Allreaders.com

The Hour Before Dark Book Summary and Study Guide

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of The Hour Before Dark


When they were children, they played the Dark Game. It was a mental exercise that their Father, Gordie Raglan had taught them. A way of going outside of yourself in a sense and something that he had found very useful while being a POW. The rule is that you cannot play the Dark Game when it is night or the game will become real. The best time to play is the hour before dark. After playing the game in the smokehouse, the three children experienced a week of lost time that could not be accounted for.
Click here to see the rest of this review...


Many years have passed and Gordie Raglan goes into the smokehouse. His daughter Brooke finds his lifeless body to be hacked and dismembered. Now, Nemo Raglan and his brother Bruno must come back home to comfort Brooke and find their Father's murderer. Brooke becomes extremely paranoid and sees an apparition of a hideous woman. Bruno obsessively begins picking apart the mansion and discovers various secrets about his Mother and Father. Nemo begins to recall abuse in the smokehouse by the hand of his Father and other things that he had blocked out. To find out the ultimate truth about Gordie and their estranged Mother, the three have to play the Dark Game once more.......but this time it may be "game over" for all of them.
The review of this Book prepared by Alicia



Chapter Analysis of The Hour Before Dark

Click on a plot link to find similar books!

Plot & Themes

Composition of Book descript. of violence and chases 20%Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives 30%Feelings, relationships, character bio/development 20%How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) 30% Tone of story    -   scarey (primal ax-wielding fear) Time/era of story:    -   2000+ (Present) Kid or adult book?    -   Adult or Young Adult Book Horror Story?    -   Yes Horror plotlets    -   Why do they stay in the haunted house/boat?

Main Character

Gender    -   Male Profession/status:    -   writer Age:    -   20's-30's Ethnicity/Race    -   White/American

Setting

United States    -   Yes The US:    -   Northeast Small town?    -   Yes Small town people:    -   nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee Misc setting    -   fancy mansion

Writing Style

Accounts of torture and death?    -   moderately detailed references to deaths Explicit sex in book?    -   Yes What kind of sex:    -   vague references    -   descript of kissing Unusual forms of death    -   fright    -   decapitated    -   perforation--swords/knives Unusual form of death?    -   Yes Amount of dialog    -   mostly dialog

Books with storylines, themes & endings like The Hour Before Dark

Douglas Clegg Books Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
2 Ways to Search!
Or



Our Chief Librarian