What do you think?
Rate this book
Revenge of the Killer Worm
A wildly entertaining, page-turning, enjoyably scary story for fans of Goosebumps.
When Milo is looking forward to the holidays - long days of playing video games in the rundown seaside arcade, eating donuts on Stourmouth's underwhelming beach, and causing mischief with his three best friends, Danny, Grace and Nur. Milo's latest obsession is the 1980's arcade game, Worm Blaster. Despite being a pro at video games, he can't make it past the final boss—a giant killer worm that always eats Milo, no matter what he does. The owner of the arcade tells Milo a Worm Blaster is based on real life events. Back in the 1970s, a group of eleven-year-olds supposedly saved the town from a giant, person-eating worm that terrorised the beach for an entire summer. One of the boys, James, went on to become a video game designer. He created Worm Blaster based on his childhood adventures.
Then strange things begin to happen in Stourmouth. It starts with the disappearance of one of the ten colourful beach huts lining the beach. Later, they happen upon the owner of the seafront helter skelter taking refuge on the roof of her ride, terrified that something is trying to eat her. As they watch her taken away in an ambulance, they start to wonder if maybe the story about the giant killer worm is real...
Funny, highly entertaining spooky middle grade packed with monsters and mayhem - for kids who love a good (safe) scream! Perfect for fans of Jennifer Killick and Goosebumps Bestselling YA thriller author Kathryn brings her trademark wit, high energy and fiendish plotting to a younger audience.
When Milo is looking forward to the holidays - long days of playing video games in the rundown seaside arcade, eating donuts on Stourmouth's underwhelming beach, and causing mischief with his three best friends, Danny, Grace and Nur. Milo's latest obsession is the 1980's arcade game, Worm Blaster. Despite being a pro at video games, he can't make it past the final boss—a giant killer worm that always eats Milo, no matter what he does. The owner of the arcade tells Milo a Worm Blaster is based on real life events. Back in the 1970s, a group of eleven-year-olds supposedly saved the town from a giant, person-eating worm that terrorised the beach for an entire summer. One of the boys, James, went on to become a video game designer. He created Worm Blaster based on his childhood adventures.
Then strange things begin to happen in Stourmouth. It starts with the disappearance of one of the ten colourful beach huts lining the beach. Later, they happen upon the owner of the seafront helter skelter taking refuge on the roof of her ride, terrified that something is trying to eat her. As they watch her taken away in an ambulance, they start to wonder if maybe the story about the giant killer worm is real...
Funny, highly entertaining spooky middle grade packed with monsters and mayhem - for kids who love a good (safe) scream! Perfect for fans of Jennifer Killick and Goosebumps Bestselling YA thriller author Kathryn brings her trademark wit, high energy and fiendish plotting to a younger audience.
346 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 12, 2024
19 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 29, 2024
I received a review copy from the publishers in exchange for an honest review. It has not affected my opinion.
REVENGE OF THE KILLER WORM is another scary caper as four kids try to survive a killer worm stalking the beachside town that no one believes exists.
This tale has so many fun (scary) elements - something stalking people under the sand, a town covering up the truth, quicksand, and strange rumblings. It's all combined into a story where it's an enjoyable level of horror - you can tell the author is having fun writing it, pouring their favourite tropes into it. It also focuses on the monster side of fear (rather than psychological, plumbing the depths of human depravity.)
The friend dynamic is also great, taking several character archetypes (the nerd, the scaredy cat, and so on) and seeing what would happen if they were really put together. Milo, who is moving away, fears their friendship will break up, and this adds a great layer of tension to their friendship and his perception of the stakes. He has to make them remember him or the miles between him will erase him from their lives.
Milo is dyslexic but loves telling stories. However, difficulties spelling at school means he lacks confidence in his stories as anything more than tales to pass the time. I really enjoyed seeing him gain confidence and realise that his stories do deserve to be told and that he has as much right to tell them, even if his spelling isn't as good as his friends'.
REVENGE OF THE KILLER WORM is another scary caper as four kids try to survive a killer worm stalking the beachside town that no one believes exists.
This tale has so many fun (scary) elements - something stalking people under the sand, a town covering up the truth, quicksand, and strange rumblings. It's all combined into a story where it's an enjoyable level of horror - you can tell the author is having fun writing it, pouring their favourite tropes into it. It also focuses on the monster side of fear (rather than psychological, plumbing the depths of human depravity.)
The friend dynamic is also great, taking several character archetypes (the nerd, the scaredy cat, and so on) and seeing what would happen if they were really put together. Milo, who is moving away, fears their friendship will break up, and this adds a great layer of tension to their friendship and his perception of the stakes. He has to make them remember him or the miles between him will erase him from their lives.
Milo is dyslexic but loves telling stories. However, difficulties spelling at school means he lacks confidence in his stories as anything more than tales to pass the time. I really enjoyed seeing him gain confidence and realise that his stories do deserve to be told and that he has as much right to tell them, even if his spelling isn't as good as his friends'.
September 13, 2024
Milo, Nora, Grace and Danny have been friends forever but this is their last summer together in Stourmouth before Milo moves away. As a planned demolition in the beach goes wrong it awakens something that has been sleeping since the 80’s.
Another cracking middle grade horror this time at a seaside resort that has seen better days. The friends deal with dodgy grown ups, a chicken shortage, clingy or demanding parents and a subterranean menace.
This also looks at friendships, how they change or sometimes end. We can outgrow people we have known all our lives, know it’s time to move on and still cling to the familiarity and fun we had like our lives depend upon it. Another fabulous adventure full of thrills, scares and mystery filled with nostalgic movie references for us older readers!
Another cracking middle grade horror this time at a seaside resort that has seen better days. The friends deal with dodgy grown ups, a chicken shortage, clingy or demanding parents and a subterranean menace.
This also looks at friendships, how they change or sometimes end. We can outgrow people we have known all our lives, know it’s time to move on and still cling to the familiarity and fun we had like our lives depend upon it. Another fabulous adventure full of thrills, scares and mystery filled with nostalgic movie references for us older readers!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews