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Indian Summer
The guilt of our childhood can haunt us for decades. Twenty years ago, a childhood tragedy drove six friends apart. But when one of them is found dead in the historic, wooded ruins of the New England settlement known as Dogtown, old acquaintances find themselves drawn together. Now they must work together to solve the meaning behind a message written in blood, a series of attacks, and the mysterious quills that seem to tie them all together. But time is quickly running out. Indian Summer is a chilling tale of six childhood friends and the things that haunt them—both natural and otherworldly.
276 pages, Paperback
First published January 28, 2014
24 people are currently reading
858 people want to read
About the author
Aaron Mahnke
27 books1,320 followersOne of the most successful podcast producers in the world, Aaron Mahnke began his career in 2015 with the launch of Lore, which went on to become a breakout hit.
Aside from racking up over 450-million downloads to date, Lore was adapted for two seasons of television on Amazon, and as a three-book set from Penguin Random House. Aaron has also toured extensively, delivering his trademark storytelling experience to thousands of people across the country.
In 2019, Aaron also published his first comic book series, Wellington, through IDW. And in 2021, he launched the first of a new slate of fiction podcasts, beginning with the breakout hit Bridgewater, starring Misha Collins, Melissa Ponzia, Karan Soni, Alan Tudyk, and Tricia Helfer.
Aside from racking up over 450-million downloads to date, Lore was adapted for two seasons of television on Amazon, and as a three-book set from Penguin Random House. Aaron has also toured extensively, delivering his trademark storytelling experience to thousands of people across the country.
In 2019, Aaron also published his first comic book series, Wellington, through IDW. And in 2021, he launched the first of a new slate of fiction podcasts, beginning with the breakout hit Bridgewater, starring Misha Collins, Melissa Ponzia, Karan Soni, Alan Tudyk, and Tricia Helfer.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
March 6, 2017
Probably like a few others i discovered this book as a fan of Lore.
Overall I enjoyed it. The story is pretty tight and well told and while believable, I felt the main characters could have been developed with a smidge more depth at the expense of some of the descriptive prose.
Additionally, I would liked to have read more interaction with the supernatural antagonists as Mahnke really knows how to put on the chills.
That said, definitely worth a read.
Overall I enjoyed it. The story is pretty tight and well told and while believable, I felt the main characters could have been developed with a smidge more depth at the expense of some of the descriptive prose.
Additionally, I would liked to have read more interaction with the supernatural antagonists as Mahnke really knows how to put on the chills.
That said, definitely worth a read.
February 12, 2014
This was a very fun thriller. I didn't know what to expect when I started, but by the end of the first chapter I was hooked.
It was a suspenseful book successfully combining natural and supernatural elements. Even after the revelation near the end, I was still on edge waiting to find out what was going to happen next.
It was a suspenseful book successfully combining natural and supernatural elements. Even after the revelation near the end, I was still on edge waiting to find out what was going to happen next.
February 6, 2014
Loved this. Great story and quick read. It grabs you from the start.
I loved the setting. The story takes place on historic Cape Ann. I'm lucky enough to have married a Gloucester girl and I get to visit often. The story reminds me of being there.
I loved the setting. The story takes place on historic Cape Ann. I'm lucky enough to have married a Gloucester girl and I get to visit often. The story reminds me of being there.
July 30, 2019
I felt like this book should have been longer to really build the suspense. The rising action started off well but cut off short with the characters making connections incredibly quickly, and then not running into much issue in the resolution. There are also parts of this book I felt dragged a bit, dispute the story's length. There is an entire chapter which is set at a funeral where it's just all expository dialogue and then the funeral gets one throw away line at the end. The killer seemed very obvious initially but then the focus on this other random event in the character's child hood seemed to shift the focus and when it came back around it didn't feel like it made the right kind of sense. I also really didn't feel great about the killer being this deranged Native American and just the general characterization of Native American's in this story generally. Also the constant references to how warm it was in October was unnecessary to establish that summer was running long. It comes up in almost every single chapter to such a ridiculous degree (pun intended).
