I believe that this novel would have been better off having been expanded. The downside to this would have been more scenes in different points of view, but I don't think the book would have suffered.
Last note:
I think that this book/concept would make a great trilogy. The second in the series would allow for a flesh-out of the characters that didn't get a chance to speak in this novel. There are other children that need an opportunity to share their stories as well, and the story isn't concluded yet.
This book is optioned for a movie. It is my contention that it would make an incredible movie due to the digital effects available today, coupled with the creative content that Nicholson has written. This is a core reason why I believe a trilogy is necessary. The story must conclude; all loose ends must be tied up. We must have closure on the Group, the children, and the adults.
Book Description:
Twelve-year-old Freeman is en route to Wendell, a group home for problematic, orphaned children. He has a history of truancy trailing him along with a traumatic early childhood.
The property that Wendell occupies is over 50 years old, and was originally a mental hospital with a dark history. Horrors untold and secrets not revealed are hidden deep within.
The Trust: Without morals, bound by ultimate conceit, this secret group procures and uses children as a means to an end for their own cause. While fostering paranormal traits in these children, they unknowingly release the horrors of the past that taint THE HOME.
Review:
Experience Southern religious dogma, ESP, paranormal activity, mad scientists, and a world beyond that is left to your imagination. Venture through a world of science versus religion as each is taken to the extreme. Face chilling inhumanity buried deep in the past as the victims seek vengeance, intent on destroying everything in their wake. Be thrilled, be horrified, and be entertained. A definite buy and read.
Analysis
Pros:
THE HOME is a fast, enjoyable read. Fans of Scott Nicholson will not be disappointed. A definite page-turner. Lots of action, creep factor, and paranormal activity. Nicholson gives the perfect amount of detail to create the structure, and allows the reader to create the rest of the detail in his or her imagination.
As an example: In the beginning, Nicholson does a superb job describing the Wendell properly. He is not overly descriptive, allowing perfect narrative structure in the most simple non-obtrusive form. It is beautiful piece of narrative--one of the best descriptive narratives I have read in a long time.
Cons:
Although Nicholson ties up almost all of the loose ends in the denouement, I would have preferred it to have been fleshed out a bit more. The ending felt abrupt and hasty. Additionally, I believe one particular character could have been tied up a little bit more clearly (to write about him/her would be a spoiler.)
Some of the characters could have been developed more fully, providing a richer experience. The trade-off would have been a longer novel. These days, readers expect novels no longer than 300 or so pages, which limits authors considerably. In this case, however, I believe that this novel would have been better off having been expanded. The downside to this would have been more scenes in different points of view, but I don't think the book would have suffered.
Last note:
I think that this book/concept would make a great trilogy. The second in the series would allow for a flesh-out of the characters that didn't get a chance to speak in this novel. There are other children that need an opportunity to share their stories as well, and the story isn't concluded yet.
This book is optioned for a movie. It is my contention that it would make an incredible movie due to the digital effects available today, coupled with the creative content that Nicholson has written. This is a core reason why I believe a trilogy is necessary. The story must conclude; all loose ends must be tied up. We must have closure on the Group, the children, and the adults.
Want to read
April 1, 2019I'm a huge fan of free ebooks. More often than not I find good ones, and new authors. This book and author are a good example of the diamonds I sometimes find. I could not put this book down. Gripping from beginning to end.
September 30, 2012
re-release of 2005 paperback version
April 6, 2017
Disappointing
I like following the story of all the kids in the home, but nothing good ever happened. I'm sure the suspense will be thrilling for most people, but it's just not what I enjoy. I want "good" to win. So I was disappointed.
I like following the story of all the kids in the home, but nothing good ever happened. I'm sure the suspense will be thrilling for most people, but it's just not what I enjoy. I want "good" to win. So I was disappointed.
