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Mason
Some kids say Mason Avrett is slow. What they don't know is that he also has a terrifying power that he's just beginning to understand. But that's not his worst Mason lives with a sadist. His older brother, Gene, doles out punishments so brutal that all Mason can do is cover his head for the beating and try to forget the horrific things he's seen. Rene Denton, one of Mason's only friends, knows that Gene is evil, but she doesn't know how evil until the terrible night she becomes a victim of Gene's cruelty. Suddenly Mason's power—raging beyond his control—becomes the only thing that might just be as frightening as Gene. Horror, revenge, and the twisted images born of a lifetime of pain are woven into a masterful tale of suspense and redemption.
247 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2008
7 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Pendleton
16 books9 followersThomas Pendleton is a pseudonym of Lee Thomas.
For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Thom...
For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Thom...
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 7, 2017
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Mason Avrett is special... He is a high schooler with a developmental delay and a very special power. He lives with his Aunt Molly and his sadistic psychopath older brother, Gene. Rene Denton was Mason's only friend, but as they have gotten older, they've grown apart. Mason tries to stay out of Gene's way, but Gene always finds reason to punish him. One day, Rene finds herself in the middle of Gene and ends up getting severely hurt. As Mason's abilities seem to grow, he decides to take matters into his own hands to seek revenge on his brother and his gang.
If you know me, I am a sucker for slasher/killer books. I liked this a lot more than I had originally thought I would since I went in with very low expectations and was pleasantly surprised by the story of Mason! Right from the first sentence of the book I was hooked in to the plot and I had the urge to find out what was going to happen next. The plot is fast paced and intriguing and keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time. Mason's ability was such an interesting and cool concept! It would honestly make a very interesting movie! I loved all the characters, even Gene and how creepy he was.
The one major issue I had with the book and the reason I am not rating it higher, is the constant use of the 'r word' as an insult. I just really hate the language so it is a personal issue I have with the book so I wouldn't want that to cause anyone to not read this story!
Mason Avrett is special... He is a high schooler with a developmental delay and a very special power. He lives with his Aunt Molly and his sadistic psychopath older brother, Gene. Rene Denton was Mason's only friend, but as they have gotten older, they've grown apart. Mason tries to stay out of Gene's way, but Gene always finds reason to punish him. One day, Rene finds herself in the middle of Gene and ends up getting severely hurt. As Mason's abilities seem to grow, he decides to take matters into his own hands to seek revenge on his brother and his gang.
If you know me, I am a sucker for slasher/killer books. I liked this a lot more than I had originally thought I would since I went in with very low expectations and was pleasantly surprised by the story of Mason! Right from the first sentence of the book I was hooked in to the plot and I had the urge to find out what was going to happen next. The plot is fast paced and intriguing and keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time. Mason's ability was such an interesting and cool concept! It would honestly make a very interesting movie! I loved all the characters, even Gene and how creepy he was.
The one major issue I had with the book and the reason I am not rating it higher, is the constant use of the 'r word' as an insult. I just really hate the language so it is a personal issue I have with the book so I wouldn't want that to cause anyone to not read this story!
September 17, 2009
I'm so glad I picked this one up and you certainly don't know how creepy the plot and characters really are from the cover. It's a great "boy book" if I had to give it a label, complete with a young psychopath who has no qualms about killing people (yes, a little unbelievable), but the whole book has smatterings of fantasy, since Gene, the resident psychopath's younger brother, Mason, has the ability to make right through his mind. Of course, this includes stopping his brother from killing some more.
Although it's a great boy book, it would be for high school audiences or mature middle schoolers since Gene starts off in true psychopath fashion by killing and maiming animals.
Although it's a great boy book, it would be for high school audiences or mature middle schoolers since Gene starts off in true psychopath fashion by killing and maiming animals.
