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Zone Unknown #6
Night of the Bat
When Indian workers begin to disappear from an expedition into the Amazon, fifteen-year-old Jake fears that his father, a bat biologist, is in great danger. Against his dad's wishes, Jake flies to Brazil and joins his father's research team, working high in the canopy of a remote stretch of the rain forest. Unfortunately, Jake's first climb up the rope bridges and suspended walkways of the dense forest leads him to discover the mutilated bodies of the missing Indians-and triggers a terrifying, explosive attack by an unknown winged beast. For a while the biologists and workers hunt the savage beast, but when Jake's father is attacked, it becomes clear that the hunters are now the hunted. Jake realizes that it is up to him to find some way of stopping the nightmarish creature before it returns to slaughter the rest of the expedition.
- GenresHorrorYoung AdultFiction
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
4 people are currently reading
151 people want to read
About the author
Paul Zindel
83 books301 followersPaul Zindel was an American author, playwright and educator.
In 1964, he wrote The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, his first and most successful play. The play ran off-Broadway in 1970, and on Broadway in 1971. It won the 1971 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It was also made into a 1972 movie by 20th Century Fox. Charlotte Zolotow, then a vice-president at Harper & Row (now Harper-Collins) contacted him to writing for her book label. Zindel wrote 39 books, all of them aimed at children or young adults. Many of these were set in his home town of Staten Island, New York. They tended to be semi-autobiographical, focusing on teenage misfits with abusive or neglectful parents. Despite the often dark subject matter of his books, which deal with loneliness, loss, and the effects of abuse, they are also filled with humor. Many of his novels have wacky titles, such as My Darling, My Hamburger, or Confessions of A Teenage Baboon.
The Pigman, first published in 1968, is widely taught in American schools, and also made it on to the list of most frequently banned books in America in the 1990s, because of what some deem offensive language.
In 1964, he wrote The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, his first and most successful play. The play ran off-Broadway in 1970, and on Broadway in 1971. It won the 1971 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It was also made into a 1972 movie by 20th Century Fox. Charlotte Zolotow, then a vice-president at Harper & Row (now Harper-Collins) contacted him to writing for her book label. Zindel wrote 39 books, all of them aimed at children or young adults. Many of these were set in his home town of Staten Island, New York. They tended to be semi-autobiographical, focusing on teenage misfits with abusive or neglectful parents. Despite the often dark subject matter of his books, which deal with loneliness, loss, and the effects of abuse, they are also filled with humor. Many of his novels have wacky titles, such as My Darling, My Hamburger, or Confessions of A Teenage Baboon.
The Pigman, first published in 1968, is widely taught in American schools, and also made it on to the list of most frequently banned books in America in the 1990s, because of what some deem offensive language.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
April 11, 2023
3.5 stars
January 5, 2022
Overall Rating : C
I read this in middle school and saw it at my library and had to pick it up to see if it was just as terrifying and gory as before.
It was and then some. I just wished adult me could've enjoyed it just as much. Definitely intended for a younger audience with a short attention span considering how short it really is.
Seriously though, this is some gory sh*t so be wary before recommending to a child XD
I read this in middle school and saw it at my library and had to pick it up to see if it was just as terrifying and gory as before.
It was and then some. I just wished adult me could've enjoyed it just as much. Definitely intended for a younger audience with a short attention span considering how short it really is.
Seriously though, this is some gory sh*t so be wary before recommending to a child XD
May 25, 2021
Read for library challenge as a book set in South America. This book was written for boys. Set on a river in Brazil where Jake's father is studying bats in the area. Two of his workers have disappeared the day before Jake arrives uninvited on the scene. His father is not pleased that he is there and will not acknowledge the work his son has done on a device that allows the user to see as bats see using ultrasonic sound waves that transmit an image to the brain. Jake won his school's science award for his work.
But everything is falling apart in the camp after two workers have disappeared. Jake finds their torn up-blood drained bodies on the rope-plank bridge across the river. That night, the monster, that killed the two workers, attacks again! Things go from bad to worse and when his dad is attacked by the monstrous bat, Jake is the only one left to learn it's secrets and figure a way to kill it.
