Tom Piccirilli
The Night Class (2002)
Author: Tom Piccirilli
Genre: Horror (Psychological)/Mystery
Plot Summary:
Cal Prentiss, a senior in college, is tortured by the ghosts in his past. When he was five years old, he witnessed his sister’s suicide, and since has had bouts of stigmata whenever a person close to him dies. Since his sister’s death, both his mother and father have died tragically. When he gets back from a drunken solo winter break, he realizes that someone was murdered in his dorm room. He then goes on a crazy search to find the reason the girl was killed and her murderer. When the stigmata comes back, he thinks his girlfriend has been killed, and so attends the dean’s party to try and find her. There, he uncovers the truth about the university, that to get the grade, you have to sleep with the dean or other professors. The girl was killed because she had uncovered the truth and refused to cooperate.
Geographical Setting: at a university, location and name unknown, but somewhere in the western U.S.
Time Period: Current Time
Appeal Characteristics:
There are not a lot of overtly scary moments in the book, and instead focuses much more on the psychological aspects of Cal Prentiss. However, there is still quite a bit of gore and violent situations, especially with the stigmata element. There is also some dream interpretation and emphasis that dreams can have on you and others. The university setting of the book is also elaborately done, and gives the reader a good feel for the atmosphere the characters are dealing with. Although the book starts off slow, it quickly speeds up and tries to involve the reader in Cal’s need to solve the murder mystery. The book is somewhat difficult to read, and tends to jump from past to present without any warning. Although, there is definitely a beginning and an end to the story, it is hard to distinguish the plot from other subplots, and which story is the most important.
Similar Authors: Jack Ketchum, Michael Laimo
Red Flags: swearing, detailed sexual situations, graphic violence
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