What do you think?
Rate this book
Monsterstreet #1
The Boy Who Cried Werewolf
The Monsterstreet series kicks off with this chilling tale about a boy who discovers his father was killed by a legendary werewolf.
Max Bloodnight can’t decide what’s more terrifying about his weekend in Wolf County—the fact that he has to stay with grandparents he’s never met before or being stuck on a farm without cell service. If only that was all he had to fear.
Determined to solve the mystery of his father’s death, which occurred years before at the claws of a legendary werewolf, Max must hunt to uncover the truth before the full moon rises . . . and the werewolf strikes again.
Max Bloodnight can’t decide what’s more terrifying about his weekend in Wolf County—the fact that he has to stay with grandparents he’s never met before or being stuck on a farm without cell service. If only that was all he had to fear.
Determined to solve the mystery of his father’s death, which occurred years before at the claws of a legendary werewolf, Max must hunt to uncover the truth before the full moon rises . . . and the werewolf strikes again.
176 pages, Paperback
First published July 2, 2019
9 people are currently reading
2492 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 - 30 of 99 reviews
May 10, 2020
This was a super quick, fun little spooky read, and I really enjoyed it! Having grown up on Goosebumps, it was nice to see a new author doing something similar that's more updated for today's kids (with pop culture references, mentions of his iPad and cell phone, etc.). Of course, everything felt very predictable and the ending was cheesy and over-the-top, but in that quintessential, delightful middle grade way that I enjoy so much. I highly recommend this for anyone who generally enjoys MG horror, and I especially recommend the audiobook, where the narrator did a great job.
Thank you so much to LibroFM for providing me with this ALC in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you so much to LibroFM for providing me with this ALC in exchange for an honest review!
February 17, 2021
This was cute! Think Goosebumps for modern day readers, but slightly elevated above Stine's level of writing. Children usually want a little more from their books these days, so The Boy Who Cried Werewolf allots time for character development and a moral. For instance, this book makes the point of accepting oneself. Author J.H. Reynolds doesn't beat readers over the head with this message, but does it in a very heartfelt way. I liked this first book in the Monsterstreet series, and I appreciated the nods to The Werewolf of Fever Swamp. Can't wait to read the next book!
May 19, 2022
A quick and fun modern day Goosebumps type of book. I would say this is a pretty solid middle grade horror story with a smooth and easy writing style. It feels more inspired than derivative, but due to the nature of this niche subgenre it's hard to be entirely original, and it's impossible to ignore the parallels to Stine's Werewolf of Fever Swamp.
All in all this was an entertaining and fast paced read, with a couple of surprising twists at the end. I wasn't overly impressed, though, and I think younger readers who maybe haven't been as exposed to this type of stuff would enjoy it more...
A solid 3⭐
All in all this was an entertaining and fast paced read, with a couple of surprising twists at the end. I wasn't overly impressed, though, and I think younger readers who maybe haven't been as exposed to this type of stuff would enjoy it more...
A solid 3⭐
January 13, 2025
I must say, I feel like I have heard this story a dozen different times. Unfortunately it was nothing unique, although I think the writing was great and could very much be enjoyed by a youngster who hasn’t read too many Middle grade horror books about werewolves.
June 16, 2021
4 out of 5 stars!
This was a fun middle grade horror book! Perfect for the fall & Halloween spooky season.
I probably could've gotten through this in one or two sittings if I wasn't busy with... life.
This book had very short chapters which kept me flipping the pages.
Even though it was pretty predictable I still was able to enjoy the suspense and mystery of the story.
My only con is that I could've done without all the hunting references. The third chapter has the grandma of the story introduced carrying a dead pig that she slaughtered. Be forewarned because I wish I had known beforehand.
Other than that I was really able to enjoy this story and look forward to reading book #2 in the Monsterstreet series.
This was a fun middle grade horror book! Perfect for the fall & Halloween spooky season.
I probably could've gotten through this in one or two sittings if I wasn't busy with... life.
This book had very short chapters which kept me flipping the pages.
Even though it was pretty predictable I still was able to enjoy the suspense and mystery of the story.
My only con is that I could've done without all the hunting references. The third chapter has the grandma of the story introduced carrying a dead pig that she slaughtered. Be forewarned because I wish I had known beforehand.
Other than that I was really able to enjoy this story and look forward to reading book #2 in the Monsterstreet series.
