A book which I ultimately just decided wasn't for me. The overall novel wasn't outside the sort of thing I look for in a horror novel, but the plot unfolded a little slowly for my tastes and there were other problems. It felt like it should have been a short story. The characters also didn't appear to be plausible within the context of the various situations. It was like: "You know that I think about it later over this cup of coffee, I should probably have done something about those four dead and mutilated girls I saw them just burying in the woods after I got whacked on the back of the head, and while I'm on it, I wonder what's up with my relationship with Kat and what about that brother I killed." Just doesn't ring true, like what or how real people would do or react to a particular fact or situation.

Characterization is key in a novel like this where the novel is mostly driven by their reaction to the outre elements when they are introduced. The setting here is a so-called typical town, not one of the levels of purgatory where you would already expect more unnatural behaviour in people. [a:Robert McCammon|5244478|Robert McCammon|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1378395125p2/5244478.jpg] and [a:Stephen King|3389|Stephen King|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1362814142p2/3389.jpg] are masters of this subgenre, and even [a:Gary Braunbeck|9811106|Gary Braunbeck|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] and [a:Muriel Gray|237540|Muriel Gray|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] do a better job of this when they dip into it. I just ultimately didn't buy the inner thoughts, actions, or dialog and therefore the characters became something two dimensional who didn't involve me in the decidedly eerie goings on.

I'm sure there are plenty who will be entertained by this novel and presumably the rest of the Division Mythos novels, just not me. ( )

Nursery Rhymes 4 dead children is a great mystery story and a great fantasy/horror story but it is much more than those things. It is the type of book that I think of when I use the term "literary horror."

Two old friends are brought together in a perfect storm of tragedy that may have been caused by or perhaps may in turn be feeding a demonic intrusion into the town of Division. Magic, both dark and good, runs deep in this town and through generations of its inhabitants. We are witnessing the result of years of evil acts which have thinned the boundary between this world and the realm of demons as well as taken its toll on the children who grew up in this town and were in many ways used as pawns. No character is without his or her scars; no soul remains unbattered. Each person carries his personal losses; but it is how they bond together in mutual pain and need that brings out the message in this book. As one character explains, they seek to be a redeemer---that is what I feel the message of this book is: that from pain, sacrifice, even horror, it is possible to defy and defeat seemingly insurmountable odds, and that love and loyalty can bring redemption to all those with the courage to seek it. ( )

Incredible, creepy book that works well on both the psychological and visceral levels. Stunning prose. I had only one detraction that kept it from being a 5-star book: the final confrontation was a wee bit confusing. Other than that, this books deserves to be read. ( )

Just finished Nursery Rhymes 4 Dead Children. Thompson's prose is stunning, the layered plot traveling so many twists and turns. Highly recommended to those readers who like intricate, sophisticated horror. ( )