It Watches in the Dark

Eek! #1

by Jeff Strand

"She glanced over her shoulder. Had the scarecrow moved? It stood there, smile stitched on its face, but now it felt like a smirk."

Prepare to be scared silly in this creepy middle-grade novel! Twins seek medical help in a remote village after their father is in a canoeing accident...only to discover the scarecrow that stands watch in town may have a stronger hold over the residents than expected. Perfect for fans of R.L. Stine, Dan Poblocki, and Mary Downing Hahn.

Twins Oliver and Trisha love going on adventures with their dad. Canoeing and camping on the Champion River will be their best trip yet! But when they capsize in rapids, their father is knocked unconscious. Alone and without cell phone reception, their only choice is to continue down river for help.

Hours of paddling brings them to an old dock, and a narrow path leads them to a small village. The townspeople are kind and helpful, but strangely focused on the giant scarecrow in the village square. "He watches over us," the twins are told in whispers. "He keeps us safe."

An old woman warns the twins not to spend the night in the village. Not if they ever want to leave. But with the sun soon to set and their father not well enough to be moved, how can they escape? More importantly, can they survive?

Genres: Horror, Middle Grade, Halloween, Supernatural, Fiction, Audiobook, Mystery

230 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2024

About the author

Bram Stoker Award-winning author of a bunch of demented books, including PRESSURE, DWELLER, CLOWNS VS. SPIDERS, AUTUMN BLEEDS INTO WINTER, MY PRETTIES, the official novelization of ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES, and lots of others!

Reviews

[Mort · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first thought after finishing this middle grade book was that it was perfect as an introductory story to the horror genre.
One thing most horror readers and writers have in common is that they read or saw that one story that made them fall in love with the genre. I had a few friends in my formative years who saw the same movies I did (and later read the same books), but none of them were drawn to the genre as I was. I did not have access to any GOOSEBUMPS books, so it was not a gradual thing for me.
When I was 13, I saw PET SEMATARY and I was hooked. From there, I devoured every book written by King I could get my hands on. The friends who saw it with me did not have the same reaction, most of them preferring action over horror.
Which is why I think the target audience for this genre will be drawn to it whether they realize it or not, but it might be best to get their reaction before you throw the heavier stuff at them.
If you are a parent and you want to find out if your child is drawn to this genre, this is the book I can recommend. It has all the necessary elements to make a scary story without being too graphic and gory. Throw in some humor to ease the tension and you get something that talks on a level that is age appropriate.

5 Stars.

[Mikala · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is legit terrifying 😳 most adult horror novels aren't even this scary. Jeff strand KNOWS how to write a creepy tale!

I was immediately hooked by this one and I love how the story just hits the ground running; there's not a ton of exposition or fluff. What was supposed to be an adventurous family kayaking trip quickly turns into a nightmare when the two young children's father gets injured in the middle of a dangerous river segment. The siblings venture into the woods to try and find help. In a Hansel and Gretel twist, they stumble upon a mysterious town in the wilderness, where the towns people are syrupy sweet... until they're not. The red flags start glaring in front of their faces almost instantly but what choice do they have? Their dad is unconscious and needs medical attention and there is no one else to help.

I was totally absorbed in this story. The author successfully crafted a tense, claustrophobic atmosphere and I was so nervous for the two main characters. I really enjoyed how things slowly start to get weirder and weirder, each small strange event getting more glaring until you could not longer deny that the situation these children found themselves in was clearly dark and very dangerous.

I really enjoy reading spooky middle-grade however within the last year I have been struggling to find books within this genre that I feel are worth the time. Something that set "It Watches in the Dark" apart to me, other than the fact that it was ACTUALLY SCARY, was the fact that the kids leading the story were level-headed and mature, but at the same time still read like children. I can't stand when children in these books come off as annoying or dumb because it feels like the author talking down to the reader, so I appreciated that Jeff Strand didn't go that route.

Overall, this was one of the most enjoyable middle-grade horror books I've read in recent months. I also enjoyed the book "Clowns VS Spiders" by this author and I am convinced I will now need to read the rest of their backlist!

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is wild! I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I enjoyed this one!

What Worked: This is my first book by Jeff Strand, but it definitely won't be my last. To be honest, middle grade horror is probably my weakest area in terms of genre, so I've been trying to find more titles to check out. It Watches in the Dark reminded me of some of the scary TV shows that I used to watch growing up like Are You Afraid of the Dark. It has solid storytelling and an interesting plot line that will take the reader in one direction and then completely twist everything previously thought at the end. It was creepy, weird, fast paced and everything that a horror enthusiast would appreciate. I found myself rooting for the twins the entire time and was genuinely afraid that they would never make it out of their creepy situation. That scarecrow seriously scared the crap out of me. Strands ability to mold a picture of this world inside the readers head is uncanny.

What Didn't Work: This isn't something that bothered me, but I thought I would note that it could be an element that won't work for everyone. The ending is open and readers never truly receive any type of clarity in relationship to the town and why their world is different from ours. That may be an issue for some, but I think if younger readers enjoy books like Goosebumps and its strange endings, it won't be an issue.

Overall, this was a good read and I'm definitely looking forward to continuing the rest of the series.

[megs_bookrack · Rating 4 out of 5]

🎃🖤🎃🖤🎃🖤🎃🖤🎃🖤🎃🖤🎃🖤🎃

It Watches in the Dark is a fantastically-tense Spooky Middle Grade story, and the first book in the all-new Eek! series by veteran Horror author, Jeff Strand.

I was immediately drawn to this book because of the cover. How devilishly-divine is that scarecrow!? It's giving me all the Autumnal vibes that I cherish in my every day life.



Jumping into this one, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I ended up enjoying it so much. The writing is fluid and engaging, with eerie Horror imagery throughout. I loved how quickly it kicked off, and never let up.

In this story, we follow twins, Trisha and Oliver. At the start of our tale they are on a canoe trip with their Dad, which is something they do often. On this particular trip through, they hit a series of unexpected rapids and their Dad is injured, knocked unconscious.

Not knowing exactly what to do, the kids tie up to the first dock they find and go ashore in search of help.



They end up coming across a tiny town in the woods, Escrow, population 999. Everything about the place seems a little odd, but beggars can't be choosers, right? The twins seriously need to find their Dad help.

They meet a few townspeople, who though strange, seem to be willing enough to help, and they're adults, they have to know what they're doing.

Their Dad is retrieved and taken to the local medical center, but from there the kids are kept away from him. Germs and all that. Oliver and Trisha are left to their own devices and the more time they spend in Escrow, the more their senses tell them to beat feet out of there.



Perhaps it's the enormous creepy scarecrow sitting sentinel in the town square that's giving them that feeling. It seems to be watching them and the townspeople are obsessed with it, talking about it like it's a living being.

As dark approaches, the kids are feeling panicked. They want to leave. They do not want to spend the night in Escrow, but they can't move their Dad on their own.

The townspeople become more threatening and it suddenly feels imperative to escape. Will the kids be able to figure out a way to rescue their Dad and flee Escrow together, or will this be the end of the road for one, or all, of them?



It Watches in the Dark is a super solid Spooky Middle Grade read. I would definitely recommend this to any Reader who enjoys Middle Grade Horror.

It does have a sort of Goosebumps charm to it, but was creepier than that, really. Especially the initial chapters. I appreciate how Strand set-up this spooky town. It was definitely getting under my skin.

The more the kids interacted with the residents of Escrow, the more tense and stressed out I felt. I just wanted them to run away, but they couldn't after their Dad was taken to the medical center. They didn't want to abandon him, of course, and they were still wanting to trust these adults so much.



Oliver and Trisha were great too. I liked that they worked together and appreciated each others strengths, instead of just fighting all the time, as siblings tend to do in fiction.

Overall, I found this extremely entertaining. I think Strand did a great job of making this punchy, with plenty of action and spookiness on every page. I already have an early copy of the next book in the series, Nightmare in the Backyard and I'm excited to get to it!



Thank you to the publisher, SOURCEBOOKS Kids, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was such a fun read; very well done!

[Janette Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scary! Creepy! Atmospheric! And so much fun! An excellent middle grade horror book by Jeff Strand!