May 6, 2024
I wanted something quick so why not finally wrap up Monsterstreet. You can hit up my Carnevil review for the lore but it's one of the modern Goosebumps throwback type series. The others so far have been quite good so I wanted to go to the start to finish it and judge the series overall. Let's do it.
Max Bloodnight is visiting his grandparents in the small town of wolf county. His dad died when he was young and doesn’t recall a ton, and doesn’t even know the full details of his death. Mom doesn’t like to talk about it much. The grandparents are on his dad side and despite not knowing them well, they invited Max over so they can fix that and give him a surprise.
There are rumors of a beast roaming the forrest so he’s banned from there. This beast may have been around 12 years ago, around when his father died. Plus he’s told not to trust the neighbors and the neighbors don’t trust the bloodnight family much either.
Max has to figure out this mystery and how his dad may be tied to hunters that once killed a werewolf. So this was pretty good and there isn’t too much to say about it. By now I knew there were fun and easy to read and this started it well. I quite like the setup, as it has an emotional element and raises a good mystery.
Granted, I figured what the answer would be somewhat early on. Infact, I will say this borrows elements you have seen before if you’re read a lot of these, especially Goosebumps. I won’t spoil anything but Werewolf Skin in particular may have influenced this one. A kid won’t notice that though, and it still does its own thing to stand out.
These always do a good job at keeping you reading. This one in particular is able to keep the mystery going as it reveals bits and puts in tension and action in the right places. There is very little filler and it doesn’t feel like you’re waiting too long for the other foot to drop.
The mystery can be obvious in places but still remains engaging. The writing is good with enough atmosphere as well. The short sentences bug is here but it seems like the camp one had that the worst, although there were a couple fake outs here I wasn’t crazy about. Thankfully it is far from overdosed.
The twists work well and add some depth. The main big twist has been done a lot but I like how they did it. Max is a fair lead and I like the nice bow the ending gives us. The exposition can be a lot but the ending is still well done and satisfying. The book is just well done even as it has some standard elements.
I'd place this last for these but it's still pretty solid. The tone is on point with it being darker in a safe way. We got animal death, no wonder Stine likes it.
A good start for the series and a good end for me. Overall, Monsterstreet is pretty good, certainly a favorite for these. They can have Stine envy with the writing but they offer strong stories.
They have a good pacing and offer substance. It's a strong mix and these are exactly what I wanna see in these. There's heart and horror to spare. It feels the idea Goosebumps successor in a way.
Carnevil is the peak but the rest are solid too. Shame it ended at 4 due to the marker I assume. Ah well, at least we got these.
That does it for this. I know what my next couple reads will be but I'll keep it secret in case they fall through. Some fun stuff ahead.
See ya then.
Max Bloodnight is visiting his grandparents in the small town of wolf county. His dad died when he was young and doesn’t recall a ton, and doesn’t even know the full details of his death. Mom doesn’t like to talk about it much. The grandparents are on his dad side and despite not knowing them well, they invited Max over so they can fix that and give him a surprise.
There are rumors of a beast roaming the forrest so he’s banned from there. This beast may have been around 12 years ago, around when his father died. Plus he’s told not to trust the neighbors and the neighbors don’t trust the bloodnight family much either.
Max has to figure out this mystery and how his dad may be tied to hunters that once killed a werewolf. So this was pretty good and there isn’t too much to say about it. By now I knew there were fun and easy to read and this started it well. I quite like the setup, as it has an emotional element and raises a good mystery.
Granted, I figured what the answer would be somewhat early on. Infact, I will say this borrows elements you have seen before if you’re read a lot of these, especially Goosebumps. I won’t spoil anything but Werewolf Skin in particular may have influenced this one. A kid won’t notice that though, and it still does its own thing to stand out.
These always do a good job at keeping you reading. This one in particular is able to keep the mystery going as it reveals bits and puts in tension and action in the right places. There is very little filler and it doesn’t feel like you’re waiting too long for the other foot to drop.
The mystery can be obvious in places but still remains engaging. The writing is good with enough atmosphere as well. The short sentences bug is here but it seems like the camp one had that the worst, although there were a couple fake outs here I wasn’t crazy about. Thankfully it is far from overdosed.
The twists work well and add some depth. The main big twist has been done a lot but I like how they did it. Max is a fair lead and I like the nice bow the ending gives us. The exposition can be a lot but the ending is still well done and satisfying. The book is just well done even as it has some standard elements.
