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Sasquatch
Following his parents’ ugly divorce, Jake Oliver chooses to move with his father to a remote corner of Connecticut. It is bad enough that their new home turns out to be a fenced-in dump in the middle of nowhere, but it seems that the previous owner, his dad’s late Uncle Horace, had been the local crackpot ridiculed by the community for his belief that a Bigfoot roamed the vast woodland preserve that lay beyond the property.
Not everything about Jake’s new life is bad, though. His job at the local market is okay, and it doesn’t hurt that his coworker is pretty Nell Davis. But when odd things start to happen, like weird calls in the dead of night, stones thrown by an unseen assailant, and lingering foul odors wafting on the breeze, Jake starts to believe that maybe old Horace wasn’t so crazy after all.
With Nell’s help, Jake is determined to make a name for himself by proving to the world that the mythical Sasquatch is alive and well and living in the woods just on the other side of that fence.
Not everything about Jake’s new life is bad, though. His job at the local market is okay, and it doesn’t hurt that his coworker is pretty Nell Davis. But when odd things start to happen, like weird calls in the dead of night, stones thrown by an unseen assailant, and lingering foul odors wafting on the breeze, Jake starts to believe that maybe old Horace wasn’t so crazy after all.
With Nell’s help, Jake is determined to make a name for himself by proving to the world that the mythical Sasquatch is alive and well and living in the woods just on the other side of that fence.
331 pages, Paperback
First published August 25, 2015
8 people are currently reading
383 people want to read
About the author
Andrea Schicke Hirsch
1 book4 followersAndrea Schicke Hirsch grew up in Norwalk, CT and studied Theatre and English at Fordham University. Following graduation, she continued to reside in New York City to pursue a career in theatre (and became a really good waitress). She eventually returned to Connecticut, where she received her master’s degree in education, was a bookseller and children’s department manager for an independent bookstore, and a freelance editor and copywriter. While there has always been and will forever continue to be a stack of books by her bedside, she is also an avid movie fan, hopeless television binger, excellent cook and works on—usually completes (Saturdays are tough!)—the New York Times crossword puzzle as a daily necessity. She resides in Connecticut with her husband, two children and a pair of bossy dogs.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 21, 2015
www.melissa413readsalot.blogspot.com
I loved it! Anything about "Big ole Foot" I just love :)
The author did a great job with this book in my opinion. The teenagers got on my nerves from time to time, but they are teenagers, they do that.
As mentioned in the blurb, Jake's mom and dad got a divorce and Jake decides to move in with his father out in the middle of no where next to the State Preserve in their late uncle/grandfather Horace's house. Jake's sister Megan decided to live with their mom and her new rich husband.
Jake takes on a job down at the market to help out with the bills and have something to do. Jake's dad just leaves him there for weeks while he travels out of the country to try and work out a deal some products. Not drugs, come on people.
Jake gets a little crush on Nell down at the market. They work together along with this jerk named Barry. Oh, I wanted to beat his arse many a time.
Jake starts looking into Horace's old papers because he was known as the local nutter that believed in Sasquatch. Jake goes out into the woods to meet with old Samuel that lived out there in a ranger type station. Jake would find out information because Samuel was a friend of Horace's and the man that owned the market would send Samuel out a box of food.
Anyway, Jake keeps hearing things and smelling this horrific smell when he would go out in the woods. So he decides to get Nell in on his investigation. They go out with the video camera a few times etc.
Suddenly Jake's sister Megan shows up saying she's staying with him and not going to soccer camp. Now we have the trio going out and trying to find info. They start getting major evidence and some other things I don't want to give away.
Some really bad things happen with that jerk Barry and there ends up being a manhunt for the Sasquatch. This in turn leads to something so good that I can't hardly stand it. I love how the author weaved this story together and where she went with it. The ending was so very good.
I would recommend this book to any Sasquatch lover, just as long as you don't mind the main characters being teens. It didn't matter to me!
I thought this was a funny part in the book:
She looked at us all, her eyes questioning. "They're real, aren't they? Please tell me I'm not seeing things. Or smelling things. That stink alone could revive a coma patient."
**I would like to thank NETGALLEY and SPENCER HILL PRESS for giving me the opportunity to read this book for my honest review.**
I loved it! Anything about "Big ole Foot" I just love :)
The author did a great job with this book in my opinion. The teenagers got on my nerves from time to time, but they are teenagers, they do that.
As mentioned in the blurb, Jake's mom and dad got a divorce and Jake decides to move in with his father out in the middle of no where next to the State Preserve in their late uncle/grandfather Horace's house. Jake's sister Megan decided to live with their mom and her new rich husband.
Jake takes on a job down at the market to help out with the bills and have something to do. Jake's dad just leaves him there for weeks while he travels out of the country to try and work out a deal some products. Not drugs, come on people.
Jake gets a little crush on Nell down at the market. They work together along with this jerk named Barry. Oh, I wanted to beat his arse many a time.
Jake starts looking into Horace's old papers because he was known as the local nutter that believed in Sasquatch. Jake goes out into the woods to meet with old Samuel that lived out there in a ranger type station. Jake would find out information because Samuel was a friend of Horace's and the man that owned the market would send Samuel out a box of food.
Anyway, Jake keeps hearing things and smelling this horrific smell when he would go out in the woods. So he decides to get Nell in on his investigation. They go out with the video camera a few times etc.
Suddenly Jake's sister Megan shows up saying she's staying with him and not going to soccer camp. Now we have the trio going out and trying to find info. They start getting major evidence and some other things I don't want to give away.
Some really bad things happen with that jerk Barry and there ends up being a manhunt for the Sasquatch. This in turn leads to something so good that I can't hardly stand it. I love how the author weaved this story together and where she went with it. The ending was so very good.
I would recommend this book to any Sasquatch lover, just as long as you don't mind the main characters being teens. It didn't matter to me!
I thought this was a funny part in the book:
She looked at us all, her eyes questioning. "They're real, aren't they? Please tell me I'm not seeing things. Or smelling things. That stink alone could revive a coma patient."
**I would like to thank NETGALLEY and SPENCER HILL PRESS for giving me the opportunity to read this book for my honest review.**
November 10, 2015
I haven't read nearly enough books that have Sasquatches in them!! It's such a fascinating subject and not done nearly enough.
In this one we have have Jake, who decides to stay with his father after his parents divorce. His father is left a house in Connecticut and they move there. It's a remote place surrounded by a massive fence. When his father is away on business, Jake finds evidence that his Uncle Horace used to research Bigfoot and is adamant that they are real. Jake thinks nothing of it at first but with things happening, he realises that maybe there is something out there after all. He sets out to find the truth!
I liked Jake. He is a typical teenager but also quite adept at what he puts his mind to. He is angry at his mom for the divorce and meeting someone else so is living with his father. His dad doesn't put in or out with him and often leaves him alone. I admired that Jake was responsible and took care of things.
He keeps hearing things and smelling things in the woods and sets out to find if there is a bigfoot in the woods. He takes everything he sees and uses it to find the truth. I also liked the way he was with Nell, the girl he meets when he takes a job in the market. He has a crush on her and like a typical teenager, mopes after her while saying nothing. He also meets Barry at his job, and gosh, that character was such an ass!!
Anyway, the plot was well written and developed. I liked how it flowed and didn't seem rushed. We get to know the characters before the real action begins, which I also liked. Its the type of story that will grab you and before you know it, an hour has passed. It's easy to read and, despite the subject matter, quite believable!!
In all this was an extremely well written and enjoyable read. The author brings the bigfoot myth alive and makes you want more!! Everything from the relatable characters to the bigfoot legend makes this book a must read. I thoroughly enjoyed this and hope we see more in this world!