January 31, 2020
DNF’ing - just not interesting enough to stick with after my 10% rule
February 17, 2014
This novel represented a good ol' fashioned clash between what I appreciate as a reviewer and what I like as a reader. On the one hand, The Home starts well and sets up a few interesting tidbits about what might be to come. Getting to know Freeman, in particular, was an enjoyable ride (except for his annoying character trait of comparing himself to old movie-stars in various action roles). There was also a great early scene where one character comes across a spirit that inhabits the home for wayward children that he works at and is left almost incapacitated with terror.
Unfortunately, that was the first and only time The Home managed to elicit any kind of creep factor within me.
Aside from simply not being frightening enough, my other main issue with the novel was that for much of its length, it seems to spin its wheels. Chapter after chapter involves kids who seem far older than we are told seeing evidence of ghosts, interspersed with various employees of the institution they're held at seeing the same spirits. But it isn't until the final 70 pages or so that any of this results in much. The book is marketed as a psychological thriller, so I wasn't expecting a bloodbath, but more happening sooner would have gone a long way to stop me lamenting what might have been and the time taken to get there.
All that said, Nicholson is clearly a writer of prodigious talent. His word play is focused and fluid; his narrative twists (when they arrive) are clever and thought through. So while I may not have overly enjoyed this one, I've seen enough to convince me further reads from the author remain on the TBR agenda.
2 to 2.5 Triptrappers Tripptrapping for The Home.
Unfortunately, that was the first and only time The Home managed to elicit any kind of creep factor within me.
Aside from simply not being frightening enough, my other main issue with the novel was that for much of its length, it seems to spin its wheels. Chapter after chapter involves kids who seem far older than we are told seeing evidence of ghosts, interspersed with various employees of the institution they're held at seeing the same spirits. But it isn't until the final 70 pages or so that any of this results in much. The book is marketed as a psychological thriller, so I wasn't expecting a bloodbath, but more happening sooner would have gone a long way to stop me lamenting what might have been and the time taken to get there.
All that said, Nicholson is clearly a writer of prodigious talent. His word play is focused and fluid; his narrative twists (when they arrive) are clever and thought through. So while I may not have overly enjoyed this one, I've seen enough to convince me further reads from the author remain on the TBR agenda.
2 to 2.5 Triptrappers Tripptrapping for The Home.
September 10, 2015
The summary pretty much says it all so let's get straight to my thoughts.
I liked this well enough to listen to the whole book in the matter of days, which is good for me because it's over 10 hours long!! But one thing I didn't like was the narrator. He was very very dull. I found myself at times with my mind wandering, even though the story itself was intense. Daniel Dorse, while being clear and concise, was dull and boring. He didn't bring any life to the story and it felt like he read the whole book in a high falsetto voice, which was quite annoying. This is a case of reading it instead of listening to it!!
The plot was intriguing. The setting was perfect and the characters were varied and wonderfully written. I think my favourite part was the setting. The home they are in now is filled with the ghosts of people who were patients there years ago. I always find these kind of settings to be the scariest because asylums just scream haunted!!!
All the characters were awesome in their own way. Everyone of them are flawed but you can't help but root for the kids. Each of them has their own story and reason they are there but they don't deserve the likes of Dr. Kracowski nor Mr. Bondurant looking after them. Both are truly evil in their own way!
In all this is a creepy, chilling and intense read. I could totally picture this as a scary movie and one I would think twice about watching, because while I can read about ghosts etc, I am a total wuss when it comes to watching them! It scares me silly!!
*I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
I liked this well enough to listen to the whole book in the matter of days, which is good for me because it's over 10 hours long!! But one thing I didn't like was the narrator. He was very very dull. I found myself at times with my mind wandering, even though the story itself was intense. Daniel Dorse, while being clear and concise, was dull and boring. He didn't bring any life to the story and it felt like he read the whole book in a high falsetto voice, which was quite annoying. This is a case of reading it instead of listening to it!!
The plot was intriguing. The setting was perfect and the characters were varied and wonderfully written. I think my favourite part was the setting. The home they are in now is filled with the ghosts of people who were patients there years ago. I always find these kind of settings to be the scariest because asylums just scream haunted!!!