I'd place this last for these but it's still pretty solid. The tone is on point with it being darker in a safe way. We got animal death, no wonder Stine likes it.
A good start for the series and a good end for me. Overall, Monsterstreet is pretty good, certainly a favorite for these. They can have Stine envy with the writing but they offer strong stories.
They have a good pacing and offer substance. It's a strong mix and these are exactly what I wanna see in these. There's heart and horror to spare. It feels the idea Goosebumps successor in a way.
Carnevil is the peak but the rest are solid too. Shame it ended at 4 due to the marker I assume. Ah well, at least we got these.
That does it for this. I know what my next couple reads will be but I'll keep it secret in case they fall through. Some fun stuff ahead.
See ya then.
January 16, 2019
We found an advanced copy from a box in our library over winter break. It had two stories in one book. I read them first and then let my 11 year old son read them. I thought this first story was a really fun werewolf mystery book for kids. My son couldn’t put it down and was totally surprised by the ending (so was I). After he finished, he immediately started reading the second book.
January 16, 2019
We found an advanced copy from a box in our library over winter break. It had two stories in one book. I read them first and then let my 11 year old son read them. I thought this first story was a really fun werewolf mystery book for kids. My son couldn’t put it down and was totally surprised by the ending (so was I). After he finished, he immediately started reading the second book.
September 22, 2019
It’s a mysterious and surprising tale regarding a young boy who finally discovers his father and the grandparents, that he doesn’t recall. The story moves quickly; swallowing you in an adventure where you’re not sure what will happen in the end.
Max finds it strange that he’s off to spend a weekend alone with some relatives that he doesn’t even know or remember. Yet, somehow, he is told the time is right for this visit with his grandparents. Welcome to Creepville, in Wolf County. This can’t be the place when they finally turn off the engine and get out. The home has been taken over by cobwebs, some boarded up windows, and Max will discover later, no phone or electricity.
The place looks deserted but as they walk around, an older man appears clutching an ax, and then an older woman emerges in a bloodstained apron, lugging a hog. The stage is set for Max’s weekend as mom quickly makes her exit in her minivan.
I enjoyed how Max was fed the story of his family. Through a neighbor girl, his father’s diary, his mother, and his grandparents, Max learns about himself and his family. There are elements of surprise and anticipation in the novel and I liked how they flowed into the story. There wasn’t anything gross or descriptive in the novel, just mysterious and creature horror.
I think it’s a great book for kids who can handle some horror without getting scared.
Max finds it strange that he’s off to spend a weekend alone with some relatives that he doesn’t even know or remember. Yet, somehow, he is told the time is right for this visit with his grandparents. Welcome to Creepville, in Wolf County. This can’t be the place when they finally turn off the engine and get out. The home has been taken over by cobwebs, some boarded up windows, and Max will discover later, no phone or electricity.
The place looks deserted but as they walk around, an older man appears clutching an ax, and then an older woman emerges in a bloodstained apron, lugging a hog. The stage is set for Max’s weekend as mom quickly makes her exit in her minivan.
I enjoyed how Max was fed the story of his family. Through a neighbor girl, his father’s diary, his mother, and his grandparents, Max learns about himself and his family. There are elements of surprise and anticipation in the novel and I liked how they flowed into the story. There wasn’t anything gross or descriptive in the novel, just mysterious and creature horror.
I think it’s a great book for kids who can handle some horror without getting scared.
November 9, 2021
Max Bloodnight has never met his grandparents on his father's side, but all of a sudden his mother is sending him to them for a long weekend. He isn't sure if he can survive as they have no wifi, or electric for that matter. They are kind of strange but then so are their neighbors. He has been told not to hang out with the neighbors or go into the forest. Of course being a young boy he doesn't listen.
I thought this was a fun little story about a young boy finding out some interesting things about his father and what happened to him. His mother had always just said he died of an accident but Max soon finds out that isn't exactly what happened. He also finds out something about himself that he didn't know.
I liked Max as he seemed like a typical kid who can't seem to listen when told what not to do. He befriends the neighbor girl and goes into the woods to help her look for her dog...lol. I think young readers would enjoy this series.