October 9, 2019
Overall I thought this book was more of a psychotic twist than it was horror. It starts off with Masons brother Gene trying to murder him in his sleep!, but mason ends up with powers after all and it gets pretty distorted from there. I thought Pendleton did a good job with description in this book, he made it pretty gruesome, but reading this at my age I just felt unrealism in everything so I wasn't very scared. I'd say this would get a 4th or 5th grader pretty scared, but he did a good job overall. This book is a good read but probably not your best interest if you like very scary stuff. I feel like the overall reason it wasn't that scary to me is because its based on kids, it tends to just make it seem way more unrealistic (although its fiction). Mason is a kid with an Intellectual disability, and Pendleton really goes into detail about what's going on inside Masons mind, it is actually very interesting. There is so much Imagery in this book, it could probably be a movie, I think the movie of this book would have me more scared than reading because picturing things vs seeing things is a whole different thing for me. Mason didn’t have many friends whatsoever, so basically his only friend Rene Denton also knew how evil his older brother was but Masons powers tend to be the craziest when they come out of him. I think Pendleton did a good job on this one, but maybe i'm just not immune to horror anymore.
August 6, 2018
This was a fantastic paranormal mystery book involving a boy with an intellectual disability, his sociopathic brother, and the girl that was his only friend. The writing was spot on and the characters created great emotion. This book really explored humanity and how easily morals can get twisted. It was an incredibly engaging read and I loved the switched perspectives and seeing what was going on in each person's mind.
September 27, 2025
I loved the dark nature of the book and an escalation into more horror themes
March 2, 2014
Thomas Pendleton’s novel Mason is quite unlike any book I’ve read in recent memory. It’s a sort of strange thriller/horror hybrid populated with nasty characters without any redeeming qualities. The exceptions are Mason and Rene.
Mason’s a high school kid with developmental delays. Mason lives with his Aunt Molly and his older brother, Gene, a sadistic psychopath who is seen as a nine-year-old trying to smother Mason in the novel’s opening chapter. Those first few pages set the tone for a novel which remains relentlessly bleak.
Rene is Mason’s childhood friend, although they’ve drifted apart.
…as children they had been best friends. They played tag in the park and chased toads out to the swamps past the Ditch, the rundown part of Marchand where Mason lived with his aunt.
But Rene had grown up, and Mason hadn’t.
Mason tries to stay out of Gene’s way, but it’s almost impossible. Whenever things don’t go Gene’s way, “someone has got to step up” and usually that someone is Mason, who endures Gene’s physical assault time and time again. Mason’s developmental delays make it difficult for him to understand that Gene is a creep and he doesn’t seem to have anyone in his corner to protect him. Aunt Molly is absent. In fact there are no real adult figures in this book, which makes Gene and his drug-dealing cronies (Hunter, Lump and Ricky) that much more menacing.
Mason, however, has a special power. He seems to be able to animate his thoughts, making gruesome images come alive. Handy skill, that, especially when something horrible happens to Rene and Mason seeks revenge.
The crows dove out of the sky as thick as a cloud. They had eyes that looked like tiny flames and beaks like wrought iron. All of the birds were wounded. They should have been dead. Even before the first one hit the windshield, Lump could see the insides hanging out of their breasts. Several of them had heads that flopped uselessly from their thick, black bodies.
Despite its violence (and it’s not too graphic, but the reader certainly gets the idea), Mason will likely appeal to readers who like straight-forward, full-speed-ahead narrative and nasty characters who get their comeuppance.
Mason’s a high school kid with developmental delays. Mason lives with his Aunt Molly and his older brother, Gene, a sadistic psychopath who is seen as a nine-year-old trying to smother Mason in the novel’s opening chapter. Those first few pages set the tone for a novel which remains relentlessly bleak.
Rene is Mason’s childhood friend, although they’ve drifted apart.
…as children they had been best friends. They played tag in the park and chased toads out to the swamps past the Ditch, the rundown part of Marchand where Mason lived with his aunt.
But Rene had grown up, and Mason hadn’t.
Mason tries to stay out of Gene’s way, but it’s almost impossible. Whenever things don’t go Gene’s way, “someone has got to step up” and usually that someone is Mason, who endures Gene’s physical assault time and time again. Mason’s developmental delays make it difficult for him to understand that Gene is a creep and he doesn’t seem to have anyone in his corner to protect him. Aunt Molly is absent. In fact there are no real adult figures in this book, which makes Gene and his drug-dealing cronies (Hunter, Lump and Ricky) that much more menacing.
Mason, however, has a special power. He seems to be able to animate his thoughts, making gruesome images come alive. Handy skill, that, especially when something horrible happens to Rene and Mason seeks revenge.
The crows dove out of the sky as thick as a cloud. They had eyes that looked like tiny flames and beaks like wrought iron. All of the birds were wounded. They should have been dead. Even before the first one hit the windshield, Lump could see the insides hanging out of their breasts. Several of them had heads that flopped uselessly from their thick, black bodies.
Despite its violence (and it’s not too graphic, but the reader certainly gets the idea), Mason will likely appeal to readers who like straight-forward, full-speed-ahead narrative and nasty characters who get their comeuppance.
November 29, 2012
Reviewed by Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen for TeensReadToo.com
To everyone around him, Mason Avrett isn't the smartest or brightest person on the planet. He has no friends, no parents, and no one to look out for him. The only thing he has going for him is his drawing, and even that can't help him. He does have his Aunt Molly, but she can't protect him against the evil forces of his brother, Gene.
One look at Gene and everyone can tell that he spells trouble. Gene just so happens to find satisfaction in hurting those around him. Since the very beginning, Gene has hated Mason, his parent's "special" son. Gene uses Mason's gullibility as an advantage, making sure and influencing his brother that he is always doing something wrong, that he is "as dumb as a doorknob," someone who just doesn't deserve to even be alive.
Rene Denton is at first skeptical of Mason, but after continuously seeing how rude and dangerous Gene can be, she suddenly feels like she needs to become friends with him. Not caring what her other friends think, Rene begins to spend time with Mason, only to get a better view of what Mason thinks and how his life is.
Getting closer to Mason makes Gene want to hurt Rene even more, and he begins to plot a plan to take his brother's only friend away from him.
Even though people might think Mason's mind is weak, he will soon find out that it is the strongest thing he has and, even though it may help him, past events will show Mason how it ruined his life forever.
Unique, lovely, and all the more scary, MASON takes readers on an adventure they will never forget. Mind-over-matter is important in this novel, and Thomas Pendleton creates well-developed characters you will both love and hate. With an ending that will take your breath away, this is a story that will be remembered forever.
To everyone around him, Mason Avrett isn't the smartest or brightest person on the planet. He has no friends, no parents, and no one to look out for him. The only thing he has going for him is his drawing, and even that can't help him. He does have his Aunt Molly, but she can't protect him against the evil forces of his brother, Gene.
One look at Gene and everyone can tell that he spells trouble. Gene just so happens to find satisfaction in hurting those around him. Since the very beginning, Gene has hated Mason, his parent's "special" son. Gene uses Mason's gullibility as an advantage, making sure and influencing his brother that he is always doing something wrong, that he is "as dumb as a doorknob," someone who just doesn't deserve to even be alive.
Rene Denton is at first skeptical of Mason, but after continuously seeing how rude and dangerous Gene can be, she suddenly feels like she needs to become friends with him. Not caring what her other friends think, Rene begins to spend time with Mason, only to get a better view of what Mason thinks and how his life is.
Getting closer to Mason makes Gene want to hurt Rene even more, and he begins to plot a plan to take his brother's only friend away from him.
Even though people might think Mason's mind is weak, he will soon find out that it is the strongest thing he has and, even though it may help him, past events will show Mason how it ruined his life forever.
Unique, lovely, and all the more scary, MASON takes readers on an adventure they will never forget. Mind-over-matter is important in this novel, and Thomas Pendleton creates well-developed characters you will both love and hate. With an ending that will take your breath away, this is a story that will be remembered forever.
August 3, 2016
I really enjoyed the passages from Mason's perspective. I don't often get to read from inside the head of someone who thinks so differently from the "norm" and it was interesting to see the disconnect between what people thought he was capable of and what he actually was capable of. He also made for an experience in unreliable narrators, since he tends to believe everything told to him, while the reader has a better grasp of truth versus lies. More than any of the other characters, Mason is the one you want to root for, perhaps because he's spent most of his life getting kicked down.
Gene also presents a necessarily complex character. He's the kind of guy who prefers to work in the background, pulling strings. He doesn't need the appearance of power as long as the guys who get credited for being the masterminds and troublemakers know who they answer to, which makes him far more dangerous than someone who loves the limelight. He's one of those people for whom getting inside their head makes them even scarier than just watching the actions they're capable of, which makes him rather significant in a horror novel.
Rene rounds out the trifecta of major players, presenting more of the everyman (everywoman?) to relate to. Compared to the more unique characters of Mason and Gene, she came off a little bland, as the teen girl who's pretty (but not too popular), smart enough to consistently make the right decision regardless of what her friends think but still naïve enough to be lured in as a victim. Really, she's a plot device as much as a character, but when the other two major players are so well drawn, this isn't as annoying as it could be.