But everything is falling apart in the camp after two workers have disappeared. Jake finds their torn up-blood drained bodies on the rope-plank bridge across the river. That night, the monster, that killed the two workers, attacks again! Things go from bad to worse and when his dad is attacked by the monstrous bat, Jake is the only one left to learn it's secrets and figure a way to kill it.
January 5, 2026
I read this in fifth or sixth grade as a joke and I was sorely disappointed in it. I mean, Paul Zindel obviously doesn’t know a whole lot about bats (Jake’s dad, the “bat-ologist”🙄”) and the writing wasn’t that bad but he could’ve at least tried. And the solutions Jake comes up with (set a part of the Amazon on fire? Sounds good!) are ridiculous. Do not recommend if you’re looking for anything remotely scary. However, if you’re looking for a laugh, go ahead.
April 3, 2008
Hmm. Have mixed feelings about it. Pretty gory and creepy (for teenagers' read). Yet some things made me think... I mean, where did the giant bat come from? How come he's alone? And can you really find orangutan in jungles (in Java)? Hmmm..
September 20, 2019
I almost gave up on this book because it took a while for it to get going, but once the story started it was pretty good! The author uses a lot of detail and I appreciated that because it helped me to really be able to bring this book to life with my imagination.
May 21, 2023
Random read time again. I heard about through someone's video that included it (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt3-n...) and it piqued my interest. This came out in 2001 and is by Paul Zindel. He's got a bunch of works, most notably PC Haweks Mysteries. He died in 2003 and this edition is actually a later print that notes that.
It revolves around 15 year old Jake, who is visiting his father who is on an expedition to the amazon. There's some other details but basically they and their crew are attacked by this giant bat and they have to stop it before it gets to them all.
This was pretty good, and surprising in a few ways that we'll get to. But first, some flaws. Pacing is mostly good but it can be a bit slow in some spots with breaks between action although that isn't a problem for too long. The ending is abrupt, lacking a epilogue which I think is kind of needed.
Dad is here in the Amazon with this tribe of "Indians" and based on of the stuff we see from them, they do mean the Native-American type. Yeah here we go again, They're at least portrayed sympathetic and not totally badly but there still some iffy-ness with there that's hard to describe. Especially since it's just them that are allowed to be picked off. I can't speak fully here but it could be better.
That stuff aside, it works. Jake is a goof off type who has been maturing and wants dad to finally recognize that. I feared he'd be the annoying prankster type but he ends up being likable. There's a solid arc with him and the dad. Dad sort of sucks but that's at least the point and again, we get a good arc there. Through dad we get a bit of a "hubris of man theme" in there.
The main thing with this book is how shockingly brutal it is. This bat doesn't mess around as we get at least more than 1 on page death and again, it's brutal. This is middle grade but man it goes harsh with the gore-y details at times. That means the bat shows up, it's a solid threat and not even some of the more notable characters are likely to live.
The writing is good, solid descriptions and of course some vocab words are in there. It's consistently decent there too. So yeah, there are a few drawbacks but overall this was pretty solid.The brutality alone sells it but there's other stuff in there like the main arc.
As a take on a animal attack story, it works. It's fun and takes itself seriously enough which ended up being effective. Despite some bits, I'd suggest checking it out especially if you want something more brutal in a kids book.
And yeah, that's about it. Next will up in the air again, mostly just tiding myself over until June hits. See ya than.
(There's a few critic quotes on this and one mentions Goosebumps because of course)
It revolves around 15 year old Jake, who is visiting his father who is on an expedition to the amazon. There's some other details but basically they and their crew are attacked by this giant bat and they have to stop it before it gets to them all.
This was pretty good, and surprising in a few ways that we'll get to. But first, some flaws. Pacing is mostly good but it can be a bit slow in some spots with breaks between action although that isn't a problem for too long. The ending is abrupt, lacking a epilogue which I think is kind of needed.