In this one we have have Jake, who decides to stay with his father after his parents divorce. His father is left a house in Connecticut and they move there. It's a remote place surrounded by a massive fence. When his father is away on business, Jake finds evidence that his Uncle Horace used to research Bigfoot and is adamant that they are real. Jake thinks nothing of it at first but with things happening, he realises that maybe there is something out there after all. He sets out to find the truth!
I liked Jake. He is a typical teenager but also quite adept at what he puts his mind to. He is angry at his mom for the divorce and meeting someone else so is living with his father. His dad doesn't put in or out with him and often leaves him alone. I admired that Jake was responsible and took care of things.
He keeps hearing things and smelling things in the woods and sets out to find if there is a bigfoot in the woods. He takes everything he sees and uses it to find the truth. I also liked the way he was with Nell, the girl he meets when he takes a job in the market. He has a crush on her and like a typical teenager, mopes after her while saying nothing. He also meets Barry at his job, and gosh, that character was such an ass!!
Anyway, the plot was well written and developed. I liked how it flowed and didn't seem rushed. We get to know the characters before the real action begins, which I also liked. Its the type of story that will grab you and before you know it, an hour has passed. It's easy to read and, despite the subject matter, quite believable!!
In all this was an extremely well written and enjoyable read. The author brings the bigfoot myth alive and makes you want more!! Everything from the relatable characters to the bigfoot legend makes this book a must read. I thoroughly enjoyed this and hope we see more in this world!
July 27, 2015
https://koeur.wordpress.com/2015/07/2...
Publisher: Spencer Hill
Publishing Date: June 2015
ISBN: 9781939392541
Genre: SciFi/YA
Rating: 3.8/5
Publisher Description: Following his parents’ ugly divorce, Jake Oliver chooses to move with his father to a remote corner of Connecticut. It is bad enough that their new home turns out to be a fenced-in dump in the middle of nowhere, but it seems that the previous owner, his dad’s late Uncle Horace, had been the local crackpot ridiculed by the community for his belief that a Bigfoot roamed the vast woodland preserve that lay beyond the property.
Review: I went into this thinking…”New author, YA, mythical creature……meh”. What I got was a talented writer a good story line and well developed characters. There was no insta-love, reluctant hero and clichéd characters that you find in most YA novels today.
Jake was developed as a normal guy that is interested in girls, is ok looking (not sparkly) and wants to get proof of Sasquatch existing after a brief encounter. Nell is interested in Jake and vice versa until she knees him in the crotch during a mutual kissing affair. So not your typical YA rendition. Jake has familial problems as do most of the characters which creates a little tension. The adults are rendered mostly as either dependent, stupid, greedy, eccentric and egocentric. Which jibes with a lot of teens myopic perspectives on adults.
So why you no give 5 stars? There was some padding here and there with back stories and some seemingly repetitive scenes. Jakes 14 year old sister is “really smart” yet behaves like an idiot most of the time. She is either getting drunk, dating the wrong “older” guy or learning Yeti sign language in a week and helping out at the library. She is at once extremely self-centered and then crying over making a mess of things for the people she loves. Buying it? Yeah, a little. I seem to recall being conflicted at that age but not insufferable.
Despite my shjtpicking a good novel. Get it.
Publisher: Spencer Hill
Publishing Date: June 2015
ISBN: 9781939392541
Genre: SciFi/YA
Rating: 3.8/5
Publisher Description: Following his parents’ ugly divorce, Jake Oliver chooses to move with his father to a remote corner of Connecticut. It is bad enough that their new home turns out to be a fenced-in dump in the middle of nowhere, but it seems that the previous owner, his dad’s late Uncle Horace, had been the local crackpot ridiculed by the community for his belief that a Bigfoot roamed the vast woodland preserve that lay beyond the property.
Review: I went into this thinking…”New author, YA, mythical creature……meh”. What I got was a talented writer a good story line and well developed characters. There was no insta-love, reluctant hero and clichéd characters that you find in most YA novels today.
