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Puzzle Trees
A high school freshman grapples with change, loss, and little green monsters.
Countless vampire and zombie novels have been published for young adults, but Puzzle Trees uniquely explores the impact of horror entertainment upon one vulnerable high school freshman.
The Story
High school freshman Joe Sheffield has only recently begun to control his obsession with all things grim and gruesome. But when two of his best friends move away, and his last best friend gravitates toward a new set of friends, Joe feels his dark fantasies and phobias returning with a vengeance, even as he is drawn to Gina, a mysterious bird-like classmate with her own dark secret.
While searching for his principal's kitten, Joe discovers that several cats have disappeared within a single day from his principal's neighborhood. Unable to accept a more rational explanation, he comes to believe that predatory green primates have moved among the "puzzle trees," those decaying woods that lie between his principal's house and his own. When Theo, his skeptical but equally troubled half-brother, pays Joe a surprise visit, they go hunting for these possibly real, possibly imaginary creatures. Their astonishing discovery opens the door to a deeper mystery, one with potentially tragic consequences, which Joe must face alone.
The Author
"I am a librarian who has worked several years in public television, specializing in digital preservation. An earlier version of Puzzle Trees, titled The Green Apettes was a semi-finalist in the Amazon Young Adult contest, as well as a finalist in the Leapfrog Press Fiction Contest (Children's/Young Adult). I have won the Ellis Literary Award for Short Fiction, and have received a Pushcart Prize nomination."
Countless vampire and zombie novels have been published for young adults, but Puzzle Trees uniquely explores the impact of horror entertainment upon one vulnerable high school freshman.
The Story
High school freshman Joe Sheffield has only recently begun to control his obsession with all things grim and gruesome. But when two of his best friends move away, and his last best friend gravitates toward a new set of friends, Joe feels his dark fantasies and phobias returning with a vengeance, even as he is drawn to Gina, a mysterious bird-like classmate with her own dark secret.
While searching for his principal's kitten, Joe discovers that several cats have disappeared within a single day from his principal's neighborhood. Unable to accept a more rational explanation, he comes to believe that predatory green primates have moved among the "puzzle trees," those decaying woods that lie between his principal's house and his own. When Theo, his skeptical but equally troubled half-brother, pays Joe a surprise visit, they go hunting for these possibly real, possibly imaginary creatures. Their astonishing discovery opens the door to a deeper mystery, one with potentially tragic consequences, which Joe must face alone.
The Author
"I am a librarian who has worked several years in public television, specializing in digital preservation. An earlier version of Puzzle Trees, titled The Green Apettes was a semi-finalist in the Amazon Young Adult contest, as well as a finalist in the Leapfrog Press Fiction Contest (Children's/Young Adult). I have won the Ellis Literary Award for Short Fiction, and have received a Pushcart Prize nomination."
339 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2015
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11 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 14, 2015
Puzzle Trees is not a traditional horror story because there isn't much gore, but there’s plenty of suspense and excitement. This book is perfect for teens, but will be enjoyed by grown-ups as well. As a thirty-something woman, I found this book entertaining from start to finish, so it’s not just for the kids.
The main character is a precocious teenager named Joe. He has a playful sense of humor, and the book is filled with his one-liners that had me laughing out loud. This book reminds grown-ups what it's like to be a teen, having no one really respect you or take you seriously. Beneath his tough exterior Joe is quite sensitive - something that his family and peers often forget.
Sadly, two of Joe's best friends move away, and his last remaining friend starts hanging out with the cool crowd, leaving Joe on his own most of the time. Fortunately, Joe has plenty to keep him busy when an enchanting new girl in school needs his help. This is Gina, one of my favorite characters in the book, a gentle soul (she's a vegan), who nonetheless has no problem calling Joe on his b.s., and it's Joe's interactions with this girl that unknowingly puts him in the path of little green monsters.
Joe's older brother, Theo, who moved away years earlier, visits the family and gets dragged into the search for the little green monsters. I don't want to give away any secrets, but I will say I was pleased to find out what the monsters really were. In most monster stories you don't get any explanation about the origination of the monsters, but Puzzle Trees has quite a cool explanation.
I really enjoyed Thom Mark Shepard's writing style. He has a way of drawing the reader into the story by adding little nuggets about the characters that make them seem real. His descriptions are beautiful and vivid, and I can't wait to read whatever Shepard writes next. This book gets five very bright stars from me!
The main character is a precocious teenager named Joe. He has a playful sense of humor, and the book is filled with his one-liners that had me laughing out loud. This book reminds grown-ups what it's like to be a teen, having no one really respect you or take you seriously. Beneath his tough exterior Joe is quite sensitive - something that his family and peers often forget.
Sadly, two of Joe's best friends move away, and his last remaining friend starts hanging out with the cool crowd, leaving Joe on his own most of the time. Fortunately, Joe has plenty to keep him busy when an enchanting new girl in school needs his help. This is Gina, one of my favorite characters in the book, a gentle soul (she's a vegan), who nonetheless has no problem calling Joe on his b.s., and it's Joe's interactions with this girl that unknowingly puts him in the path of little green monsters.
Joe's older brother, Theo, who moved away years earlier, visits the family and gets dragged into the search for the little green monsters. I don't want to give away any secrets, but I will say I was pleased to find out what the monsters really were. In most monster stories you don't get any explanation about the origination of the monsters, but Puzzle Trees has quite a cool explanation.
I really enjoyed Thom Mark Shepard's writing style. He has a way of drawing the reader into the story by adding little nuggets about the characters that make them seem real. His descriptions are beautiful and vivid, and I can't wait to read whatever Shepard writes next. This book gets five very bright stars from me!
September 1, 2015
Good messages abound in unusual tale
This book takes on a lot of issues, but does so with enough humor and heart to make it not overwhelming. I'm happy to report that the heroes and villains are spread fairly evenly among the adults and the teens, painting a more realistic picture of people than sometimes happens in youth and young adult fiction.
This book takes on a lot of issues, but does so with enough humor and heart to make it not overwhelming. I'm happy to report that the heroes and villains are spread fairly evenly among the adults and the teens, painting a more realistic picture of people than sometimes happens in youth and young adult fiction.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews