by Maxine E. Thompson Although Thunderland is a riveting tale of suspense, on a deeper level, it is a story of the power of the subconscious. What starts out in the world of normal reality begins to spin dangerously out-of-control into the landscape of the bizarre as you read on. Even so, it is a real supposition proposed by this book. To say the least, it is a frightening story, which speaks to the mysteries of the mind. Enter, our main character, Jason. Thirteen year old daydreamer, he is the victim of child abuse and a dysfunctional marriage. Due to his parents’ estranged marriage, his father works all the time, leaving him at home with his alcoholic mother. In turn, his mother, because of her frustration and loneliness, drinks, then physically abuses Jason. It is a vicious cycle. Subsequently, Jason develops an alter-ego. At the opening, Jason’s suffers an accident inadvertently brought on by his mother, while she was drinking. Feeling guilty for the part she played in his accident, Jason’s mother’s stops drinking. Things begin to improve. She and her husband slowly try to repair their marriage. Jason finds friends for the first time. But that is just the first transformation. The second transformation happens just when the status quo appears to be maintained. A mysterious stranger invades their lives. And this is the point of disruption in the novel. Things go from bad to worse from that point on, taking the reader on a rollercoaster ride to terror. Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse, all hell breaks loose. Jason is a character you can root for. You get to know his parents, and you root for them. Can their marriage be resolidified? Can Jason survive this new threat to his happiness? *Other than Tannarive Due, there is virtually no other African American author writing horror. Black readers have satisfied their thirst for horror and suspense with authors Dean Koontz, John Saul, and Stephen King. Read Brandon Massey's interview in the May-June 1999 issue of black issue Book Review. This book is a must read.