I thought this was a fun little story about a young boy finding out some interesting things about his father and what happened to him. His mother had always just said he died of an accident but Max soon finds out that isn't exactly what happened. He also finds out something about himself that he didn't know.
I liked Max as he seemed like a typical kid who can't seem to listen when told what not to do. He befriends the neighbor girl and goes into the woods to help her look for her dog...lol. I think young readers would enjoy this series.
February 17, 2019
Goosebumps books were my favorites when I was a kid in the ‘90s. Me and my friends used to collect them and trade them at school. So when I saw that R.L. Stine said he wanted to live on Monster Street, I had to check out this new series. I was able to get a hold of an "advanced reader edition" that has the first two stories in it and I just finished reading through them both last night in one sitting. I wasn’t disappointed. These were a lot of fun and full of scares and twists. My son is only five but I can’t wait for him to be old enough to read these together. Hopefully there will be a lot more Monster Street books out by then!
February 17, 2019
Goosebumps books were my favorites when I was a kid in the ‘90s. Me and my friends used to collect them and trade them at school. So when I saw that R.L. Stine said he wanted to live on Monster Street, I had to check out this new series. I was able to get a hold of an "advanced reader edition" that has the first two stories in it and I just finished reading through them both last night in one sitting. I wasn’t disappointed. These were a lot of fun and full of scares and twists. My son is only five but I can’t wait for him to be old enough to read these together. Hopefully there will be a lot more Monster Street books out by then!
March 1, 2019
Fun series! I’m retired, otherwise I would order these books for our school library. I can see these being good primers for kids not yet interested in reading or who are interested but haven’t yet found their niche. I’ll be passing them on to my grandkids when they get a little older.
March 1, 2019
Fun series! I’m retired, otherwise I would order these books for our school library. I can see these being good primers for kids not yet interested in reading or who are interested but haven’t yet found their niche. I’ll be passing them on to my grandkids when they get a little older.
April 12, 2021
What a great story with a beautiful hidden message: learn to accept and love who you are
Max goes to spend some days with his grandparents that he has not seen for some time. While he is there, he decides to investigate his father's death and find out what really happened to him.
When he discovers that werewolves might be involved in his dad's accident, he will enter the woods looking for answers but also putting himself in real danger.
Max goes to spend some days with his grandparents that he has not seen for some time. While he is there, he decides to investigate his father's death and find out what really happened to him.
When he discovers that werewolves might be involved in his dad's accident, he will enter the woods looking for answers but also putting himself in real danger.
November 9, 2020
This was a pretty quick read! Perfect for young readers looking for a spooky read!
Max's mom takes him to stay with the grandparents he hasn't seen since his father died when he was a baby. They promise they have a surprise for him on his last day there, but in the meantime, they warn him to stay out of the forest and to avoid all of the neighbors. But after a daring dog rescue that leads him into the forest, he soon learns that there is more to the story about his father's death than he was told!
This is a really fun first book to the Monsterstreet series!
We get a clear idea of what we are going into thanks to the cover art by Chris Finoglio but are met with a mystery that only starts to unravel once Max sets foot in the forbidden forest.
I was absolutely expecting something similar to Goosebumps when I went into this but was pleasantly surprised by the new twist on a classic horror trope. It's a quick read but a lot of fun with a very mysterious setting and plot.
I really enjoyed reading this during the 'Spooky Season' before Halloween! I absolutely recommend this to young readers that enjoy monsters, mystery, and / or spooky reads!
This review was originally shared on Lazy Day Literature.
Max's mom takes him to stay with the grandparents he hasn't seen since his father died when he was a baby. They promise they have a surprise for him on his last day there, but in the meantime, they warn him to stay out of the forest and to avoid all of the neighbors. But after a daring dog rescue that leads him into the forest, he soon learns that there is more to the story about his father's death than he was told!
This is a really fun first book to the Monsterstreet series!
We get a clear idea of what we are going into thanks to the cover art by Chris Finoglio but are met with a mystery that only starts to unravel once Max sets foot in the forbidden forest.
I was absolutely expecting something similar to Goosebumps when I went into this but was pleasantly surprised by the new twist on a classic horror trope. It's a quick read but a lot of fun with a very mysterious setting and plot.
I really enjoyed reading this during the 'Spooky Season' before Halloween! I absolutely recommend this to young readers that enjoy monsters, mystery, and / or spooky reads!
This review was originally shared on Lazy Day Literature.
April 3, 2019
This is a fun book!
Easy to read (though being 34, a kids book certainly wouldn't be a hard read to get through quickly), this seems geared well to the 8-12 year crowd. If you, like me, grew up on Goosebumps books as a kid from R.L. Stine, you will certainly appreciate the humorous run that these stories took. While I'm not sure if the released version will only have one story (my ARC included 2), your children will likely find much here to like and hopefully get them started on their reading journeys!
Easy to read (though being 34, a kids book certainly wouldn't be a hard read to get through quickly), this seems geared well to the 8-12 year crowd. If you, like me, grew up on Goosebumps books as a kid from R.L. Stine, you will certainly appreciate the humorous run that these stories took. While I'm not sure if the released version will only have one story (my ARC included 2), your children will likely find much here to like and hopefully get them started on their reading journeys!
July 3, 2019
Both my sons (9 and 7) love this book! They took this and “MonsterStreet The Halloweeners” with them to Atlanta for the summer and quickly read through the books. It has been great to hear from their dad that they are enjoying them so much. Definitely a home run new book series. The older one (8) definitely grasped onto a love for this book quickly. My son said “it is kindof creepy and then it is funny out of nowhere and then you finish the book and are like that was awesome!”
May 19, 2019
What a wonderful, exciting read! I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway which in no way influenced my opinion. Two tales, one from each side of the book, keep the reader entertained and constantly wondering what excitement was happening next. Highly recommend to all young adult readers.
July 2, 2019
My 10 year old daughter could not put this down! She said she loved the twist ending and was so surprised by it! She read it in one sitting and was audibly gasping throughout! She loved it, and you will, too!
March 6, 2019
I read an advanced copy of the first two books in this series over the weekend and thought they were a lot of fun. I think I would have enjoyed them even more if I was ten or twelve years old. These are great for kids who love Halloween, monsters, mysteries, and spooky/goofy fun.
March 6, 2019
I read an advanced copy of the first two books in this series over the weekend and thought they were a lot of fun. I think I would have enjoyed them even more if I was ten or twelve years old. These are great for kids who love Halloween, monsters, mysteries, and spooky/goofy fun.
May 9, 2023
Well written middle grade horror story. Had fun listening to this on a car trip with my kids. There are a few brief gory parts as to be expected with a werewolf story…didn’t bother me or my kiddos but if your child is squeamish, you might want to skip this one.
October 1, 2019
This book was almost 4 stars because of how fun it is, but the ending was rather anticlimactic.
January 7, 2025
Very cute, and I absolutely loved the twist!
October 16, 2019
R.L. Stine's Goosebumps series is what got me into reading when I was young. My parents would read to me at night, and I almost always asked for something from R.L. Stine as he was a favorite. I remember running to the book section at Target every time we went to see if the newest Goosebumps book was in. Whenever I see something that is remotely similar to the that series, it always piques my interest. MonsterStreet goes above and beyond "remote similarities", though, as it even has a pull quote from the middle grade horror maestro himself on the cover!
As of this review, there are three books in this series, and The Boy Who Cried Werewolf is the first out of the gate. As someone who isn't a big fan of werewolf stories, I was honestly contemplating skipping this one and moving on to the next two because both look more interesting to me. I decided it would be best to start at the beginning, and, as one might expect, Boy Who Cried Werewolf doesn't add anything new or exciting to the established werewolf sub-genre.
The Boy Who Cried Werewolf tells the story of Max Bloodnight, a 12-year-old boy who is visiting his grandparents for the first time out in the middle of nowhere, better known as Wolf County. Not only will he not have an internet connection, or his Xbox, his grandparents don't even have electricity. It's every modern pre-teen's worst nightmare. Hell, it's my worst nightmare!
Max is visiting his grandparents for the first time because his mother has not felt safe near their home since Max's father died in the woods behind their house when Max was a baby. The details surrounding his father's death have always been vague for Max, but he quickly finds out that his dad was killed by a monster trying to protect the family. When his grandparents warn him not to go into the woods, Max cannot help but wonder why, and if it has anything to do with the death of his father. He has to find answers, no matter how many rules he needs to break.
The story is as cut and dry as it comes, but that should be expected when reading a middle grade book like this. I am clearly not the target audience anymore, but I still had a good time with this book. Author J.H. Reynolds has a habit in Boy Who Cried Werewolf of being a little on-the-nose with his names: Max Bloodnight, Wolf County, Jade Howler (the girl next door). This was a bit cringeworthy for me now, but I'm sure I would've enjoyed it if I was reading this as a pre-teen.