[Steph ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do adore middlegrade horror. This was creepy and bizarre and had great atmosphere and I had a lot of fun with it. Fast paced and quick to get through. Looking forward to the next one in the Eek! Series

[Darrell Grizzle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first in Jeff Strand’s new series of “Eek!” novels for middle grade readers. As an adult far beyond the middle grade years, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Strand takes familiar folk horror themes – the isolated village, a sentient scarecrow – and turns them into a horror adventure that is captivating and pageturningly readable. Strand is known for his humorous horror, and while humor is certainly a part of the novel, the emphasis here is on horror. Recommended to readers of any age who love horror.

[C. A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeff Strand is famous for his funny horror, or possibly his terrifying comedy. “It Watches in the Dark” is his first middle grade book, and while it’s not as madcap hilarious or as gory-filled as his adult work, it’s still definitely his style.

Protagonists in a bad situation and over their heads? Check. Bad guys explaining in perfectly reasonable tones why the horrific events had to happen? Check. Giant scarecrow? Ok, that’s new.

Oliver and Trisha are camping with their father when an accident in some rapids leaves them lost and trying to find help for their injured dad. They find it in a small and creepy town, where the townspeople worship a giant scarecrow in the town square. Which is fine, if bizarre. Until the scarecrow starts to talk to them, and tells them to do things…

There is violence, and danger, and mental invasion, and scary things, and one scene of threatened physical torture. But no “onscreen” death, no real blood, no gore, no adult language. Just really, really creepy.

Thanks to NETGALLEY for an advance copy.

[Paul (Life In The Slow Lane) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trainee horror.

This book seems to be an introductory aid to bring very YAs into the world of Horror. You can tell by the training wheels sticking out of the book.

Overall, it's simplistic but still quite entertaining. I found myself screaming at the kiddo characters, "Set him on fire you dummies," so it must have been pretty good.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's time for a modern middle grade horror thing. This is hot off the presses, only about a month old. This is the first in a series called Eek by Jeff Strand. Jeff has plenty of works, mostly in the adult vein so it's interesting to see him doing this.

Note that the only indication on the cover that this is a series is tucked away in a corner. Yeah they know series aren't sellers these days, you can tell lol

Anyway: Trisha and Oliver are on a canoe trip when things go wrong and dad gets knocked out. They try to find help and end up in the small town of Escrow which is rather tucked away. The residents seem kind enough but they act weird, like when a diner lady is super offended by them not finishing desert and odd comments by the mayor.

Oh and there's a giant Scarecrow in the center of town, which they claim to be their protector. That's odd too. It seems to have power over people. And it doesn't like when they try to leave…

So a friend got to this one first and hyped it up. Gotta say, it earned it. I really got into this one and as you can tell, it got the special honor…Barley.

It gets started quickly but is still able to let us know the leads somewhat. They aren't deep but they work well. Their bond with a good mix of clashing and getting along. They have to work together to get through this hell.

There's hardly any filler as it pushes the mystery, horror or action. It gets obvious and clear a bit too fast but it doesn't drag as a result and we get to explore this idea. I dig cult plots and this fit that.

They worship this scarecrow and both fun and creepy stuff comes out of this. Speaking of fun, this mixes in humor pretty well. Most comes from odd things the citizens do as well as some from the 3rd person narrator. There's at least one cackle worthy moment here.

The Scarecrow makes for a great threat. There could be more atmosphere in here but it is has a solid creepy presence. It can get into your mind and one early example was the creepiest scene to me. One part at night had the energy of the Scarecrow parts of the Arkham Asulum game.

The dark parts are more of a threat or off page but it's enough. There are these little details like what they do with dad that helps make this all underving.

It doesn't exactly explain where this thing came from but that worked fine for this sort of setup and honestly it may been hurt by trying too hard to explain it.

It just has this power that made me get into it. Usually getting a 4 for me requires some deeper stuff. Here, the closest is from the twins as they have some emotional bit ls regarding them thinking about their situation. It doesn't bubble up into anything and given the Scarecrow trying to pit them against each other, they maybe could have done more with that.

With these modern ones, I tend to look for deeper stuff that will really raise the genre and it lacks that, it will need to really nail everything else. This does that.

It's hard to explain if you haven't read it but it's strong at building the tension of the situation. It's a unique setup done quite well.