Dad is here in the Amazon with this tribe of "Indians" and based on of the stuff we see from them, they do mean the Native-American type. Yeah here we go again, They're at least portrayed sympathetic and not totally badly but there still some iffy-ness with there that's hard to describe. Especially since it's just them that are allowed to be picked off. I can't speak fully here but it could be better.
That stuff aside, it works. Jake is a goof off type who has been maturing and wants dad to finally recognize that. I feared he'd be the annoying prankster type but he ends up being likable. There's a solid arc with him and the dad. Dad sort of sucks but that's at least the point and again, we get a good arc there. Through dad we get a bit of a "hubris of man theme" in there.
The main thing with this book is how shockingly brutal it is. This bat doesn't mess around as we get at least more than 1 on page death and again, it's brutal. This is middle grade but man it goes harsh with the gore-y details at times. That means the bat shows up, it's a solid threat and not even some of the more notable characters are likely to live.
The writing is good, solid descriptions and of course some vocab words are in there. It's consistently decent there too. So yeah, there are a few drawbacks but overall this was pretty solid.The brutality alone sells it but there's other stuff in there like the main arc.
As a take on a animal attack story, it works. It's fun and takes itself seriously enough which ended up being effective. Despite some bits, I'd suggest checking it out especially if you want something more brutal in a kids book.
And yeah, that's about it. Next will up in the air again, mostly just tiding myself over until June hits. See ya than.
(There's a few critic quotes on this and one mentions Goosebumps because of course)
May 24, 2021
I chose this book because I had read some books by Paul Zindel when I was in junior high or elementary school. I didn’t know he wrote any horror books and didn’t know this was one of them until it was too late to stop.
I really disliked the interactions between the main character and his father, so much so that I nearly did put down the book unfinished.
I really disliked the interactions between the main character and his father, so much so that I nearly did put down the book unfinished.
October 10, 2019
Good story line however the writing wasn’t as good. I went in with low expectations and thank god I did.
November 16, 2020
I think that this book is awesome
December 10, 2021
It's hard to get into
but overall it's a good book and it is interesting
but overall it's a good book and it is interesting
October 4, 2016
This book is about a 15 year old boy and he went to brazzil to prove to his dad that he has grown up.They find somthing and it is huge and if you want to know then you need to read the book it is really good.My favirote part was when his dad belived in him because it would be sad not having your dad belive in you.I would recommend this book to 6th graders and some 7th graders.
March 31, 2012
Back when this book was first published I must have read it half a ddozen times and Paul Zindel has become one of my favourite childhood authors. His books were spooky enough for me to want to read over and over again without getting tired of them.
Since It's been a decade since I read this one though I really wanted to read it again. Sometimes I just get struck by the feeling that I have to read some childhood favourites every once in awhile. It's nice to sit back, relax and let nostalgia take over.
I really enjoyed reading this book again. I thought that despite all the new books out on the market that this one can still stand up to the competition though I believe it is now out of print. It's got adventure, death and a monsterously large bat that used to be a human that kills people! What more could a kid (boys especially) want in a book?
The only thing I didn't like about the book was Jake's father he really ticked me off. I didn't care for the way he spoke and treated his son. Though Jake is 15 he is still a child and I think that by not even welcoming his son or not even giving him so much as a hello hug really irked me. However I can see how this adds to the story and readers can connect to that sort of relationship if they infact have that sort of strained and forced relationship with their parent(s).
I highly recommend this as a must read for kids 10 - 12 years of age. Especially young boys because they'll really enjoy this story of one boy's triumph over the evil giant bat of the Amazon.
Since It's been a decade since I read this one though I really wanted to read it again. Sometimes I just get struck by the feeling that I have to read some childhood favourites every once in awhile. It's nice to sit back, relax and let nostalgia take over.
I really enjoyed reading this book again. I thought that despite all the new books out on the market that this one can still stand up to the competition though I believe it is now out of print. It's got adventure, death and a monsterously large bat that used to be a human that kills people! What more could a kid (boys especially) want in a book?
