Way off the beaten bath for Hart - this one is part fantasy, part mystical and not at all what I expected, even once I got into it. Johnny is still haunted by the events of The Last Child and now lives a very secluded life on his land. He still relies on his childhood bff Jack (who may or may not be the real protagonist here), now a brand new lawyer determined to help Johnny keep his land, despite his misgivings about how Johnny lives there, and what might be out there. Johnny has had run ins with the law, and there is only so much his stepfather Clyde can do for him. When he does come into town, the townspeople think his is strange and possibly dangerous. Johnny needs his land, is connected to it somehow, and puts up a mighty fight when a rich man tries to buy it off him for his own agenda. Why does he want it so badly? What is out there? Monsters? Power? A force of nature?
Hart's writing is some of the best around, and even though the storyline here was a reach for him, his storytelling is still so so good. Not sure I'd recommend this one to all - you have to have an open mind to that mystical element I mentioned above. So if you want a true taste of Hart's writing, go with Redemption Road, or Down River, or The King of Lies (see, I still can't decide which one I like best!!!).
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