JULIAN'S NUMBERS

In Wilson's horror novel, a 10-year-old boy grapples with prophetic dreams about a force of evil on a family sailing trip off the Florida coast.

Julian Chadwick’s everyday life in southwest Florida seems unremarkable at first; he skateboards, watches movies with his best friend, Brett Sutcliffe, and helps care for his younger siblings. However, at night, he has what he calls “Tell-you dreams,” which are frightening in their frequency and content; sometimes they seem to foretell real-life dangers—including a murder in a basement. Julian shares these dreams with Mark, his father, only to be chastised into silence. After an uncomfortable few weeks, the family’s lives transform when Julian foresees the week’s winning lottery numbers. Free from financial worries and eager to repair his relationship with his son, Mark buys a boat, which he names Julian’s Numbers. Julian proves to be a quick study as first mate, but the anticipation of a family vacation is dampened when both father and son are visited by nocturnal visions of a Native American man on an eerie island. Wilson's horror novel is brought to life with cinematic scenes of storms (“Now and again the growing black clouds—and if he watched intently, he could actually watch them expand—would be illuminated by silent flashes of lightning. Why is there no thunder?”), and a particularly loathsome spectral antagonist. The titular ship proves to be a worthy setting for supernatural battle, and the story is aided by visceral alternating perspectives and choppy chapters. Julian is a stalwart character, although seasoned horror readers may find his benevolent spirit guides to be a predictable narrative device; fans of Stephen King’s The Shining (1977) will also find parallels in the psychic connection between father and son. Jenny, Julian’s mother, is the weakest link in the otherwise well-developed cast.

A fast-paced, boat-based supernatural tale that’s hampered somewhat by overly familiar elements.