Aron Beauregard

A grotesque book that will leave you exhausted and speechless! This book is not for you if you are easily grossed out and can’t stomach wretched details.

Playground by Aron Beauregard opens with a warning that the book contains grotesque, vivid descriptions of violence, that violence is geared mostly toward children, and it is written with full-blown honesty.

Playground begins with a mysterious recruiter who has been given the job of finding the perfect children to come play on Geraldine’s brand new, state of the art, playground. In return, the families are promised thousands of dollars and the chance for a version of this new, innovative playground to be built in their own community, chosen by the children who will be the first to play. What the families don’t know is that they might not get their children back once they start playing. 

This book is told by the narrator who goes between the past and the present, teaching the reader who Geraldine is, how she evolved, and her aspirations which inspired her to build this playground. Geraldine has an awful past which allows the reader some sliver of understanding into her current behavior and desire. There are many characters who help this story evolve into the nightmare it is supposed to be and will have the reader wondering if there will ever be an end. I gave this story three out of five stars for its well-developed plot, strong characters, and vivid descriptions. It is grotesque and quite horrifying, it is not for the squeamish. There are multiple stories that help describe the many characters in the book. 

I decided to read this book after reading The Institute by Stephen King, as it seemed to have some similarities. At the end of the book the reader is left puzzled as to who in their right mind would write such a story, but the author is not afraid to tell that it does take a twisted mind to make up such a twisted story, and he is proud of the work he has accomplished.