Jeff certainly has the chops for this. Writing is simple in an effective way here, even without descriptions of our kids. It's a very good kids horror read that is worth it.

Hopefully the strategy of hiding the series part pays off. Next one is slated for August so let's they keep it up.

That's it for this one. You know the drill, don't know next but I wanna hit some backburner items perhaps. See ya then.

[Katie T · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a spooky middle grade read, I would not call this very fun.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oliver and Trisha love taking outdoor adventures with their father and canoeing is one of their favorite activities, but this time the rapids get the best of them. The two manage to get ahold on the capsized canoe but their father is badly injured and unconscious and although their phones stay safe in dry bags, there is no cell service. A dock with a somewhat overgrown trail to somewhere is the only option, but once in the town of Escrow, they both wish they had kept going down river anyway. Dad is whisked away to some sort of medical facility and the mayor assigns Frank to give the twins a tour and see to their food and shelter. This introduction section all occurs in only a few pages and then readers are thrust into creepy that gets worse by the page. The townspeople are enamored with a huge scarecrow that looms over the town’s center and talk about it protecting them, no one goes outside after dark and no one will let them see their dad. Readers in grades 5-8 will stay on the edge of their seat as the scarecrow comes to life, the twins thwart death and mind control, and rescue their dad from a bizarre sacrifice scenario. Text is free of profanity and sexual content and violence is appropriate to the storyline and target age group. Race and sexual orientation are not pertinent to the plot and no mention is made of either. Highly recommended for fans of K.R. Alexander.

Thanks for sending a print arc, Sourcebooks.

[Tess Evens · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 ⭐️ Okay! This was fun!! An evil scarecrow? I’m in!

[Tammy Niraula · Rating 4 out of 5]

You had me at scarecrow. A fun and creepy middle-grade read. 💛

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my GOD, this book is WILD. Obviously I've read darker and more disturbing books, but for a middle grade, this one has some very unsettling lines, descriptions of violence, and there's even a brief torture scene. Of course, Jeff Strand is a masterful humorist and offsets the violence and rising action/tension with much needed black comedy, but this is probably the most horrific middle grade I've read yet.

As usual with Jeff's books, you hit the ground running basically from the first page, and it's a non-stop action adventure ride. I loved the sense of danger and real stakes for the main characters and their father, and the ending had me on the edge of my seat. There are some themes you could read into this book, but this book is meant to be an entertaining thrill ride, and it fully succeeds at that.

[Jess - The Hexed Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really spooky mid-grade. There were some really dark plot things going on and it definitely had the creep factor going for it. There was a last chapter plot twist that was CRAZY. You don't really get full answers about everything that was going on but yeah, it is definitely worth the read if you like spooky mid-grade.

[Cassidy]

What a creepy cover! 😱

Thanks to Sourcebooks Young Readers and NetGalley for this ARC! It Watches in the Dark by Jeff Strand comes out on April 2, 2024.

[Mac Millard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indie told me to read this and it was actually really good! The setting was creepy, all the villagers were disturbing, and the tension was built up great. Good middle grade horror book

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It Watches in the Dark by Jeff Strand is a middle grade horror about twins lost in a truly bizarre village that is looked over by a giant scarecrow. I have read Strand's work as an adult horror writer where he's known for his comedy and going to the extreme. As a fan of his work, I wanted to check it out. It Watches in the Dark has some bizarre characters, some dark humor, and a good final twist, and where this story doesn't go to the extreme it goes to places other children's books will not. The story took a little while to get going for me the twins took a while to like, but I eventually got there. The scares include being trapped, getting held against your will, getting eaten by ants (I loved this scene), being thrown on roofs, Being eaten by multiple big creatures, and a being entering your mind making you harm others. The ending is wild and I loved every minute of it. There's a twist that I should have seen coming but I did not that is totally great and very in the horror/Twilight Zone vein. The scene made me laugh out loud in a good way because of what was happening. I really liked the ending but had some issues with the character's actions and I really wanted a history of the scarecrow which we did not get. I thought the story could have added more humor there's some but I wanted more. The story felt like it was a cross between Goosebumps and Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. I read this Advanced Reader's Copy thanks to Netgalley and Source Books Young Readers for the free book. It Watches in the Dark by Jeff Strand is published on April 2, 2024.