The only thing I didn't like about the book was Jake's father he really ticked me off. I didn't care for the way he spoke and treated his son. Though Jake is 15 he is still a child and I think that by not even welcoming his son or not even giving him so much as a hello hug really irked me. However I can see how this adds to the story and readers can connect to that sort of relationship if they infact have that sort of strained and forced relationship with their parent(s).
I highly recommend this as a must read for kids 10 - 12 years of age. Especially young boys because they'll really enjoy this story of one boy's triumph over the evil giant bat of the Amazon.
December 7, 2015
night of the bat is a very well wrote book by Paul Zindel. This book fallows 15 year old Jake through the Brazilian rain forest as he is in fear of his dad being in great danger. The conflict begins when Jake discovers the winged beast victims and almost becomes one of them. I think the purpose of this story is to entertain by telling a story and making it feel real. The way you are put into Jake's shoes makes this very entertaining this really pushes me to believe that the authors purpose is to entertain.
The authors style in "night of the bat" is first person narrative, I say this because the book is narrative but puts you in the main character Jake's shoes. also by using a lot of very descriptive words that make you feel as if your Jake. it really makes you feel like its first person.
I think this book is very entertaining and i would recomend to any of my friends to grab and read.
overall i believe this book is a good read. this book is very exiting and creates a great image of whats happening in this book. All i have to say is grab this great book at your locl library and read!
The authors style in "night of the bat" is first person narrative, I say this because the book is narrative but puts you in the main character Jake's shoes. also by using a lot of very descriptive words that make you feel as if your Jake. it really makes you feel like its first person.
I think this book is very entertaining and i would recomend to any of my friends to grab and read.
overall i believe this book is a good read. this book is very exiting and creates a great image of whats happening in this book. All i have to say is grab this great book at your locl library and read!
February 14, 2016
Scary book...especially for one aimed at older children/teens. I know it had me holding my breath and my heart beating faster at a few points. A warning for the more faint of heart, though: It's also very descriptive, it doesn't shy away from explaining--in detail--all of the blood and gore that abound.
Read
October 3, 2013This was a pretty decent book however it lacked the elements of a good horror book. It's basically meant for those that can't handle a lot of violence. I've read many Paul Zindel books in my day but I'm afraid in this writing, it looks to me as if he wasn't trying with this book. Not one of his best books overall but I wouldn't call this book terrible either.
Read
January 8, 2009If you are in to terror books this a good one to read.
November 29, 2018
All of these books are completely ridiculous. I loved the hell out of them growing up.
November 19, 2013
Couldn't get into it. I don't think I finished it.
November 12, 2011
Can think of a few at-risk boy readers who'll get into this.
Read
April 6, 2017spooky dark story.
April 24, 2017
The Night of the Bat
I think Paul Zindel's The Night of the Bat purpose of writing was to entertain the minds of “tweens” and teens. As for evidence for the author choosing to entertain his audience is that the book is a purely sci-fi fiction horror book on a non existent huge blood-sucking bat. As for example, one of the first lines in the book "The stones and the nightmare were waiting for Jake as the land rover raced toward the storm." (Zindel 1 ) This is in the very beginning of the book itself and right off the bat describes the impending “nightmare” that which the book is. It describes the situation of the son going to his dad in brazil who's working on a biological bat study that goes horrible discovery. Another gruesome yet explicit example of how Zindel is shooting for an entertainment purpose is explicit imagery wording “The creature that held him was convulsing, the whole of its body shaking, vomiting fluids directly into his throat and mouth” (Zindel 34). This goes to show his real purpose of writing
To me I believe the theme of The Night of the Bat was that a prankster degenerate son was looking for his father's approval and to find the needed approval of his father offered to help his father. Fortunately for Jake, but something did go wrong and Jake had his chance. Jake had and took his chance to win his father's approval, to me that's the theme. It's a weird way to say it but with supporting evidence that is the theme, to me. "On this trip, Jake was determined to prove himself to his dad, who thought Jake couldn't take anything seriously" (Zindel 6). This explicitly proves my thinking behind the idea of the theme being about Jake only wanting his father's approval over all else.