Jake was developed as a normal guy that is interested in girls, is ok looking (not sparkly) and wants to get proof of Sasquatch existing after a brief encounter. Nell is interested in Jake and vice versa until she knees him in the crotch during a mutual kissing affair. So not your typical YA rendition. Jake has familial problems as do most of the characters which creates a little tension. The adults are rendered mostly as either dependent, stupid, greedy, eccentric and egocentric. Which jibes with a lot of teens myopic perspectives on adults.
So why you no give 5 stars? There was some padding here and there with back stories and some seemingly repetitive scenes. Jakes 14 year old sister is “really smart” yet behaves like an idiot most of the time. She is either getting drunk, dating the wrong “older” guy or learning Yeti sign language in a week and helping out at the library. She is at once extremely self-centered and then crying over making a mess of things for the people she loves. Buying it? Yeah, a little. I seem to recall being conflicted at that age but not insufferable.
Despite my shjtpicking a good novel. Get it.
February 6, 2016
I was a little hesitant to pick up this book, because I have never really had an interest in sasquatch before. I felt like this wasn't going to be my cup of tea. However, there were actually a lot of things about this book that I really enjoyed! It was a pleasant surprise.
I really liked the author's writing style in this book. I thought the writing flowed really well and the dialogue was believable. Some of the chapters were a little slow and some scenes felt repetitive, however, the writing was still good as a whole.
I also was surprised with how funny this book was! I laughed numerous times while reading this book. The main character, Jake, was such a hoot. He was a spunky kid with a great sense of humor. I also really liked his friend, Nell. Nell was upbeat and I thought he was a great edition to the little gang.
The one character I really didn't like was Jake's sister. She annoyed me because she was suppose to be "smart", but she constantly did dumb things like get drunk and date dumb boys. I also felt like she was a little self centered and messed a lot of things up. I didn't hate her or anything, but she definitely rubbed me the wrong way.
The subject of sasquatch actually turned out to be quite interesting. I personally don't believe in sasquatch, but it was a lot of fun to read about it! I thought it was really cool how the author incorporated well known sasquatch "evidence" like the foot molds and the Peterson tape into the story. The sasquatch portion of the book was definitely entertaining whether or not I believed in it.
Overall, this was a fun read that brought out the child detective in me. I would have loved reading this when I was younger along with all of my "Goosebumps" and "Nancy Drew" books.
3 / 5 Fangs
*This book was given to me in exchange for a honest review. *
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It
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I really liked the author's writing style in this book. I thought the writing flowed really well and the dialogue was believable. Some of the chapters were a little slow and some scenes felt repetitive, however, the writing was still good as a whole.
I also was surprised with how funny this book was! I laughed numerous times while reading this book. The main character, Jake, was such a hoot. He was a spunky kid with a great sense of humor. I also really liked his friend, Nell. Nell was upbeat and I thought he was a great edition to the little gang.
The one character I really didn't like was Jake's sister. She annoyed me because she was suppose to be "smart", but she constantly did dumb things like get drunk and date dumb boys. I also felt like she was a little self centered and messed a lot of things up. I didn't hate her or anything, but she definitely rubbed me the wrong way.
The subject of sasquatch actually turned out to be quite interesting. I personally don't believe in sasquatch, but it was a lot of fun to read about it! I thought it was really cool how the author incorporated well known sasquatch "evidence" like the foot molds and the Peterson tape into the story. The sasquatch portion of the book was definitely entertaining whether or not I believed in it.
Overall, this was a fun read that brought out the child detective in me. I would have loved reading this when I was younger along with all of my "Goosebumps" and "Nancy Drew" books.
3 / 5 Fangs
*This book was given to me in exchange for a honest review. *
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It
August 12, 2015
I got Sasquatch as an ARC ebook from NetGalley.
This was a really fun read! Young boy moves to a secluded town with his dad. He moves into his uncle's house and discovers that his uncle was the town 'crackpot' obsessing over bigfoot. Come to find out the legend may be real!
Extremely well written. It flowed really well and the writing style was easy reading. It was quite humorous and I chuckled quite a bit throughout the novel. I felt that there were some chapters that were unneeded to develop the main story, but it moved so fast it didn't matter. The book had you from the very beginning. It was engaging and the mystery just kept you pulled in! The story is told from the main character, Jake's, point of view. He is very spunky and funny. I really like they was the entire story was told. The end was insanely cool. I loved how it ended. It was so just so well done.
All the characters were great. All likable, diverse and well developed. They may have been YA characters but they were so genuine I wasn't annoyed by any of their 'teenage' traits I often despise in YA novels. Our hero, Jake, was so cool. Along with his sister and his friend Nell. They were all so upbeat and had great attitudes given this situation. I just really liked them all - they were way awesome.
I really love the aspect of bringing the legend of bigfoot into a novel. I love all the cool references; the Peterson tape, foot casts, structures, and even a cryptozoologist! I love cryptozoology and this book, even as a YA novel, fueled my addiction to subject. The way the bigfoot legend was woven in was just supremely done. It was so imaginative and just keep you yearning for more while you were reading. It really does make you question what is legend and what is real.
Definitely a great read! Highly recommend!
This was a really fun read! Young boy moves to a secluded town with his dad. He moves into his uncle's house and discovers that his uncle was the town 'crackpot' obsessing over bigfoot. Come to find out the legend may be real!
Extremely well written. It flowed really well and the writing style was easy reading. It was quite humorous and I chuckled quite a bit throughout the novel. I felt that there were some chapters that were unneeded to develop the main story, but it moved so fast it didn't matter. The book had you from the very beginning. It was engaging and the mystery just kept you pulled in! The story is told from the main character, Jake's, point of view. He is very spunky and funny. I really like they was the entire story was told. The end was insanely cool. I loved how it ended. It was so just so well done.
All the characters were great. All likable, diverse and well developed. They may have been YA characters but they were so genuine I wasn't annoyed by any of their 'teenage' traits I often despise in YA novels. Our hero, Jake, was so cool. Along with his sister and his friend Nell. They were all so upbeat and had great attitudes given this situation. I just really liked them all - they were way awesome.
I really love the aspect of bringing the legend of bigfoot into a novel. I love all the cool references; the Peterson tape, foot casts, structures, and even a cryptozoologist! I love cryptozoology and this book, even as a YA novel, fueled my addiction to subject. The way the bigfoot legend was woven in was just supremely done. It was so imaginative and just keep you yearning for more while you were reading. It really does make you question what is legend and what is real.
Definitely a great read! Highly recommend!
August 27, 2015
This was one of the best teen books I have come across in a while! Part mystery, part adventure, as a teen, this would have been one of my treasured favorites. Excellent pacing, seamless plot development, and extremely realistic and relatable characters. Overall, I was most impressed by how genuinely interested the author gets you into the story, as an adult I had a hard time putting it down! Would be a great choice for any kid.
September 8, 2015
I received a free ARC of Sasquatch by Andrea Schicke Hirsch. That does not affect my review.
I give Sasquatch 3.5 stars rounded up.
While I tend to stay away from books that involve mythical creatures like Bigfoot or the Yeti, I decided to give Sasquatch a try. The blurb on the back sounded interesting and it looked like a short and easy read. I had nothing to lose so I cracked the book open and gave it a read.
There's a lot more than what meets the eye. Sasquatch is fast-paced and the plot never slows down. You are on the edge of your seat until the very end. I enjoyed that quite a bit. However, I wasn't satisfied on all the small sub-plots going on. I didn't care about all the TV crew scenes with Rick Morris. They just took up more time and were just too much.
I was disappointed in the Sasquatchs. The book at the beginning made them seem like some big, scary monsters but they weren't. Instead, they just wanted a place to hid out and were generally nice to the main characters.
The characters were decent enough. Jake is a pretty average male, YA protagonist. His job is to keep all the other characters he cares about safe while going about the plot doing everything perfectly. I wasn't crazy about him.
His sister, Megan, was not fourteen years old. I don't care how many times the text says she is, there's not way that girl is fourteen. Her attitude and just the way she goes about her everyday life is not that of a fourteen year old's. Trust me, I'm fourteen.
I expected more romance between Nell and Jake. In fact, I was rooting for them to end up together. Nell's motives didn't make sense to me and she often left me confused because her actions weren't really ever explained.
In the end, I would recommend Sasquatch,/i> to a younger young adult (if that makes sense). Sure there's hits of sex and drugs but honestly, I just felt kind of old reading Sasquatch.
I give Sasquatch 3.5 stars rounded up.
While I tend to stay away from books that involve mythical creatures like Bigfoot or the Yeti, I decided to give Sasquatch a try. The blurb on the back sounded interesting and it looked like a short and easy read. I had nothing to lose so I cracked the book open and gave it a read.
There's a lot more than what meets the eye. Sasquatch is fast-paced and the plot never slows down. You are on the edge of your seat until the very end. I enjoyed that quite a bit. However, I wasn't satisfied on all the small sub-plots going on. I didn't care about all the TV crew scenes with Rick Morris. They just took up more time and were just too much.
I was disappointed in the Sasquatchs. The book at the beginning made them seem like some big, scary monsters but they weren't. Instead, they just wanted a place to hid out and were generally nice to the main characters.
The characters were decent enough. Jake is a pretty average male, YA protagonist. His job is to keep all the other characters he cares about safe while going about the plot doing everything perfectly. I wasn't crazy about him.
His sister, Megan, was not fourteen years old. I don't care how many times the text says she is, there's not way that girl is fourteen. Her attitude and just the way she goes about her everyday life is not that of a fourteen year old's. Trust me, I'm fourteen.
I expected more romance between Nell and Jake. In fact, I was rooting for them to end up together. Nell's motives didn't make sense to me and she often left me confused because her actions weren't really ever explained.
In the end, I would recommend Sasquatch,/i> to a younger young adult (if that makes sense). Sure there's hits of sex and drugs but honestly, I just felt kind of old reading Sasquatch.
August 3, 2015
I received a digital edition of this book courtesy of Netgalley, which is totally awesome of them. Thank you, Netgalley!
This is not your typical "scary-thing-in-the-woods" sort of book. Sasquatch is an enjoyable read; in fact, I found it to be a real page-turner. As the protagonist, 16-year-old Jake is a likable character: smart, capable, and at times, charmingly awkward. After his parents separate, Jake and his dad move into a recently deceased uncle's cabin. Imagine his surprise when Jake finds that his "crazy" uncle Horace, the town laughingstock, spent his days and nights studying Bigfoot.
But Jake soon discovers that Horace might have been on to something. After witnessing a series of strange events, Jake decides his true calling is as Bigfoot documentarian, and he enlists his little sister, Megan, and his kind-of girlfriend, Nell, to aid him in his quest. But word soon leaks out, and every Bigfoot-hunter in the country -- not to mention the national media -- descends upon their quiet community.
This is the kind of book I would have read over and over when I was a kid. The Bigfoot aspect is an obvious kid winner, and there are enough action sequences to keep the reader engaged. The setting is well drawn and authentic, Jake's relationships with Nell and Megan are portrayed realistically, and the dialogue is good. But reading this as an adult (of a sort), I really could have done without a lot of the stereotypical teen-ish drama. I also found the exceedingly short chapter lengths to be distracting at first, but after I settled into the story, this became less of an annoyance.
Overall, the author succeeds in portraying the kids-on-an-adventure tale without resorting to cliche', and the authentic characters and small-town setting make SASQUATCH a fun, highly imaginative, read. 3.5/5 stars.
This is not your typical "scary-thing-in-the-woods" sort of book. Sasquatch is an enjoyable read; in fact, I found it to be a real page-turner. As the protagonist, 16-year-old Jake is a likable character: smart, capable, and at times, charmingly awkward. After his parents separate, Jake and his dad move into a recently deceased uncle's cabin. Imagine his surprise when Jake finds that his "crazy" uncle Horace, the town laughingstock, spent his days and nights studying Bigfoot.