Plot Summary: Two twins Oliver and Trisha celebrate their 12th Birthday with their dad with a 5 day canoe trip down the river in Missouri. An accident happens on the trip that knocks out the father, and the kids look for help the go down the river until they find an old dock. The kids only see a forest after the dock, but don't see anywhere else and follow a trail that leads to a small town. Who can help their dad? The kids aren't allowed in the hospital and have to spend a day in the weird town that has a giant Scarecrow in the center that they feel is creepy and watching them. Everybody in town is very thankful for the scarecrow and doesn't think it is creepy at all. The kids get yelled at and told they are ungrateful when they don't finish a huge ice cream sundae, the mayor makes a deal with the kids to see their dad, they have to sit in front of the scarecrow for one hour, which they do but are horrified when they hear a voice asking them do violence to each other. When they finally get to see their dad he has an outrageous amount of wires hanging out of him. The kids are told they have to stay the night but plan to escape with their dad as Trisha steals the key to the hospital. when they do escape the house they were staying the night, they notice something the scarecrow is not where it was, and is actively moving around looking for them.

What I Liked: The dark humor about the mayor, the owner of the diner, and various townspeople who see the world as one way, and these kids are rude. The kids and the fire ants scene is great. How vicious the scarecrow is when he throws them and goes through buildings to find them. The twist with all the wires in the dad was a good one. The final twist in the story was amazing and made me so happy as a horror fan. I liked the conversations with the mayor, he was so odd and easily offended to have all this power. The case scenes with the scarecrow.

What I Disliked: The action took a long time to start the scarecrow doesn't move until after 50%. Trisha felt older than 12. The actions of Belinda made no sense at all. The scarecrow is inconsistent as well, he had so many chances to kill the kids through the townspeople but does not say anything.

Recommendation: This story has a great twist that makes it worth it. The pace was a little slow for a Jeff Strand novel that usually has a rapid pace. I will barely recommend this story. I have read a lot of Goosebumps books and I would say this book is better than half of them. the novel brings the scares when things get going.

Rating: I rated It Watches in the Dark 3.4 out of 5 stars. My Favorite Jeff Strand novel is Wolf Hunt, and A Bad Day for Voodoo is a very entertaining book books are not for children.

[Alejandro Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yo wtf was this dude cooking here? Cause it tasted like Gordon Ramsey’s masterpiece! Yeah, this was one of the most enjoyable reads of all time for me. Most of that derives from the scarecrow and their antics. Without spoiling the not-so obvious stuff, the scarecrow is sadistic. They are genuinely ruthless. Bar none one of the most awesome villains ever. The ‘dialogue’ (to keep it vague) is really interestingly done and also really intense, the unknown capabilities and what they can do is engaging, and the design the reveals about them further elevate his unnerving character. Fuck yeah. The main characters were amazing protagonists that bounce off each other well, and all the other characters have great dialogue and personalities, especially Mayor Clancy (not to be associated with Clancey the Creep). The story is unique, the reveals and harm done are both effectively terrifying, and the twist ending involving what was potentially being ‘scared’ away by our giant scarecrow friend was equally horrifying as he was, though not as genuinely creepy his lines could be. Also, favorite line in the whorl book was then he casually and brutally murdered someone and then said “are you ready for the worst night of your life?” to Oliver. I was dying of laughter, which isn’t common at all. And did I mention this book has some seriously impressive writing? Yeah, not only was the dialogue really impressive, but just the general style is great. Now enough glazing and let’s spot the turds floating in this golden toilet. My only real issue is the opening; odd pacing for the first 50 pages as well as a abrupt introduction. Not the best, but hey, I’m willing to almost forgive it. Overall, 10/10 (rounded of course). I highly recommend this one, and I will definitely check out the Eek! series as it continues. Hopefully this gets a movie or something, I’d totally watch this whilst eating honey.

[Mehsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that was a bit of a mixed bag, but in overall I had fun reading it~


I am terrified of scarecrows, so this seemed like a perfect read for the spooky season! And it definitely was, but I just had a few things that I wasn’t a fan of.