All the characters were awesome in their own way. Everyone of them are flawed but you can't help but root for the kids. Each of them has their own story and reason they are there but they don't deserve the likes of Dr. Kracowski nor Mr. Bondurant looking after them. Both are truly evil in their own way!
In all this is a creepy, chilling and intense read. I could totally picture this as a scary movie and one I would think twice about watching, because while I can read about ghosts etc, I am a total wuss when it comes to watching them! It scares me silly!!
*I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
September 12, 2015
In The Home, Freeman Mills is a twelve-year-old rebellious type who has gone through various homes until he reaches Wendover, a home for troubled children. After having gone through traumatic experiences as a child, his plan is to lay low, a task that isn’t so easy for someone with the ability to read minds, and as he soon learns, to see ghosts. Wendover is really a front for bizarre experimentation being funded by some shadowy government agency, that never got explained very well in the novel and had a bit of a cliché feel to it. At Wendover, they bring the children to a state of death briefly before bringing them back. This experimentation unleashes many of the ghosts at the site that once used to be a mental institution.
The Home was an enjoyable novel. There was a great deal of suspense and intrigue as the devious nature of Wendover and the people who ran it were slowly unveiled. There was also the specter of what had happened to Freeman as a child, which ties into what was currently happening, that I also found intriguing. The setting of the story worked well to set up the mood and atmosphere. There were a few things that happened in the later part of the novel that I found a bit confusing and not well-explained, but the ending itself was satisfying. This was a good horror story that I would recommend.
Carl Alves - author of Blood Street
The Home was an enjoyable novel. There was a great deal of suspense and intrigue as the devious nature of Wendover and the people who ran it were slowly unveiled. There was also the specter of what had happened to Freeman as a child, which ties into what was currently happening, that I also found intriguing. The setting of the story worked well to set up the mood and atmosphere. There were a few things that happened in the later part of the novel that I found a bit confusing and not well-explained, but the ending itself was satisfying. This was a good horror story that I would recommend.
Carl Alves - author of Blood Street
October 2, 2012
A Tuesday Review for you...Another 5 star for Scott Nicholson, I'll start off by saying I didn't know if I could read this book after JUST having my 15 yr old son placed in a residential treatment center ( he has multiple problems that I don't even pretend to be qualified to handle and THANKFULLY he is doing fine ) Scott's description of Wendover's beautiful scenery sounded all too familiar. But that's ALL that was the same, When you mix troubled but gifted children, mind reading, experimenting on children with a Doctor who has a God complex, A Director who needs to be spanked himself.. Bad director.. a secret government agency, A Pure heart, an evil evil psychotic Father of one of children and in pure Scott fashion.. GHOSTS... you end up with one terrifying tale.. very intriguing and I didn't know where it would turn next... I HIGHLY recommend this book!! I give it 5 triptraps...
June 28, 2011
I don't know how many horror books the other reviewers have read, but this novel is not all that it's cracked up to be. Ghosts are seen by characters in almost every chapter, so the excitment/terror/impact is lessened greatly. The children in this book seem more intelligent than the adults that supervise them -- doctors included. The real conflict doesn't come into play until 250 pages into the book, and the constant flowery descriptions became tedious very quickly. Now, don't get me wrong, I loved Nicholson's last book, The Manor, but this is one to skip.
September 22, 2012
This is a great story, interesting from the beginning with a great story, the characters are diverses and interesting and you want to know wht happens next, very like Stephen King but in ways better becayuse King can go way over the top. This is easy to understand and flows well but keeps you gripped.
May 21, 2013
Wendover, a group home for troubled children,holds many secrets.The children residing here receive experiments to enhance their ESP. The characters are vivid. The evil that occurs within the walls of Wendover will frighten you.
July 7, 2011
Review - coming soon!