I do like Aaron's writing, overall. It is very true to the way that he writes for the LORE podcast, and I would be interested in reading some of his other work.
I do like Aaron's writing, overall. It is very true to the way that he writes for the LORE podcast, and I would be interested in reading some of his other work.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2016
If you’re after a quick, but enjoyable thriller with a supernatural slant, then Indian Summer is for you. It’s fast paced, and manages to keep it up until the last page. Whilst it isn’t Stephen King scary ( possibly a good thing…. ) there’s enough suspense, and dark and creepy moments to provide some shivers….
October 23, 2018
***spoilers***
OH MY GOD! THEY KILLED KENNY!
So I decided to read this book because Lore is my most favorite podcast ever and I think that Aaron Mahnke is an amazing story teller which I thought would translate into this novel. However, it was very poorly edited, with many grammatical errors that were quite distracting, as well as a few were the wrong word was used ("excepted" instead of "accepted" for instance.) Most of the dialogue felt very forced to me, as did most of the writing in general. There were a few scenes that confused me because they were hard to follow, and the fact that there were seven main characters to keep straight right from the beginning was already a bummer for me. I never really felt like I got a good feel for any of them.
All of that being said, there were a few action scenes that were written so well that I was utterly terrified, and a few that were incredibly engaging, which is why it got at least two stars from me. I'm going to give his fairytale story a shot, but I come away pretty disappointed.
OH MY GOD! THEY KILLED KENNY!
So I decided to read this book because Lore is my most favorite podcast ever and I think that Aaron Mahnke is an amazing story teller which I thought would translate into this novel. However, it was very poorly edited, with many grammatical errors that were quite distracting, as well as a few were the wrong word was used ("excepted" instead of "accepted" for instance.) Most of the dialogue felt very forced to me, as did most of the writing in general. There were a few scenes that confused me because they were hard to follow, and the fact that there were seven main characters to keep straight right from the beginning was already a bummer for me. I never really felt like I got a good feel for any of them.
All of that being said, there were a few action scenes that were written so well that I was utterly terrified, and a few that were incredibly engaging, which is why it got at least two stars from me. I'm going to give his fairytale story a shot, but I come away pretty disappointed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2019
Okay, I'm going to start with the fact that I love Aaron Mahnke. I adore Lore and the books that go with them. However, this book was really not good. From the very beginning, it just wasn't super compelling. I really had to force myself to read it. I found the characters to be unlikable and uninteresting. Once we started gearing up for the more "horror" aspect of the book, I was pumped. However, that was disappointing too. There was really no suspense and it wasn't thrilling at all. Honestly, it wasn't even really horror. It was basically just the presence of a monster. On a more nit-picky level, there were so. many. spelling/grammar. errors. It drove me insane. It felt like no one proofread this before it got published. As a whole, I honestly don't recommend. If you're into Mahnke, just skip this one. All of his other stuff is so much better.
May 16, 2017
Gobbled this book up in just over a day!
Easy read, but the story catches you right from the beginning. Nice dynamic of characters in the story and their journey to triumph. Being a fan of the Podcast 'Lore', loved how there was an element of 'folklore' weaved in, whether it be spiritual, superstition or creatures it forces you to step out of the box of reality and wonder / question. Excited to start reading my next Aaron Mahnke book!
Easy read, but the story catches you right from the beginning. Nice dynamic of characters in the story and their journey to triumph. Being a fan of the Podcast 'Lore', loved how there was an element of 'folklore' weaved in, whether it be spiritual, superstition or creatures it forces you to step out of the box of reality and wonder / question. Excited to start reading my next Aaron Mahnke book!
May 27, 2017
Gave it a shot because I love the Lore podcast Mahnke produces, but it didn't live up to expectations. It had a lot of potential, and I liked the inclusion of native american lore, but the plot and 'monster' was kinda lame, i didn't much like or identify with any of the characters, and there were enough typos and editing errors to ruin the read. Sorry Aaron :(
February 19, 2019
Clearly a first attempt
This is clearly Aaron’s first attempt at a fiction novel. It is clunky, predictable and forgettable. The characters are bland and indistinguishable from each other. As a fan of Lore, both the podcast and the show (first season only), I really expected more.
