The Boy Who Could See Demons    by Carolyn Jess Cooke Order:  USA  Can Delacorte, 2013 (2013) Hardcover     Reviewed by Bob Walch If you are highly impressionable or prone to nightmares, be forewarned; this novel may cause you sleepless nights! The title pretty much captures the essence of this mind searing tale. At the story's center are three very different individuals. First there's ten year old Alex, the main character and lad who purportedly sees demons. But make no mistake, the Irish child does have a window to the darker side and what he sees is quite authentic! Next there's Ruen, the shape shifting demon who pretends to be the child's friend but obviously isn't. Ruen is the type of creature nightmares are made of and although he can be quite beguiling and even charming, he's not someone you want to hang out with. And, whatever you do, don't cross him, for Ruen has a nasty temper of demonic proportions. Finally there is Dr. Anya Molokova, the child psychologist who tries to help Alex but she isn't sure what she is really dealing with here. To complicate matters for her, Anya has seen this kind of behavior (her initial diagnose is schizophrenia) before with her own daughter. Eventually, as she struggles to help her patient, this well meaning woman will be questioning everything she knows about the imagination and what constitutes reality. As the narrative switches back and forth from Alex to Anya, this psychological thriller will have the reader also trying to make sense of what is unfolding on these pages. Undoubtedly, you'll come away wondering how thin that proverbial line is between reality and imagination and also how easy it might be to slip back and forth from sanity and insanity. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews