Customer Reviews

Skull Session (Thorndike Core)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Of the countless books I've read in my 26 years, this one will remain in my top ten for one reason: I hadnt even gotten through the first ten pages before I realized that I have the same condition as the main character. His Tourette's affects him in horrible ways, while mine has rarely been more than a slight nuisance (and sometimes a good conversation piece), but the similarities were too great to ignore. For that reason alone I'll be greatful to Daniel Hecht for writing this book. BUT...without the revelation that I have the same condition as the protagonist, this would still be a memorable book, full of suspence and downright creepy scenes. When an author makes you do research, seeing if what happened in the book actually exists (I'm not speaking of Tourette's, but of another subject which I can't reveal) then you know he's done a good job. This is a wild book, from beginning to end.

Daniel Hecht is a man of formidable talent and imagination. He tackles themes less courageous writers wouldn't dream of touching. I was quite simply blown away by Skull Session, rooted in place, desperate to find out what happened next and yet (as with any splendid book) deeply reluctant to have it end. Tourette's Syndrome has become rather a popular subject in recent years, but Daniel Hecht brought it forward, made it real and comprehensible. He is a fearless, powerfully gifted writer, and while this is not a book for the faint of heart, it is one for those who want something new and different and ferociously intelligent. I would not hesitate to buy anything this author writes, and his second effort, The Babel Effect, proved that Hecht will go on to produce more books of the highest calibre. He is one of the best new writers around today.

This book caught me up from page one and held me with rapt attention. I learned a lot about Tourette's, which I found interesting, but be aware the author crosses from the book being a neurological thriller into psychological horror toward the end. There was one scene toward the end I would prefer to have seen done differently, but overall felt this was a very good book with some very interesting characters. I shall definitely read more by Mr. Hecht.

I read this book 7 years ago and have reread it twice since. I was expected a literary ghost story when I bought Skull Session and was rewarded with something even better - a true psychological thriller by a writer gifted in plotting and narrative.

Paul Skoglund is a man with reduce expectations. His marriage ended in divorce, the medication for his Tourette's syndrome leaves him feeling mentally swathed in cotton wool, his son has a little understood neurological illness and his job prospects are limited. So his Aunt Vivien's offer a job restoring her once beautiful now vandalized house seems a godsend, even though it requires revisiting painful family memories like his father's suicide. But just what did happen to and at that house? And is it connected to the strange deaths that policeman Morgan Ford is investigating?

The answers will defy your expectations. Hecht's theme is the mysteries (and power) of our own neurological wiring, what appears to be a "handicap" may be a gift, and a gift may really be a curse.

This isn't a quick read but it is absorbing and highly enjoyable.

This book is a part medical part psychological thriller. The main character Paul Skoglund is an out of work carpenter who suffers from mild Tourettes syndrome. When his reclusive Aunt Vivien offers him work, to fix up her isolated mansion, he readily agrees despite her difficult reputation. When he gets there a mystery is revealed, he realises that the extreme damage to the house was likely caused by a human, yet he can find no explanation how a human could have had such strength. About this time, he decides to stop using his medication. The mystery deepens when he meets his aunt, and her interest and knowledge concerning his neurological condition puzzles him. Then there is the mysterious suicide of his father years before, and revealed is his familial history of neurological disorder. As he works on the house, the plot draws in a detective who is investigating a series of unexplained gruesome murders and dissapearances in the area (The detectives character is very well drawn in places - i really admired the part where he expresses suffering (being a recently divorced bachelor) at having to visit famillies homes and interview the pretty wives), a local thug/cop who wants Paul to leave, and the sociopathic son of Vivien, his cousin Royce. As Paul reads Viviens scattered letters and documents which he finds in the house, he finds that his painful past is becoming ever more revealed. Then there is his vicious ex wife and his son, who inherited his head problems. Finally the tale becomes almost paranormal as the true cause of the disturbances at the mansion are laid bare, and a terrifying confrontation looms.