🎃 The scarecrow was freaking spooky, scary, and WELL LET’S NOT. Bye. Thank you. If you thought it was bad during the day (with the talking in your head part), well don’t go outside. That was just freaking me out so much more than that talking in your head part. I mean, that at least you can just walk away from. What happens at night? Well, good fucking luck to you. NOPE.
🎃 On that note the evening parts just terrified me to no end and I definitely had a harder time sleeping. Thank you author.
🎃 The kids were so fab. They could just have ran away and get help or I don’t know just noped the heck out, but these kids stayed and tried to figure out what to do to get them all out of here. In one piece.
🎃 Often with siblings they argue, but I love that these two were mostly on the same page and tried to be there for the other. When things got a bit scary they both tried to talk the other out of it or help them. It was just so sweet and I was really rooting for these two.
🎃 That cover? It is so scary! And also one of the reasons I bought it.

🤔 I would have definitely loved a bit more history on the town. I know that the kids were mostly focussed on getting out, but I would have liked for them to discover what was happening here.

☠ The biggest issue I had was with the town. I was just fucking annoyed by everyone there and how they treated our MCs. I get that the scarecrow was probably influencing them, but seriously, it just got ridiculous. Like how that one woman got angry because our kids couldn’t eat all the food and she totally chewed them out. Or how the mayor was a major dick. I think it would have worked for me a bit better if there was just ONE normal person. Or maybe a couple. That would have been there for our MCs and tried to help them. Now there was just nothing and I was just wondering what the actual fuck with this town.
☠ And well I also still have questions about the ending. I won’t spoil it, but I just was so WTF-ed by it.
☠ Also seriously, I would set fire to the fucking thing way sooner. XD

So yes, I had fun reading, and I would still recommend this one despite some things that didn’t work for me.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story follows Trisha and Oliver, twins who were excited to spend an exciting adventure with their dad canoneing and camping on the Champion River however an accident changes everything. Seeking medical assistance for their dad, the twins come across a remote village, thinking they would get the help that they desparately needed.

But this village was anything but normal. There was a giant scarecrow that stood watch over the place and everyone is oddly fascinated by this. The people in this place are helpful but their strange behaviours make Trisha and Oliver question their sanity. As strange encounters and even stranger things begin to happen, escape might not be easy.

This creepy middle grade novel kept me on the edge of my seat with its unpredictable twists and turns. It was absolutely intriguing and fast-paced. I have to admit the Eek series definitely has a addictive streak of anticipation, curiosity and compelling excitement. I did read the second book first and then picked this one up. These book can be read standalones but I definitely recommend reading all of it. I'm quite excited to read the third book.

This book legit scared me. Like the themes of capsizing, isolated village, strange events, helplessness, dangers and fears are vividly explored. One of the best middle grade horror novel that I have read in a long while.

[Cuchillo Lope · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another book my kid wanted me to read and I figured I’d give it a go since it’s that spooky time of year.
I gotta say, I was pleasantly surprised by how out there and wild this book got. I actually was surprised that I read this in one day because it sucked me in. Did not books in this age range went this hard.
These kids get stuck in this weird town with a giant scarecrow and it just goes places I didn’t think it would. It was a fun time and I LOVED the twist towards the end.
The town the twins get stuck is such an odd place and the inhabitants speak in such a strange manner. They all had this off kilter feel that added to it. They talked like characters from the video game Earthbound which I really enjoyed.
A really fun and easy read to get me primed for the Halloween season.

[Serenity · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok read. Didn’t love it like I usually do his. Seemed too PG.

[Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

He may be writing for a younger audience here, but a Jeff Strand book is still a Jeff Strand book. Wait til these new readers grow up and get to read such Strand classics as Facial.

[Bethann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn’t quite as scary as I wanted it to be. It was also all over the place as far as plot and things happening. I have a lot of questions. It was ok.

[Meinfulleffect · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so fun! It says a lot about my love for Jeff Strand that I would even pick up a book for middle schoolers. Lol I don't think I need to say more ☺️

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun little read and had some genuinely creepy moments for a middle grade story. It gave me creepy scarecrow vibes and that's all I truly wanted.

[Stacyhp · Rating 3 out of 5]

This middle grade fiction book was a fun, quick read. It’s a great intro to horror for the target age.