September 19, 2017
It has been a while since I have read a good horror-type book, and I am glad I found The Home - Nicholson has an engaging writing style that reminds me of a lot of Stephen King's work, complete with the not-too-gross or weird descriptions and situations along with light religious shadings that will get you thinking of things outside the context of the story. Once I started reading this one I didn't want to put it down, and I could see this one being made into a very successful movie that could scare the crap out of you without grossing you out.
What I like best about this one is despite the supernatural / horror aspect of the plot, Nicholson explains the and sets up the situations in such a way that has you really believe something like this could happen as well as think about it long after you have read or completed the book: to me, that's a hard thing to do and tells me Nicholson is a pretty darn good writer to have the ability to think back on it a week after I finished it with the volume of books I read and see on a weekly basis. If you are a Stephen King fan like I am, I highly recommend you give Nicholson a try.
I picked this book up during a Kindle promotion for $1.99 vs. the normal pricing of $3.99: even if the pricing goes back to normal, you will certainly get one heck of a lot more in entertainment value out of this one.
What I like best about this one is despite the supernatural / horror aspect of the plot, Nicholson explains the and sets up the situations in such a way that has you really believe something like this could happen as well as think about it long after you have read or completed the book: to me, that's a hard thing to do and tells me Nicholson is a pretty darn good writer to have the ability to think back on it a week after I finished it with the volume of books I read and see on a weekly basis. If you are a Stephen King fan like I am, I highly recommend you give Nicholson a try.
I picked this book up during a Kindle promotion for $1.99 vs. the normal pricing of $3.99: even if the pricing goes back to normal, you will certainly get one heck of a lot more in entertainment value out of this one.
March 27, 2019
The book was okay, I was able to finish it, but I can't say I truly enjoyed it. It took me a lot of time to finish it, I just didn't felt engaged by what was going on and sometimes I had to force myself to keep reading.
Outside the main character, all others characters were barely developed and while the setting was great, the "scary" moments were not scary at all. Even the action scenes were not pulling me in since most of them are taking place in the main characters head and are really abstract. God is also mention A LOT in this book which kind of turned me off a little bit, not that it was preachy or anything, but still a lot of characters (the staff) in this book are extremely religious and mentions God in almost all of their dialogues to the point where I was finding it really annoying. The main character could also be annoying some times with all his Clint Eastwood and Al Pacino quotes...
Overall, the book wasn't terrible, but just "meh". Give it a try if you feel like it,but don't get your expectations to high especially for the scare factor.
Outside the main character, all others characters were barely developed and while the setting was great, the "scary" moments were not scary at all. Even the action scenes were not pulling me in since most of them are taking place in the main characters head and are really abstract. God is also mention A LOT in this book which kind of turned me off a little bit, not that it was preachy or anything, but still a lot of characters (the staff) in this book are extremely religious and mentions God in almost all of their dialogues to the point where I was finding it really annoying. The main character could also be annoying some times with all his Clint Eastwood and Al Pacino quotes...
Overall, the book wasn't terrible, but just "meh". Give it a try if you feel like it,but don't get your expectations to high especially for the scare factor.
January 24, 2018
Pretty darned good story
Frankly, I wish I could give this 4 1/2 stars. It was a very engaging book. The main characters - institutionalized kids were well portrayed and likeable, except for the obligatory nasty bully and his crew. The kids are being forced to undergo treatment with high tech equipment that bombards their brains with a variety of energies in the attempt to "heal" their mental illnesses with the added side effect of giving them a variety of ESPs. The bad guys were unambiguously bad and the good guys were appropriately good. Not really cliché - just satisfying.
Frankly, I wish I could give this 4 1/2 stars. It was a very engaging book. The main characters - institutionalized kids were well portrayed and likeable, except for the obligatory nasty bully and his crew. The kids are being forced to undergo treatment with high tech equipment that bombards their brains with a variety of energies in the attempt to "heal" their mental illnesses with the added side effect of giving them a variety of ESPs. The bad guys were unambiguously bad and the good guys were appropriately good. Not really cliché - just satisfying.
January 19, 2018
Other than the occasional Stephen King book, I'm not really a horror story fan, so take my review with a grain of salt. The book was enjoyable. The story was unique and interesting. The writing was solid. I liked the characters. Just not my cup of tea.
December 5, 2018
Disappointed with this book. It almost seemed like two or three different people were writing it! There was a lot of jumping around, and it wasn't smooth. I usually love his books. I stuck with this to the end, hoping it would get better. It got even more disjointed and bizarre!
May 17, 2020
Scary!
Excellent scary story! It's very mysterious and super interesting. These poor kids go through a lot in their lives but man, it sure makes a great story. My favorite bit was the bully getting what he deserved.
Excellent scary story! It's very mysterious and super interesting. These poor kids go through a lot in their lives but man, it sure makes a great story. My favorite bit was the bully getting what he deserved.
Read
September 7, 2022DNF. I got about 67 pages in and had to put it down. It just wasn’t holding my attention. I may pick this one back up in the future but for now, it’s a DNF.
March 31, 2021
The Home is a pretty scary story. It has just about every kind of man-made horror – abusive parents, an abusive group home, a couple of mad scientists, a secret (abusive) government agency, troubled teens, and ghosts.
Freeman Mills has been in state custody for six years now. Ever since his mother was killed. At the beginning of the book, his father is in jail for her murder. He doesn’t stay there.
Freeman has been diagnosed with a whole raft of psychological issues beginning with bipolar disorder and going on from there. The thing that really gets him in trouble, though, is his ability to read other people’s minds. And occasionally to project his thoughts into other people’s minds. This is all due to his father’s having experimented on him with electroshock therapy when he was just a child.
Freeman has been shuffled around – the state? The country? – for all that time, to various group homes. The ostensible object has been to cure him. It doesn’t appear to have worked. But when he is sent to the Wendover Home, despite the statements of the director and other members of the staff, curing him seems to be the furthest thing from the course of treatment set out for him.
Then some people from an outfit referred to as The Trust (Ha! And you just thought that was a figment of Freeman’s paranoid imagination!) begin to show up. Even the doctor who has been conducting experiments in electroshock therapy on the Home’s residents is shocked at the things that start happening when Freeman’s father shows up and takes over the experiments.
Meanwhile, Freeman and some of the other residents and staff have begun to see strange people wandering the halls; people who don’t really seem to belong there.
Freeman Mills has been in state custody for six years now. Ever since his mother was killed. At the beginning of the book, his father is in jail for her murder. He doesn’t stay there.
Freeman has been diagnosed with a whole raft of psychological issues beginning with bipolar disorder and going on from there. The thing that really gets him in trouble, though, is his ability to read other people’s minds. And occasionally to project his thoughts into other people’s minds. This is all due to his father’s having experimented on him with electroshock therapy when he was just a child.
Freeman has been shuffled around – the state? The country? – for all that time, to various group homes. The ostensible object has been to cure him. It doesn’t appear to have worked. But when he is sent to the Wendover Home, despite the statements of the director and other members of the staff, curing him seems to be the furthest thing from the course of treatment set out for him.
Then some people from an outfit referred to as The Trust (Ha! And you just thought that was a figment of Freeman’s paranoid imagination!) begin to show up. Even the doctor who has been conducting experiments in electroshock therapy on the Home’s residents is shocked at the things that start happening when Freeman’s father shows up and takes over the experiments.
Meanwhile, Freeman and some of the other residents and staff have begun to see strange people wandering the halls; people who don’t really seem to belong there.
August 14, 2014
ABR's full The Home audiobook review can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
First thoughts about the cover of The Home? Everything in the picture, except the person in front of the window and the chandelier, leans to the right. With the way it leans and the shades of blue set the tone for me to wonder if the story is going to be spooky/scary or coming of age/horror.
This book is about a twelve year old boy named Freeman Mills. The story starts with Freeman arriving at Wendover Group Home. He’s trying his hardest to be a hard case and be indifferent to the world around him to help keep out anymore hurts. A coming of age story mixed with super human abilities. There are other points of view in the story, but the main character is Freeman. Also, this book is 10 hours and 32 minutes long.