I enjoyed Mason, with its slow and menacing build-up. The book is as dark as the cover art would suggest, and those looking for a bit of horror that doesn't involve vampire angst should give this one a look.
Gene also presents a necessarily complex character. He's the kind of guy who prefers to work in the background, pulling strings. He doesn't need the appearance of power as long as the guys who get credited for being the masterminds and troublemakers know who they answer to, which makes him far more dangerous than someone who loves the limelight. He's one of those people for whom getting inside their head makes them even scarier than just watching the actions they're capable of, which makes him rather significant in a horror novel.
Rene rounds out the trifecta of major players, presenting more of the everyman (everywoman?) to relate to. Compared to the more unique characters of Mason and Gene, she came off a little bland, as the teen girl who's pretty (but not too popular), smart enough to consistently make the right decision regardless of what her friends think but still naïve enough to be lured in as a victim. Really, she's a plot device as much as a character, but when the other two major players are so well drawn, this isn't as annoying as it could be.
I enjoyed Mason, with its slow and menacing build-up. The book is as dark as the cover art would suggest, and those looking for a bit of horror that doesn't involve vampire angst should give this one a look.
January 30, 2012
This was a great book! I felt as if I was reading a true crime book-which I love...but with a twist.
Rene is a highschool girl who used to be friends with a boy named Mason when she was younger. But she grew apart from him because he is mentally challenged. She became interested in other stuff, such as boys and fashion, while he was still stuck on child games.
Masons older brother, Gene is very mean to Mason, but he hides it so that others don't suspect anything. And since Mason is a little slower then others, Gene is able to brain wash him into not telling and to thinking that Mason deserves it.
Gene also has something else going on on the side that he also keeps secret from everyone except who is involved.
One day things go wrong and Gene needs to fix things before he gets into trouble. Fixing things includes trying to eliminate the one person who Gene believes could get him into trouble, Rene.
And this is where it starts to sound like a true crime book.
Rene is hurt very badly and ends up in the hospital in a coma. Unable to tell who did this to her nobody is held responsible.
Until Mason comes and visits Rene in the hospital. Mason has a special gift that nobody else has. A gift that nobody else knows about either. Because of this gift Mason is able to 'see' who the people responsible for hurting Rene are.
What happens after this is rather interesting and I think this would make for a great movie!
Great characters and great plot! I loved the writing and the details. I could not put this book down. I really believed during most of it that I was writing a non fictin book.
If you like horror I would recommend picking this book up!
Rene is a highschool girl who used to be friends with a boy named Mason when she was younger. But she grew apart from him because he is mentally challenged. She became interested in other stuff, such as boys and fashion, while he was still stuck on child games.
Masons older brother, Gene is very mean to Mason, but he hides it so that others don't suspect anything. And since Mason is a little slower then others, Gene is able to brain wash him into not telling and to thinking that Mason deserves it.
Gene also has something else going on on the side that he also keeps secret from everyone except who is involved.
One day things go wrong and Gene needs to fix things before he gets into trouble. Fixing things includes trying to eliminate the one person who Gene believes could get him into trouble, Rene.
And this is where it starts to sound like a true crime book.
Rene is hurt very badly and ends up in the hospital in a coma. Unable to tell who did this to her nobody is held responsible.
Until Mason comes and visits Rene in the hospital. Mason has a special gift that nobody else has. A gift that nobody else knows about either. Because of this gift Mason is able to 'see' who the people responsible for hurting Rene are.
What happens after this is rather interesting and I think this would make for a great movie!
Great characters and great plot! I loved the writing and the details. I could not put this book down. I really believed during most of it that I was writing a non fictin book.
If you like horror I would recommend picking this book up!
May 28, 2013
For second semester, I read the book Mason by Thomas Pendleton. Mason is a dark tale of mystery, tragedy, revenge and redemption which grabs the attention of the readers. The story is based on the teenage life of Mason Everett, a teenage boy who suffers from a mental disability with a sadistic brother who takes pleasure in beating him.
Mason may seem like a normal child with a disorder, but he has a wonderful gift that allows him to alter his own and other’s realities. This talent however is yet to be controlled by Mason as he merely plays with it until one day tragedy strikes. Mason’s best friend is injured in an a horrific beating by hoodlums which leaves Mason angered and confused. He then realizes the impact his power can hold if he wishes to discover what happened to his friend and seeks answers in one of the most frightening ways.
