I loved the first half of the story and thoroughly enjoyed their summer adventures, as the story slowly unwound. Ketchum paints his scenes in such a way that we sense, rather than see, horror existing in the background, while we involve ourselves in the relationship between Dan and Casey. The first half or so of Hide and Seek is almost a dangerous love story. In many ways Hide and Seek is more of a character portrait of Casey than of Dan, as we quickly become aware of her volatile personality (the reasons behind which are slowly revealed). He meets the younger, three well-to-do friends at the beginning of summer, and eventually he falls in love with Casey. The story is told from the perspective of Dan, a town resident who has put off college to sell lumber. Where something lurks waiting in the dark.The followup to Jack Ketchum’s breakout debut, Off Season (1980), Hide and Seek (1984) is the story of Dan, Steven, Casey, and Kimberly, four young people who spend a frightening first half of summer together in the coastal Maine town of Dead River. It's a need that finds them at last in an old abandoned house at night, a house reputed to be haunted, where phantom lights burn in broken windows.
And gradually becomes the fourth member of the group - the poor relation. For Casey the thrill's the thing and the riskier the better. She's not opposed to stealing caviar or cars or running around naked in graveyards. The most daring of the three is a beautiful, troubled girl named Casey. When the college kids arrive, that changes. He works in a lumberyard hauling two-by-fours and furring around all day with a forklift. Dan's a local and didn't get a chance to go to college.
So that when a trio of friends, rich college kids, arrive there on a forced march with their parents for summer vacation they have to make their own amusements. Even now, sixty-odd years later, there's not much to do, not much going on. The Great Depression hit hard and never let go. Not ever.Dead River's a sleepy little town on the coast of Maine without much going for it. Games you might even want to play yourself if you're with the right people. I don't believe in omens, but I think you can know when you're in trouble.Thus begins Jack Ketchum's riveting second novel Hide and Seek. HIDE AND SEEK by Jack Ketchum - SIGNED FIRST EDITION BOOKCemetary Dance : Baltimore 2000 First edition, first printing, mint, new/unread, flawless dustjacket, signed by author.
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