Daniel Dorse is the narrator for this story. Deep, smooth, twangy. Reminds me of Clint Eastwood’s voice. What I found funny is that Freeman actually mentions trying to act like Clint Eastwood. ‘Walk in mean, talk tough. Squint like a miniature Clint Eastwood with saddle sores, ready to eat nails and shit bullets.’ Would not recommend listening to this if you are laying down. His voice is very soothing if you get relaxed. I had to backtrack a few times. Still, really enjoyed his voice. Loved how it washes over you and brings you deep within Freeman’s world.
I was hooked into this story from the line ‘Enough peace and quiet to drive you squirrel shit nutty.’ It made me laugh and I found myself listening even more closely to what Freeman might think or say. I feel bad for the children in this foster home. A lot of them have mental issues. Rather than making it better, the doctors mainly make it worse. Add in the ghosts and the mental ‘trip-trapping’ and you have very interesting story.
The adults in this story seemed either wrapped up in their own narcissistic tendencies and/or their religious views. Rather than helping the children they seemed to want to use the children to further their careers. Bad examples for the children. I seriously feel bad for the kids in the foster home in this story. They get used like lab rats.
When I finished this story I had more appreciation for my home, my family. Children can understand and see things that many adults cannot. Trust them, listen to them, believe them. They need us to love them just as much as they need to give us love in return. Treasure them, they are precious.
Audiobook provided for review by the author.
First thoughts about the cover of The Home? Everything in the picture, except the person in front of the window and the chandelier, leans to the right. With the way it leans and the shades of blue set the tone for me to wonder if the story is going to be spooky/scary or coming of age/horror.
This book is about a twelve year old boy named Freeman Mills. The story starts with Freeman arriving at Wendover Group Home. He’s trying his hardest to be a hard case and be indifferent to the world around him to help keep out anymore hurts. A coming of age story mixed with super human abilities. There are other points of view in the story, but the main character is Freeman. Also, this book is 10 hours and 32 minutes long.
Daniel Dorse is the narrator for this story. Deep, smooth, twangy. Reminds me of Clint Eastwood’s voice. What I found funny is that Freeman actually mentions trying to act like Clint Eastwood. ‘Walk in mean, talk tough. Squint like a miniature Clint Eastwood with saddle sores, ready to eat nails and shit bullets.’ Would not recommend listening to this if you are laying down. His voice is very soothing if you get relaxed. I had to backtrack a few times. Still, really enjoyed his voice. Loved how it washes over you and brings you deep within Freeman’s world.
I was hooked into this story from the line ‘Enough peace and quiet to drive you squirrel shit nutty.’ It made me laugh and I found myself listening even more closely to what Freeman might think or say. I feel bad for the children in this foster home. A lot of them have mental issues. Rather than making it better, the doctors mainly make it worse. Add in the ghosts and the mental ‘trip-trapping’ and you have very interesting story.
The adults in this story seemed either wrapped up in their own narcissistic tendencies and/or their religious views. Rather than helping the children they seemed to want to use the children to further their careers. Bad examples for the children. I seriously feel bad for the kids in the foster home in this story. They get used like lab rats.
When I finished this story I had more appreciation for my home, my family. Children can understand and see things that many adults cannot. Trust them, listen to them, believe them. They need us to love them just as much as they need to give us love in return. Treasure them, they are precious.
Audiobook provided for review by the author.
October 30, 2012
Home is the place where, when you have to go there, They have to take you in. - Robert Frost, The Death of the Hired Man
Freeman Mills finds himself at Wendover - another group home for troubled children. he thinks that the place looks like any of the other homes he had spent time in before. Freeman finds out quickly how very wrong he was...
author Scott Nicholson's novel is a creepy descent into madness and the paranormal. the atmosphere and the characters he has created combined with the fast-paced storytelling make this one unforgettable spooky read.
unorthodox experiments, mad scientists and ghostly apparitions are just a few of the surprises in store for readers who love their chills and thrills without the gore.
all the same, i advise you to enter The Home at your own risk!