But Jake soon discovers that Horace might have been on to something. After witnessing a series of strange events, Jake decides his true calling is as Bigfoot documentarian, and he enlists his little sister, Megan, and his kind-of girlfriend, Nell, to aid him in his quest. But word soon leaks out, and every Bigfoot-hunter in the country -- not to mention the national media -- descends upon their quiet community.
This is the kind of book I would have read over and over when I was a kid. The Bigfoot aspect is an obvious kid winner, and there are enough action sequences to keep the reader engaged. The setting is well drawn and authentic, Jake's relationships with Nell and Megan are portrayed realistically, and the dialogue is good. But reading this as an adult (of a sort), I really could have done without a lot of the stereotypical teen-ish drama. I also found the exceedingly short chapter lengths to be distracting at first, but after I settled into the story, this became less of an annoyance.
Overall, the author succeeds in portraying the kids-on-an-adventure tale without resorting to cliche', and the authentic characters and small-town setting make SASQUATCH a fun, highly imaginative, read. 3.5/5 stars.
August 2, 2015
I received a digital copy of this title from the publisher via Netgalley.
Ten Second Synopsis:
Since his parents’ divorce, Jake elected to live with his dad, which means moving to his late Uncle Horace’s cabin in the deep woods of a tiny town. Uncle Horace was known as the town crackpot because of his fascination with Sasquatch and his belief that one lived in the very woods surrounding Jake’s new home – but with malodorous wafts, strange calls in the night and even stranger happenings when he goes walking in the woods, Jake’s not so sure his uncle was crazy after all.
It’s rare to find a YA novel with a strong male protagonist who isn’t either bully or bullied, labelled as a nerd or a jock, and who possesses confidence and the ability to look after himself and manage his own emotions. There was something very refreshing about this novel and I suspect it has something to do with the fact that it steered away from the overused YA tropes I’ve mentioned above and just stuck to good old-fashioned, realistic monster hunting.
Of course, one can’t spend all one’s time hunting Sasquatch and there are plenty of non-monster related problems that Jake gets himself into with his new neighbours and friends and the book is better for it. The author has managed to blend the “real-life” issues of a young lad with a mythical overlay and realistic characters and the result is a quality read. Overall, this is a fun, engaging novel with a fantasy edge, some satisfying twists and authentic portrayals of teenagers left to their own devices with a mythical beast (possibly) on the loose.
Ten Second Synopsis:
Since his parents’ divorce, Jake elected to live with his dad, which means moving to his late Uncle Horace’s cabin in the deep woods of a tiny town. Uncle Horace was known as the town crackpot because of his fascination with Sasquatch and his belief that one lived in the very woods surrounding Jake’s new home – but with malodorous wafts, strange calls in the night and even stranger happenings when he goes walking in the woods, Jake’s not so sure his uncle was crazy after all.
It’s rare to find a YA novel with a strong male protagonist who isn’t either bully or bullied, labelled as a nerd or a jock, and who possesses confidence and the ability to look after himself and manage his own emotions. There was something very refreshing about this novel and I suspect it has something to do with the fact that it steered away from the overused YA tropes I’ve mentioned above and just stuck to good old-fashioned, realistic monster hunting.
Of course, one can’t spend all one’s time hunting Sasquatch and there are plenty of non-monster related problems that Jake gets himself into with his new neighbours and friends and the book is better for it. The author has managed to blend the “real-life” issues of a young lad with a mythical overlay and realistic characters and the result is a quality read. Overall, this is a fun, engaging novel with a fantasy edge, some satisfying twists and authentic portrayals of teenagers left to their own devices with a mythical beast (possibly) on the loose.
August 25, 2015
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. Where on earth do I start? I really enjoyed reading this book and actually took my time with it because I wanted it to last. If I had been a teenager I would have been reading this more than once. I love anything to do with Sasquatch and the author did an absolutely wonderful job of blending typical teenagers with a legend.
After their his parents break up, Jake finds himself living with his father in a small town in a house surrounded by woods that happen to be home to a family of sasquatch. Jake starts off by wanting to cash in on the potential cash grab but then finds himself trying to protect the sasquatch with the help of a group of friends. This was such a fun read and I would definitely recommend it to the YA crowd. I wanted to read it for two reasons. One is that as I said, I love anything to do with sasquatch, and secondly, my daughter is now reading YA novels and I like to be able to recommend some of them to her. I will definitely be recommending this book to her. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.
After their his parents break up, Jake finds himself living with his father in a small town in a house surrounded by woods that happen to be home to a family of sasquatch. Jake starts off by wanting to cash in on the potential cash grab but then finds himself trying to protect the sasquatch with the help of a group of friends. This was such a fun read and I would definitely recommend it to the YA crowd. I wanted to read it for two reasons. One is that as I said, I love anything to do with sasquatch, and secondly, my daughter is now reading YA novels and I like to be able to recommend some of them to her. I will definitely be recommending this book to her. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.
October 10, 2016
Wack! “What was that?” Someone is throwing pebbles at us. Wack! Okay quit it, we know you are out there.” Sasquatch is full on constant mystery and excitement. Early in the book, Jake is forced to decide who to live with between his divorced parents. Ultimately Jake chooses his dad who is left with little money after the divorce, opting them to move to a small town in Connecticut. An ordinary summer turned extraordinary when Jake meets new friends and encounters mysteries in the forest. A shipment error forced Jake's dad to scramble to South America leaving Jake all alone. It is a blessing in disguise as he is now able to work on his efforts of catching big foot on camera. With his ‘crush’ Nell and sister Megan along his side, makes an effort to find and understand ‘Bigfoot's’ life. Teenage drama fills the book as Jake is held responsible to make decisions for both himself and his sister while hiding the biggest secrete the town has to offer.
This book was a quick read with a great story line. I do not like non-fiction books but this story has opened my mind to find a great story alike. I’d recommend to teenagers or adults with an open mind for a quick, quick read.
This book was a quick read with a great story line. I do not like non-fiction books but this story has opened my mind to find a great story alike. I’d recommend to teenagers or adults with an open mind for a quick, quick read.
July 26, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and Spencer Hill Press for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I really wanted to like this book. The idea of Sasquatch really existing has always been intriguing for me. After all, there are many photos and accounts of such a thing existing. And while, I would have loved to say this story made that even more exciting for me, it did not. I think mostly because I went into it thinking YA but came out of it thinking middle grade. And by came out of it I mean DNF'd about half way through. I just was not invested in the story or what was happening to Jake. I didn't like his character or the pacing of the overall story, though the plot really did have potential.
I'm sure others will love this story more than I did.
I really wanted to like this book. The idea of Sasquatch really existing has always been intriguing for me. After all, there are many photos and accounts of such a thing existing. And while, I would have loved to say this story made that even more exciting for me, it did not. I think mostly because I went into it thinking YA but came out of it thinking middle grade. And by came out of it I mean DNF'd about half way through. I just was not invested in the story or what was happening to Jake. I didn't like his character or the pacing of the overall story, though the plot really did have potential.
I'm sure others will love this story more than I did.
September 6, 2016
This was slow to get started, but it turned into a nice story. This boy is relocated to the Connecticut countryside due to a divorce and encounters Bigfoot. He meets many people, good and bad, on his mission to find and help the Sasquatch. I'd recommend this to anyone who is interested in cryptozoology and wants a quick and easy book to read.
June 4, 2016
A well-paced, intriguing novel about a young boy's quest to discover the truth behind the elusive Sasquatch myth. Strong character development and attention-grabbing plot make this a strong novel and a great read for any middle school child. Get it!
August 3, 2020
Good story
This was an enjoyable book. It was a very easy distracting fun story. It was written very well. From a young person’s perspective.
This was an enjoyable book. It was a very easy distracting fun story. It was written very well. From a young person’s perspective.
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