Paul Zindel's specific type of writing or style was to rely less on character and theme building and more on painting an image in the reader's head with details. The authors goal was to entertain and there's 2 sides to that coin. Either a twisting intelligible page turning book with an incredible plot or a book with lots of things going on, with explicit details painting an image in the reader's head keeping them intrigued with this type of book. This book relied on painting an image with explicit details for the reader. For example “The creature that held him was convulsing, the whole of its body shaking, vomiting fluids directly into his throat and mouth” (Zindel 34). This quote again further proves that the book is a very detailed book, painting an image in your head. I believe for this genre of book this style of writing is effective, it did keep me interested and led me to keep reading. I fully support this type or style of writing in these types of books. The effectiveness of the book is left up to the opinion of the reader and the previous example proves my point just as well as any other to say that I fully agree on the style of writing used.
My opinion of the book is that it's a book that relies on gorey graphic imaging to get its point across, I don't dislike that i'm just not a huge fan of that style of writing. I liked the book seemingly well but I do think there is some room for improvement. It would have nice to see more character building and the theme and plot built better. If I had the chance i’d change that, but other than that for the book it was, it wasn't that bad. The only book I know of that’s somewhat similar to this book is Raptor by the same author Paul Zindel. I would recommend this book if you're into horror gore. Other than that? ...No
I think Paul Zindel's The Night of the Bat purpose of writing was to entertain the minds of “tweens” and teens. As for evidence for the author choosing to entertain his audience is that the book is a purely sci-fi fiction horror book on a non existent huge blood-sucking bat. As for example, one of the first lines in the book "The stones and the nightmare were waiting for Jake as the land rover raced toward the storm." (Zindel 1 ) This is in the very beginning of the book itself and right off the bat describes the impending “nightmare” that which the book is. It describes the situation of the son going to his dad in brazil who's working on a biological bat study that goes horrible discovery. Another gruesome yet explicit example of how Zindel is shooting for an entertainment purpose is explicit imagery wording “The creature that held him was convulsing, the whole of its body shaking, vomiting fluids directly into his throat and mouth” (Zindel 34). This goes to show his real purpose of writing
To me I believe the theme of The Night of the Bat was that a prankster degenerate son was looking for his father's approval and to find the needed approval of his father offered to help his father. Fortunately for Jake, but something did go wrong and Jake had his chance. Jake had and took his chance to win his father's approval, to me that's the theme. It's a weird way to say it but with supporting evidence that is the theme, to me. "On this trip, Jake was determined to prove himself to his dad, who thought Jake couldn't take anything seriously" (Zindel 6). This explicitly proves my thinking behind the idea of the theme being about Jake only wanting his father's approval over all else.
Paul Zindel's specific type of writing or style was to rely less on character and theme building and more on painting an image in the reader's head with details. The authors goal was to entertain and there's 2 sides to that coin. Either a twisting intelligible page turning book with an incredible plot or a book with lots of things going on, with explicit details painting an image in the reader's head keeping them intrigued with this type of book. This book relied on painting an image with explicit details for the reader. For example “The creature that held him was convulsing, the whole of its body shaking, vomiting fluids directly into his throat and mouth” (Zindel 34). This quote again further proves that the book is a very detailed book, painting an image in your head. I believe for this genre of book this style of writing is effective, it did keep me interested and led me to keep reading. I fully support this type or style of writing in these types of books. The effectiveness of the book is left up to the opinion of the reader and the previous example proves my point just as well as any other to say that I fully agree on the style of writing used.
My opinion of the book is that it's a book that relies on gorey graphic imaging to get its point across, I don't dislike that i'm just not a huge fan of that style of writing. I liked the book seemingly well but I do think there is some room for improvement. It would have nice to see more character building and the theme and plot built better. If I had the chance i’d change that, but other than that for the book it was, it wasn't that bad. The only book I know of that’s somewhat similar to this book is Raptor by the same author Paul Zindel. I would recommend this book if you're into horror gore. Other than that? ...No
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews