This book literally haunted my brain for a few days. If you like Stephen King or John Saul or any of the 80s horror writers you’ll get into this. That said, it’s a twisted, dark, gross and bloody story so, be warned. The cheese factor at the end was pretty high and disappointing, however it fits with the overall mass market paperback-horrorness of it all. ( )

Horror is a genre I read sparingly. However, a dear friend recommended The Keeper and I decided to give it a try. The book started and continued at a slow pace to about 3/4 of the plot. On the other hand, Langan invests in the first part of the book crafting unique well develop characters and creating a creepy world. Worldbuilding in a story means a lot to me. I need to feel I can see myself in the world of the story and Langan created the small town of Bedford Maine to be eerie and alive. The plot was creepy enough and her imagery was unsettling to keep me on edge in many parts throughout the story. I must say she kept my attention despite the slow start.
I wasn’t expecting the ending. I would have preferred a different ending, but it is me being a fantasy writer inventing my own side story. It was an excellent ending none the less. In my humble opinion, I loved the story ( )

A prequel (?) to The Missing, probably meant to be read in order of publication, but particularly interesting as Langan's first dive into "the evil that lurks in the hearts of men" more fully realized in her latest (not exactly 'horror') book: Good Neighbors. Fascinating to see how Langan has moved from a write-by-numbers genre with its troubled Maine town to an even more terrifying study of mob mentality worthy of Shirley Jackson. The Keepers has plenty of mystery and body horror to make it worth the read for fans of that genre. ( )

Langan definitely has talent, and has crafted a rather intricate story about one town and its sordid history. The story is rather dark and it is hard to empathize with many of the characters. I also agree with another reviewer about the change 3/4 of the way through the novel, though pushing through to the ending is worth it. I was actually surprised at how much I liked the way the last few chapters wrapped up. I'm glad that I kept on to the end, and I'm definitely going to be keeping an eye out for more from Langan. ( )

Most of the reviews and comments on THE KEEPER make a point about mentioning it as Langan's debut novel. Now that I've done so too, let us ignore that because this is a great novel, period.

Susan Marley roams the streets of Bedford, Maine, looking for something or simply trying to connect. Considering that she doesn't speak, is considered the town slut and is ignored by her own mother, that desire for a connection is understood. When she dies one night though, horrible things start happening to the residents in town. The dead rise up and buried secrets come up to reality.

While supernatural elements are very much part of the story, they aren't quite as in your face as I expected. The book focuses more on the story and the characters, both of which are very rich and enjoyable. Unfortunately though, I didn't quite get pulled into the characters' lives. They were real and easy to picture but they just weren't quite fascinating to care that much about. Not something to avoid the book over but something to be aware of. Focus on enjoying the multiple plot threads that are nicely weaved together. Those make the novel worthwhile. ( )