This is clearly Aaron’s first attempt at a fiction novel. It is clunky, predictable and forgettable. The characters are bland and indistinguishable from each other. As a fan of Lore, both the podcast and the show (first season only), I really expected more.
October 11, 2017
I wanted to like it.
I really wanted to like this book. I love love love Lore, and was excited to read one of his books. It was an easy read and an ok story, but it just didn't capture me. I didn't love any of the characters, which made it harder to get through.
I really wanted to like this book. I love love love Lore, and was excited to read one of his books. It was an easy read and an ok story, but it just didn't capture me. I didn't love any of the characters, which made it harder to get through.
August 8, 2018
Very good read, kept me flying through the pages! Reminded me of a bit of a Stephen King flare, but the authors own style mixed into it which blended perfectly.
Perfect for a light summer read.
Perfect for a light summer read.
October 19, 2020
It was quite engaging, but the language too simplistic, and dialogues too "hollywood".
April 12, 2022
fine but forgettable
October 6, 2016
After listening to the podcast Lore by Aaron Mahnke, I thought I would try out one of his novels. Indian Summer involves a group of boys who grow to be men and must come back together to face the event of their childhood that tore them apart. The story has relatable themes of friendship and growing apart. In the spirit of Lore, Indian Summer features a supernatural element that shows Mahnke's love for legends. Overall, its a quick and easy read. The characters play their all play their one role without diving too deep into them. If anything I would have liked to know more about their backgrounds and bonds. Who were the closest of friends? I enjoyed the book, however twenty more pages to really flush out the characters would have really helped the reader feel more empathic.
March 18, 2020
Liked the overall story, HATED the narration for the audio version.
Though I'm not a fan of the way Native Americans were portrayed in the book, it's not as bad as some comments I've read, so I'm giving it a pass for that reason. And overall, it was kind of a 'clean' thriller - I don't remember any sex, not much swearing, and only a bit of drinking. I kept feeling that maybe this would be a good YA type book, with some changes.
Though I'm not a fan of the way Native Americans were portrayed in the book, it's not as bad as some comments I've read, so I'm giving it a pass for that reason. And overall, it was kind of a 'clean' thriller - I don't remember any sex, not much swearing, and only a bit of drinking. I kept feeling that maybe this would be a good YA type book, with some changes.
March 3, 2017
A solid first entry. Like many people I gave Mahnke a shot because of Lore, and Indian Summer to me feels very "first novel", if that makes sense. It's a strong debut, but a little editing and more character development would've taken this up a star or two.
September 11, 2014
Indian Summer was an odd read for me. The way it was written made it not as suspenseful/scary as it should have been. That and the evil thing that was after them was kind of lame...
The book opens with what happened twenty years ago, what happened to Kenny. Now for some reason twenty years later the remaining friends are being killed off. The one friend is a cop so he searches the crime scenes looking for evidence (even though he is not on the case). What does he find? Quills. Like from a porcupine. And that is the scary element of the book. The one guy, Bill, saw quills one day when they were all in Dogtown before the accident. The quills. They are supposed to be really creepy/scary/whatever. Bill seems to be terrified of the quills, but they were just...not scary to me. I kept thinking of a porcupine and well...they don't instill terror in me. I was just like aw, porcupine. So the quills didn't work for me.
When you find out what is going on, who is responsible, what is really attacking them and why it didn't help the suspense. I just kind of rolled my eyes and said okay and finished reading the book. It was a quick read so that was good. The real issue though is the writing style. It is kind of clinical and detached so you don't really get attached to the characters. The beginning, what happened twenty years ago, was kind of boring to read. I thought it would pick up once it came to the present, but it didn't. It was better, but is still kept that detached clinical feel that prevented me from really identifying with the story.