Up until the last hundred pages, the novel was doing very well indeed. However i think the author hasnt sufficiently exploited the pain of the main character which he probably should have, in order for us to be able to sympathise with him more. Also the character of his girlfriend is badly drawn, she comes across as a pretty air head. The schizophrenic girl was my favourite character, i would have liken to seen more of her. The detective was interesting for a while, but again his character sort of plods along in the middle end part of the book. And what happens to the detective was well, dissapointing in the extreme, here we have a character who gets nearly as much pages as the main one, who ends like that? Yes it is the ending of the book that lets it down the most. Sure the descriptions of the final encounter were thrilling, but also anti-climactic in some way, as though not all loose ends have been sewn up. And the very end of the book, where there is a CIA involvement was very unsatisfactory, a story where the hero ends up nearly a guinea pig! But id recommend it overall for those who enjoy a good medical thriller.

This is not a "professional" review. I am just a voracious reader for all types of books..
I have read some of the other reviews that focused on character/plot development. I would like to tell you how this book made me feel while I was reading it.
1. Entranced- when I was at work and could not be at home reading I was afraid the characters were moving on without me.
2. Absorbed- I felt part of the book- an interested observer that was able to hear all the thoughts that motivated the action.
3. Impressed: To think that a first book could have all this thought/action/characters/plots and be interwoven to become statement about humanity...
The thing that separates humans from "monstors" is control. We all have monstor potential and characteristics. I loved the ending when Paul's monster "shifts" inside him at the thought of someone keeping him from his son....
I can't wait to read his next book....

To read through the accolades on the dust jacket, I expected miracles, or at least fireworks. The book was entertaining and a worthy first effort, but not exactly the "most psychologically sophisticated thriller" this reviewer has ever read. The many interesting subplots kept me up late into the night. Unfortunately, even the author had trouble keeping track; one or two story lines got lost. In the end, I found the race to the final conflict more exciting than the ultimate outcome. Still, it was well worth the three dollars and the trip to the bargin bin.

"Skull Session" is certainly one of the most original thrillers I've read recently. Mr. Hecht is certainly a master of unique characterizations and neurological information. Although I think the book is really "Over-rated" by the majority of literary critics, it IS a great read. Sometimes the dialogue is a little repetitive, and some of the scenarios are a little too lengthy to help maintain the suspense, but overall "Skull Session" is a worthwhile read.

There are many superlative characterizations. Of course, the leading characters of Paul and Lia are rich and provocative; sympathetic and believable; tragic and heroic. Along with them are some really excellent supporting characters, the most effective being Morgan Ford, the detective who becomes embroiled in the complex plot involving the vandalism of a wealthy woman's historic lodge and the mysterious disappearances of several teenagers. Mo (as he is called) has a disturbing past, and carries this along with the weight of his divorce. His insecurities, the desire for female companionship again, and his mania over resolving the case in his own "renegade" manner is intelligent and gripping. His ultimate fate, however, is a very disturbing part of the book that I wish Hecht had redirected, although it does have a tremendous emotional impact. Also very interesting is Heather Mason, a teenage girl with severe emotional problems who provides clues in the case, in spite of her parent's objections. Peter Rizal, a macho cop, is also quite well-drawn. Royce, Aunt Vivien, Demory Corrigan, Janet Skoglund, Mark Skoglund, the list could go on---there are richly drawn characters, which is what makes this book so rewarding in the long run. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is it's a little too lengthy and I really hated what happens with Morgan Ford. But, hey, what the Hecht? This is a very good book!

I was totally absorbed by this book and found it difficult to put down. However, I did not learn too much about Tourette's than I already knew (which was not much). As a romance, a detective story and a thriller the book cannot be faulted. It was a fascinating read, but it left me unsettled - maybe that was the author's intention. The basic premise of the disturbance of mind of the book's villian I find very hard to believe. I couldn't buy it. The final scenes were just too fantastic for believability. As for entertainment, it was a good book and I would read more by this author. He has a very good writing style.

While I found it interesting that the main character had tourette's, it was a disappointment that the tourettes story really went nowhere. Another disappointment was the lack of storyline around the young female witness to the murders. She was an interesting character that was taken nowhere. The secondary main character was a horny police detective and his obsession with every female that crossed his path was an unnecessary distraction to the plot and frankly gave me the creeps about a character that was supposed to be a good guy. The girlfriend, ex-wife and son really added nothing to the storyline either. I found the plot involving the detective to be the most interesting and actually found myself frustrated when it went back to the main character who seemed to continually remember things from the past, that also added nothing to the plot. In my opinion, the author needed to fine tune the storyline and take out a whole lot of extraneous material that was boring. The main plot line was good, but too much other stuff was a distraction and dragged out the story.