Lost Boys

By: Orson Scott Card

Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki

Length: 16 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

Step Fletcher, his pregnant wife DeAnne, and their three children move to Steuben, North Carolina, with high hopes. But Step's new job with a software company turns out to be a snake pit, and 8-year-old Stevie's school is worse. As Stevie retreats into himself, focusing more and more on a mysterious computer game and a growing troop of imaginary friends, the Fletchers' concern turns to terror. Young boys, whose names match a list of Stevie's nonexistent friends, have mysteriously vanished from Steuben. And as evil strikes out from the most trusted corners, it's suddenly clear that Stevie is next on the list.

©1992 Orson Scott Card (P)2004 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

Audie Award Winner, Science-Fiction, 2005

"Card skillfully uses terror as a background to everyday family life. For Stephen King fans and those who like their suspense mixed with the supernatural." (Library Journal)

Very good

I was completely absorbed the whole way through. Blew through it in three days. It’s dark, and at times disturbing, but nonetheless wonderfully executed.
10/10 would recommend

A Great Story

I really enjoyed the story Orson Scott Card told and as I was going through it I kept trying to figure out where it was going. I couldn't. I don't think you will be able to figure it out either, but you too will enjoy trying to. When you get to the end it is a great finish.

Goosebumps in July creepy.

What did you love best about Lost Boys?

Reader clues are dropped like literary breadcrumbs, but I could not fit things together. The ending was unique and unexpected.

What other book might you compare Lost Boys to and why?

The feel is rather Stephen King, but not a specific King novel. Maybe a touch of Sixth Sense.

Have you listened to any of Stefan Rudnicki’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No.

Who was the most memorable character of Lost Boys and why?

Stevie was an intriguing character. Very conflicted.

Any additional comments?

Also provided an interesting viewpoint on Mormon family life.

Too sad of an ending to recommend.

The ending is too disappointing and heartbreaking to recommend to others. The narrator did a nice job.

Wow

I didn’t look at the genre before reading so I was not expecting horror. It keep me listening every chance I got this weekend. I missed out on some sleep just to finish. Great story!

Incredible...

I can care less about religion and what not since I'm an agnostic but I do love a great story. I loved the Ender's series so i picked this one up on audible. I also picked it because I love how the author narrates along with the rest of the Ender's cast. Anyway, it is different...it can drag at some points...but boy did I get slammed in the face with the ending. So much that I couldn't stop thinking about it for days. Even now i get goose bumps when i see the title or someone reminds of the book. Check it out for yourself.

twizdtsizta

this was/is a really good listen, I was surprise at osc going in this direction, I'm accustom to his alternative universe (alvin Maker) but this was a very good book , the narrator is great, he does get into the mormon faith, I did not find it boring but interesting, which is not much different than any other christioan based faith. It is a book about family and love for the children, A great book.

Good Story but a little creepy

Where does Lost Boys rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I would say that it would rank in the middle of all of the books that I listen to - I listen to 3-4 books a week.

What did you like best about this story?

I felt that the story had believable characters.

What does Stefan Rudnicki bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I love listening to Stefan bring the story to life. His voices and characterizations are spot on.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Step realized that his son was dead

Different but still a good listen.

This book was certainly a departure from other OSC books I've read. It's nothing like the Ender series or even the Alvin Maker series. It's a suspense novel (or so I was led to believe) but the character development is so thorough and intense that I almost forgot something was supposed to happen. The book also contains a lot of details about life within the Mormon church. It's not preachy at all - the church is a part of the characters' lives so of course it is discussed. All in all, it was a good listen. Well read and a very detailed story. However, if you think you're going to be reading the next Ender's Game, you will be sorely mistaken.

A poignant family story from a master

Low-key in tone, told with easy clarity, The Lost Boys sneaks up on the reader. Set in the '80's in a small town in the South, it's the story of a family who hopes a last-chance job designing video games will let them escape a financial death spiral.
The family is Mormon, a religion I have long viewed with suspicion, as eccentric and not necessarily benign. The Lost Boys de-mystified and normalized Mormonism for me. While I am not a Christian, I understand and respect the Mormon church far better after reading The Lost Boys. I thank the author for relieving a portion of my ignorance.
The book's characters are well-developed, I cared about them, there's an abundance of humor. The plot is engaging, and its direction deceptive. I found the ending to be unexpected, haunting, and thoroughly satisfying. The Lost Boys is a first-rate work of fiction.