A review by misterintensity
A Dark Matter by Peter Straub

4.0

In the 1960's four teenage friends entranced by a guru participated in a ceremony that changed their lives forever. In the present, the husband of one of the four investigates what happened that day many years ago. The strength of this book lies in the characters and how the shifting point of views add to the overall mystery. Straub is successful at slowly revealing what went on that night and how that night changed the individuals involved. What starts off as fragmented pieces of a puzzle makes sense in the end as the fate of each character is tied to aspects of that character's personality and background. While this is classified as a "horror" novel, it reads more like psychological suspense than howl inducing horror. The events of that night is horrific once fully revealed but Straub's focus is more on how that night affected the individuals involved than on the events of that night. Straub's biggest success is his ability to make the personal bond between these characters feel real.