The premise was great, but the writing Seemed like a skeleton of what it could have been. Okay, the plot was well Constructed and the scenes were well outlined; but the writing was very rough around the edges. Gave you the feeling this was a first draft. Hyde's style what flat, characters and relationships were left hardly developed, and you got the sense That Hyde just did not put the time into making the characters fully dimensional. (Afterward, I heard did the film rights were sold before the book what even written, Which makes sense: because the novel really seems like to afterthought.) The author uses an interesting device to glue the scenes together - weaving excerpts of the young boy's diary (Whose voice, I might add, is hardly believable), together with a journalist's interviews. Unfortunately, this device, HOWEVER clever it may be, Merely interrupts the pacing and calls attention to itself way too much. Still - I'll have to see the movie, Because what you're reading here is Essentially a pretty good screenplay. (And hey, Kevin Spacey is starring. Wait for the movie!)