This review was originally posted to Jen in Bookland
The book opens with what happened twenty years ago, what happened to Kenny. Now for some reason twenty years later the remaining friends are being killed off. The one friend is a cop so he searches the crime scenes looking for evidence (even though he is not on the case). What does he find? Quills. Like from a porcupine. And that is the scary element of the book. The one guy, Bill, saw quills one day when they were all in Dogtown before the accident. The quills. They are supposed to be really creepy/scary/whatever. Bill seems to be terrified of the quills, but they were just...not scary to me. I kept thinking of a porcupine and well...they don't instill terror in me. I was just like aw, porcupine. So the quills didn't work for me.
When you find out what is going on, who is responsible, what is really attacking them and why it didn't help the suspense. I just kind of rolled my eyes and said okay and finished reading the book. It was a quick read so that was good. The real issue though is the writing style. It is kind of clinical and detached so you don't really get attached to the characters. The beginning, what happened twenty years ago, was kind of boring to read. I thought it would pick up once it came to the present, but it didn't. It was better, but is still kept that detached clinical feel that prevented me from really identifying with the story.
This review was originally posted to Jen in Bookland
January 6, 2016
I decided to give this book a try because I had been listening to the Lore podcast (which is pretty awesome by the way), which the author created/narrates. I think because I read IT by Stephen King a few months ago, it kind of skewed my perception of the story from the beginning (sometimes negatively, this is Stephen King I accidentally kept comparing it to. So I won't hold that against the book) New England town, group of friends brought together decades later, something menacing happens to the group possibly because of something that happened in the past, and so on. The author goes a little too much into detail a bit like King tends to, which was a bit much at times.
The story was interesting, though a little obvious at times, and I was pretty excited that something I learned about on an episode of Lore (actually two things!) made appearances.
All in all, it's pretty likely I'll read another book by this author at times.
The story was interesting, though a little obvious at times, and I was pretty excited that something I learned about on an episode of Lore (actually two things!) made appearances.
All in all, it's pretty likely I'll read another book by this author at times.
November 8, 2015
I was introduced to Aaron Mahnke via the Lore podcast, which I blew through in three days. I listened to 20 episodes of a podcast in three days! I needed more of Aaron's voice so I picked up Indian Summer and was not disappointed. The book was a quick read, with all of the supernatural elements that I love in a horror/thriller. Now to read the rest of Mahnke's books while I wait for the next podcast episode......
July 15, 2016
Like this writer's podcast and the way he uses local lore. Needs more editing! Tons of proofreading and grammatical errors. Writing needs some polish, but all over a good quick read. Would read more by this guy.
June 10, 2015
Not bad for a quick read thriller
January 29, 2016
Really enjoyed this book. It had some "first book" issues, but the story in itself more than make up for them. Would recommend to anyone who likes a thrill.
September 20, 2016
Enjoyable, easy read, and a creepy premise. I love Aaron's work on Lore. However, like others have noted, this is in grave need of editing. Otherwise, not a bad read.
April 10, 2017
I wanted so much to really LOVE this book. I listen to Aaron's podcast, and LOVE the way he writes it, so I was really excited to pick up a few of his books to work with. It's possible this was a "the story didn't connect with me" type book, but honestly, I just didn't like it like I thought I would. It was written fairly well, but it seemed to me like maybe this was his first book or something. The story kind of dragged. I learned WAY too much about the friends' personal lives. I didn't like that what happened to Steve in the middle of the book never really got resolved. I didn't like that nothing really HAPPENED until 75% of the book was done. I just felt like I was reading about 6 childhood friends and what they did after they graduated. I was looking forward to the supernatural element, but it fell a bit flat for me when we reached it.
I'm giving this 3 stars more because I didn't think it was AWFUL, it was just eh...not much going on, not much to tell. It was short, that's kind of it.
I'm giving this 3 stars more because I didn't think it was AWFUL, it was just eh...not much going on, not much to tell. It was short, that's kind of it.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews