If You Could See Me Now Review

5:15 pm 5 May 2015
If You Could See Me Now - Peter Straub

I'm so goddamned confused. I've reread the last ten pages three times now and I still have no clue what the fuck happened there at the end. I'm pretty sure this book's ending is a disaster. Several things make absolutely zero sense, but ONLYbecause of the last few pages.

I have no idea how they beat Alison Greening. I have no idea why fire was able to... what? Put her ghost back to sleep? What the fuck did all Miles's olfactory hallucinations have to do with anything? If Alison needed to wait until a certain time and date to kill Duane and Polar Bears, then how in the butt-fucking Christ did she kill the other girls? And why was she killing girls that looked like her? SHouldn't she have been entirely focused on the two men who raped and killed her? I'm. So. Confused.

(show spoiler)



The problem is, I enjoyed the hell out of If You Could See Me Now. I really, truthfully, honestly (convinced yet?) loved this little book. I just don't know what to think of the ending. If someone can cogently explain the problems I mentioned in the spoiler section above, cool beans. I'll raise my rating. But it seems like Straub simply gave up. Like he said "YOLO!" and fucked off to the Territories.

In summation: I want to love this goddamn book in its entirety, but right now I'm kinda peeved.

Final Judgment: If you could explain the ending to me now, that'd be great.

If You Could See Me Now Peter Straub Huge disappointment 52 in 52 2015