The Playgroup: A Novel

by Nancy Weber

Single mother Jill Everts brings three-year-old Daisy to New York, hoping her daughter will make friends and forget about her imaginary ones. But Daisy’s new reality scares Jill even more than the precocious child’s fantasy world. When Daisy meets Stephanie, James, and Nick at a Central Park playground, they recognize each other although they’ve never met before. Some wild circuitry seems to kick in; the four kids connect so powerfully, they can move objects without touching them. They can maybe even bring back the dead. What is their mysterious link? Why is a super secret government agent convinced that Daisy is the perfect human being—and why should Jill allow him to tap into her little girl’s mind? Then there’s the wife of Jill’s lover—how far will she go to get her hands on Daisy?
 
Although The Playgroup is about four extraordinary kids, it’s also about the dazzling potential in all three-year-olds. As every parent knows, only a gossamer wall stands between our hopes and fears for our children.

Genres: Horror

201 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 1982

Reviews

[Phil · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weber's The Playgroup has an interesting premise and this could have been super, but close to an utter fail in execution. Our protagonist, Jill, recently moved back to NYC with her young daughter (3yo) Daisy. Nearby her flat (actually, her cousin's who is out of town) they find a playground. Strangely enough, Daisy knows the names of some of the kids and immediately starts to play with them. Turns out, a group of four mothers constituted something called the playgroup, where they will take turns watching the kids at the playground Monday through Thursday.

The strange bond between the kids is at the heart of the story; they all have 'imaginary' friends, but are they really imaginary? When one kid gets sick, they all know it, even if they are in their own apartments. Some sort of telepathy? Jill thinks something is a little strange about this situation, but the other mothers poo poo her worries...

Weber's prose takes more than a little to get used to. The kids often speak in rhymes and so do the adults to the kids. This is a sample pulled at random from the text:

"I hung up. I stood there. I trembled uncontrollably. I could not move. My ears went around the corner and down the hallway, listening for creaking hinges... I willed my rubbery legs to carry me to the hallway. I peered down its shadowy length. The door as tight in its jamb. Plumb jamb for breakfast, Mommy?"

All in all, I thought Weber tried way too hard to give the book an 'edgy' feeling.

Worse, all the mothers of the kids came of as neurotic and really unlikable. I could care less about their one-night stands, their trials and tribulations with their husbands, and their endless discussion about fashion and shoes.

The gist of the story is underdeveloped. Is someone (in this case, Jack, a notorious philanderer), the father of all the kids in the playgroup? He is Daisy's father for sure, back from Jill's time in NYC before she moved back to Vermont. Or, does the 'bond' among the children stem from Jack's wife; some sort of psychic poison? Weber tosses in some secret government agency doing research on the kids for some weapon project and the head researcher seems to know the kids well. Throw some more tropes at the wall and see what sticks anyone?

Again, good potential premise, but the tortured prose and lackluster pacing (to say the least), as well as the slew of characters I would gladly see playing in front of a moving bus made this almost a hate read. Yes, enough 'good stuff' to have me finish the book, but as I really hate to DNF books, that is not saying that much. Another riff on the 'strange kids' trope from the 80s, but I cannot recommend this, even to 80s horror fans. 1.5 weak stars.

[Jordana Carlson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot itself isn't bad, really, and I liked it well enough. I didn't even mind the slow pacing, and enjoyed the mystery slowly unraveling for me. I just don't understand why all the characters were so horny all the time??? I feel like characters in romance novels think about sex less. It really took me out of the story, especially because none of the horny thoughts are subtle or implied, or relevant at all to the story.

[Gigi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hm… i mean interesting premise, but a lot of the writing and prose was very very confusing. I think if it was tightened up it would be unique but goodness gracious full on paragraphs felt like run on sentences. Wish the reasons the why behind the events would have been expanded more.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story with a very promising premise and moments that are memorable. But it is bogged down by absolutely terrible pacing (until the 200 page mark) and prose that sometimes winds up too much; rather than just portions of the story feeling hyperkinetic, the entire thing feels manic.

[Patricia Kaniasty · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stupid

[Greg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing like the back cover description.

[Renee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unbelievably boring.

[Anon Y.]

Kids from New York City sure can be wacky!