I found myself very intrigued in this story as it got deeper and inevitably darker. Masons struggles with reality and his power were very interesting as well as his struggles to control his anger once it is released. However I found the beginning slightly dry (not counting the first paragraph which is told through Mason’s brother which is excellent) at first which is acceptable as it begins to describe the world in which Mason exists. I found this book hard to put down and quite exciting which makes any book worth reading in my opinion. I give this book four stars out of five due to how short the book is but that should be no means hinder your decision to read this thrilling adventure, pick it up now.
Mason may seem like a normal child with a disorder, but he has a wonderful gift that allows him to alter his own and other’s realities. This talent however is yet to be controlled by Mason as he merely plays with it until one day tragedy strikes. Mason’s best friend is injured in an a horrific beating by hoodlums which leaves Mason angered and confused. He then realizes the impact his power can hold if he wishes to discover what happened to his friend and seeks answers in one of the most frightening ways.
I found myself very intrigued in this story as it got deeper and inevitably darker. Masons struggles with reality and his power were very interesting as well as his struggles to control his anger once it is released. However I found the beginning slightly dry (not counting the first paragraph which is told through Mason’s brother which is excellent) at first which is acceptable as it begins to describe the world in which Mason exists. I found this book hard to put down and quite exciting which makes any book worth reading in my opinion. I give this book four stars out of five due to how short the book is but that should be no means hinder your decision to read this thrilling adventure, pick it up now.
February 20, 2010
The main character Mason has a special talent. He can draw mind pictures. For example in the story there's a guy named Lump. Lump picks on Mason and Rene. Mason draws a nasty picture in his head and shows it to Lump. But, for Rene he draws pretty pictures. Mason and Rene were very good friends when they were little. Rene eventually broke off from him. Rene got jumped by a group of people. Mason knows who did it. He draws nasty mind pictures for them. That scares them. They all get hurt. The person who set up the beating is Gene. He is Mason's older brother. Everyone fears him. Gene wanted her dead, but the crew couldn't get it done. Gene wants to flee town, just the same as Hunter. Gene sets Hunter up. Hunter took Mason to the Old Bracken Bridge, where no one goes. Then the police show up.
December 14, 2012
I'm reluctant to be critical of this book because I think the author (aka Lee Thomas) is a great writer and I realize that as an adult, I'm not the target demo (YA teen).
I read the whole book so that's saying something I guess. The best way to describe this is "workmanlike". It's not exactly scary and the plot is not complicated although some violence and drug references are beyond the scope of what I would want my children to read or learn.
This book does have some original concepts that could be better developed by the very capable author in an adult context, but I kept thinking to myself that he was somehow being "restrained" or possibly an editor muted an otherwise brilliant author.
I read the whole book so that's saying something I guess. The best way to describe this is "workmanlike". It's not exactly scary and the plot is not complicated although some violence and drug references are beyond the scope of what I would want my children to read or learn.
This book does have some original concepts that could be better developed by the very capable author in an adult context, but I kept thinking to myself that he was somehow being "restrained" or possibly an editor muted an otherwise brilliant author.
February 7, 2010
Mason Avrett has always been slow, and doesn't fit in with his classmates. His older brother, Gene, is a sociopath who takes pleasure in torturing him. Rene, Mason's only friend, has distanced herself now that they are in high school.
Mason has a frightening power, but will it be strong enough to save Rene once Gene decides she must die?
Page-turning thriller that horror fans will enjoy. Excellent suspense.
Mason has a frightening power, but will it be strong enough to save Rene once Gene decides she must die?
Page-turning thriller that horror fans will enjoy. Excellent suspense.
April 17, 2009
I usually like weird stories and books about people with supernatural powers, but I think this one was just too weird. It seemed like the author was trying too hard to be Stephen King (a la "Carrie"), and it took away from the story. This one was okay, and it was a short and quick read, but I wouldn't run to the bookstore to get it.
August 12, 2011
The greatest, saddest, and most touching story I ever read.
July 25, 2014
A good but somewhat depressing and creepy read.
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April 14, 2019This is a fun read for kids who like scary books. If you are a Stephen King fan, you are going to enjoy this.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews