Let's Go Play at the Adams' – Mendal W. Johnson

jessicamapreviews

February 12

Here's to another horror #allthebookreviews title in for the year! We wanted to get some of the classics read and with this being in PAPERBACKS FROM HELL by Grady Hendrix AND a cult classic, we couldn't resist.

LET'S GO PLAY AT THE ADAMS' - Mendal W. Johnson (Originally Released in 1974)

Book Description:

Surely, it was only a game. In the orderly, pleasant world Barbara inhabited, nice children -- and they were nice children — didn't hold an adult captive.

But what Barbara didn't count on was the heady effect their new-found freedom would have on the children. Their wealthy parents were away in Europe, and in this rural area of Maryland, the next house was easily a quarter of a mile away. The power of adults was in their hands, and they were tempted by it. They tasted it and toyed with it -- their only aim was to test its limits. Each child was consumed by his own individual lust and caught up with the others in sadistic manipulation and passion, until finally, step by step, their grim game strips away the layers of childishness to reveal the vicious psyche, conceived in evil and educated in society's sophisticated violence, that lies always within civilized men.

More than a terrifying horror story, Let's Go Play at the Adams' is a compelling psychological exercise of brooding insights and deadly implications.

My Thoughts: 3/5 stars

I think this helps solidify how truly awful babysitting can be. I've had a couple of horror books lately about a bad time while babysitting. I think this one takes the cake, though. I can see why this has a cult following, but wow. As someone who regularly reads and enjoys extreme horror, there were some hard parts in this. Mostly because this wasn't about creatures or ghosts, this is about the monstrous potential in humans.

I've seen comparisons to The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum, and I can 100% see why. It's a similar kind of horror and violence in terms of the treatment Barbara falls victim to. Give kids some freedom and no adult supervision and see what happens. These kids range from ages 10 - 17, and each and every one of them is just evil. I think everyone hopes there's SOME humanity in everybody, but that's just not the case here. There were ample opportunities to stop the games, but no one would.

I was amazed to see readers completely split on this book. Many chose to DNF, and others gave it glowing reviews. The majority seem to be right in the middle with me. Things get slow and repetitive at times, and it felt like the torture and cruelty just never stopped. I think the author did an incredible job getting into the minds of everyone involved and portrayed the ages of each of the kids well.

I can see why this was so polarizing and controversial when it was released in the 70s. I am glad I got to grab a copy with the foreword by Grady Hendrix, which I highly recommend reading or checking out Paperbacks from Hell for more about the book. Apparently, people were destroying their copies or getting physically ill upon finishing the book. I think I'll keep mine for the collection, but I think I'm in the camp where I can't say I loved it or hated it, and I can understand the people saying they endured it. I think if you want to get a horror cult classic off the list or are truly curious about it, give it a try. While I'm glad I read it, I don't think this will be one that I'll revisit in the future.