Poor little Nicholas...This was an eerie tale about a class of boys going away on a class trip and the whole of the pretty short novel focuses on Nicholas' frame of mind during the experience. It's strange to say with the short length and I have to give my own imagination some credit for this, but there were some very well-done characters and interpersonal relationships partly described in this book that I could run with to create such a rich environment that reminded me a little of LORD OF THE FLIES meets DEXTER. So many dark themes are present in this short little gem and I can't really say too many without spoiling it for the next perosn to luck upon this very creepy and darkly satisfying read. If you like EVERYLITTLETHING explained to you, or only enjoy horror novels that contain lots of gruesome violence, skip this. But if you like to be psychologically bitchslapped, left for dead at the crossroads of Menace Blvd. and Unsettled Pl. than pick this up. It will be over in a day, but will definitely hang around your head for a weekend, at least.