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A Miracle on McLean Street: A Story of Love and Horror
546 pages, Paperback
Published August 24, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
July 5, 2026
This is a lovely coming-of-age story set in the Pine Barrens near Freehold Township, New Jersey.
Pull up a couple of bottles of Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill and a handful of chili dogs, put some Springsteen on low, and strap yourself in a for a nostalgic walk through a winter of mysteries in the land of the Pineys!
In the vain of "Stand By Me" you'll join a group of youngsters as they navigate puberty, term papers and the awakening of the Jersey Devil after the newly Route 9 cuts through his home on Hessians Ridge. Part Nancy Drew, part Stephen King's "The Body" and all heart, "A Miracle on McLean Street" is a heartwarming story of life in the Garden State. It will definitely make you feel like a kid again.
One of the best parts of the book is that since it is based on high schoolers doing projects revolving around New Jersey, you get to learn a lot of interesting facts about the area. Whether that be the legend of Mother Leeds that inspired an entire state, and one of the NHL's most respected hockey teams to adopt a demonic mascot, a glowing cross that even made the Vatican take notice, or the "Lindberg of Mexico", there are plenty of interesting facts and stats to learn here.
But it's not all pork rolls and disco fries either. There are plenty of thrilling moments in the dense pines of the barrens when the Devil is seemingly just beyond reach. Mutilated livestock dot the countryside as the ungodly screams of "the keening" pierce the chilly night air. As if that's not enough, the evil "Pondkin" souls of drowned children are just below the brittle ice waiting to take you to the depths of your frigid and watery grave. Also be warned, you might shed some tears in a final act move not seen since the likes of "Where the Red Fern Grows"; so come prepared.
One of my personal favorite things about the book is it references to a one Mr. Ichabod Crane and a certain Headless Hessian on more than one occasion. That's something very near and dear to my heart. Both the Jersey Devil and the Headless Horseman simultaneously terrorize their respective communities but have also been embraced by those people in an odd display of cultural yin and yang. The Unhallowed Horseman certainly would welcome Baby Leeds to a thrill-off anytime!
This book will leave you feeling good and wanting to visit New Jersey. It's a love letter to church bazaars, swimming holes, and all the things that make tiny portions of America unique in their own right... Liberty and Prosperity and Cranberries for All, Devil be damned!
Pull up a couple of bottles of Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill and a handful of chili dogs, put some Springsteen on low, and strap yourself in a for a nostalgic walk through a winter of mysteries in the land of the Pineys!
In the vain of "Stand By Me" you'll join a group of youngsters as they navigate puberty, term papers and the awakening of the Jersey Devil after the newly Route 9 cuts through his home on Hessians Ridge. Part Nancy Drew, part Stephen King's "The Body" and all heart, "A Miracle on McLean Street" is a heartwarming story of life in the Garden State. It will definitely make you feel like a kid again.
One of the best parts of the book is that since it is based on high schoolers doing projects revolving around New Jersey, you get to learn a lot of interesting facts about the area. Whether that be the legend of Mother Leeds that inspired an entire state, and one of the NHL's most respected hockey teams to adopt a demonic mascot, a glowing cross that even made the Vatican take notice, or the "Lindberg of Mexico", there are plenty of interesting facts and stats to learn here.
But it's not all pork rolls and disco fries either. There are plenty of thrilling moments in the dense pines of the barrens when the Devil is seemingly just beyond reach. Mutilated livestock dot the countryside as the ungodly screams of "the keening" pierce the chilly night air. As if that's not enough, the evil "Pondkin" souls of drowned children are just below the brittle ice waiting to take you to the depths of your frigid and watery grave. Also be warned, you might shed some tears in a final act move not seen since the likes of "Where the Red Fern Grows"; so come prepared.
One of my personal favorite things about the book is it references to a one Mr. Ichabod Crane and a certain Headless Hessian on more than one occasion. That's something very near and dear to my heart. Both the Jersey Devil and the Headless Horseman simultaneously terrorize their respective communities but have also been embraced by those people in an odd display of cultural yin and yang. The Unhallowed Horseman certainly would welcome Baby Leeds to a thrill-off anytime!
This book will leave you feeling good and wanting to visit New Jersey. It's a love letter to church bazaars, swimming holes, and all the things that make tiny portions of America unique in their own right... Liberty and Prosperity and Cranberries for All, Devil be damned!
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review