Disclosure of Material Connection: i received an eARC from the author. i did not receive any payment in exchange for this review nor was i obligated to write a positive one. all opinions expressed here are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist or the readers of this review. this disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Freeman Mills finds himself at Wendover - another group home for troubled children. he thinks that the place looks like any of the other homes he had spent time in before. Freeman finds out quickly how very wrong he was...
author Scott Nicholson's novel is a creepy descent into madness and the paranormal. the atmosphere and the characters he has created combined with the fast-paced storytelling make this one unforgettable spooky read.
unorthodox experiments, mad scientists and ghostly apparitions are just a few of the surprises in store for readers who love their chills and thrills without the gore.
all the same, i advise you to enter The Home at your own risk!
Disclosure of Material Connection: i received an eARC from the author. i did not receive any payment in exchange for this review nor was i obligated to write a positive one. all opinions expressed here are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist or the readers of this review. this disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
May 20, 2014
Freeman Mills is a troubled kid. After bouncing around through a variety of foster homes and institutions, he finds himself at Wendover, yet another home. Unfortunately for Freeman, Wendover has a lot of secrets. Most of them are unpleasant. Some of them are dead. And for a kid with ESP, all of them are dangerous.
I liked this book a lot. It was part of a bundle I picked up via Kindle for $.99, and I didn't have a lot of expectations about what I'd be getting. The Home turned out to be a gripping little surprise. I enjoyed Freeman -- his voice and ways of thinking about things were great, and as a Clint Eastwood fan, I was particularly pleased by his attempts to live his life according to The Man With No Name's ethos. The characters of Vicky (Freeman's bulimic friend) and Starlene (a naive counselor at the home) were also empathetic and interesting. In general I found the protagonists relatable and intriguing. The antagonists were unfortuantely not as well fleshed out -- although the warden of the home was more detailed than the rest, I felt that some of the other "bad guys" were a bit two-dimensional.
The plot moved along at a reasonable clip, and I appreciated some of the narrative twists. I would have liked a little more background on the ghosts, but I think that's just a personal thing for me.
On the whole I found this to be a decent little horror book, and am interested to read more of the author's work.
I liked this book a lot. It was part of a bundle I picked up via Kindle for $.99, and I didn't have a lot of expectations about what I'd be getting. The Home turned out to be a gripping little surprise. I enjoyed Freeman -- his voice and ways of thinking about things were great, and as a Clint Eastwood fan, I was particularly pleased by his attempts to live his life according to The Man With No Name's ethos. The characters of Vicky (Freeman's bulimic friend) and Starlene (a naive counselor at the home) were also empathetic and interesting. In general I found the protagonists relatable and intriguing. The antagonists were unfortuantely not as well fleshed out -- although the warden of the home was more detailed than the rest, I felt that some of the other "bad guys" were a bit two-dimensional.
The plot moved along at a reasonable clip, and I appreciated some of the narrative twists. I would have liked a little more background on the ghosts, but I think that's just a personal thing for me.
On the whole I found this to be a decent little horror book, and am interested to read more of the author's work.
October 11, 2012
Wow. I started this book thinking it would be a bit formulaic, but boy was I wrong! It begins creepy and just gets creepier the more you read. Such a smorgasbord of horror: kids with telepathy and clairvoyance, not to mention their bad behavior; ghosts, evil doctors and a very evil father, and a staff you don't know are good or bad, are just some of the twists and turns in the Wendover Home for troubled children that Scott Nicholson so deftly takes you through. The book begins by the arrival of Freeman Mills at the home and progresses through his radical and horrific treatments (and other children). Nicholson obviously did his research on the science because he is dead on which had me believing this place actually existed up in the North Carolina Appalachians. I've been reading all types of horror for 50 years and this novel gave me goose bumps in a couple places. Not easy to do. It is highly recommended.
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