The biggest disappointment with the book is the lack of surprises. It's a typical werewolf story, and if you've read or watched some before, you will know what to expect here. I'll admit that there was one aspect of the story I didn't see coming, but for the most part, nothing is designed to shock the reader. I might also be a bit biased as I just finished R.L. Stine's Camp Red Moon last week, and it opens with a werewolf story that had a fun twist I didn't see coming. The final chapter as a whole had a number of problems for me, but I enjoyed the ride to the end well enough.
The Boy Who Cried Werewolf is aimed at a pre-teen audience, so a review by an adult like myself, nearly three times the targeted age, is a bit silly, but I really believe that a genuinely good middle grade novel can hold up even if you're reading it later in life. The Goosebumps novels have their issues, but they're still genuinely fun to read today, nostalgia aside. The start of the MonsterStreet series shares a lot of similarities with the Goosebumps books of my childhood, and excluding the final chapter, the only reason I didn't love this one was because it's a werewolf story, which I am generally lukewarm on anyway.
This is a solid start, though, to a series that I am excited to continue. Reynolds is a strong writer, and MonsterStreet has the potential to get today's youth excited about reading just like Stine did for me back in the '90s.
As of this review, there are three books in this series, and The Boy Who Cried Werewolf is the first out of the gate. As someone who isn't a big fan of werewolf stories, I was honestly contemplating skipping this one and moving on to the next two because both look more interesting to me. I decided it would be best to start at the beginning, and, as one might expect, Boy Who Cried Werewolf doesn't add anything new or exciting to the established werewolf sub-genre.
The Boy Who Cried Werewolf tells the story of Max Bloodnight, a 12-year-old boy who is visiting his grandparents for the first time out in the middle of nowhere, better known as Wolf County. Not only will he not have an internet connection, or his Xbox, his grandparents don't even have electricity. It's every modern pre-teen's worst nightmare. Hell, it's my worst nightmare!
Max is visiting his grandparents for the first time because his mother has not felt safe near their home since Max's father died in the woods behind their house when Max was a baby. The details surrounding his father's death have always been vague for Max, but he quickly finds out that his dad was killed by a monster trying to protect the family. When his grandparents warn him not to go into the woods, Max cannot help but wonder why, and if it has anything to do with the death of his father. He has to find answers, no matter how many rules he needs to break.
The story is as cut and dry as it comes, but that should be expected when reading a middle grade book like this. I am clearly not the target audience anymore, but I still had a good time with this book. Author J.H. Reynolds has a habit in Boy Who Cried Werewolf of being a little on-the-nose with his names: Max Bloodnight, Wolf County, Jade Howler (the girl next door). This was a bit cringeworthy for me now, but I'm sure I would've enjoyed it if I was reading this as a pre-teen.
The biggest disappointment with the book is the lack of surprises. It's a typical werewolf story, and if you've read or watched some before, you will know what to expect here. I'll admit that there was one aspect of the story I didn't see coming, but for the most part, nothing is designed to shock the reader. I might also be a bit biased as I just finished R.L. Stine's Camp Red Moon last week, and it opens with a werewolf story that had a fun twist I didn't see coming. The final chapter as a whole had a number of problems for me, but I enjoyed the ride to the end well enough.
The Boy Who Cried Werewolf is aimed at a pre-teen audience, so a review by an adult like myself, nearly three times the targeted age, is a bit silly, but I really believe that a genuinely good middle grade novel can hold up even if you're reading it later in life. The Goosebumps novels have their issues, but they're still genuinely fun to read today, nostalgia aside. The start of the MonsterStreet series shares a lot of similarities with the Goosebumps books of my childhood, and excluding the final chapter, the only reason I didn't love this one was because it's a werewolf story, which I am generally lukewarm on anyway.
This is a solid start, though, to a series that I am excited to continue. Reynolds is a strong writer, and MonsterStreet has the potential to get today's youth excited about reading just like Stine did for me back in the '90s.
July 3, 2020
The Boy Who Cried Werewolf (Monsterstreet) by J. H. Reynolds, 176 pages. Katherine Tegen Books, (Harper Collins), 2019, $17.
Language: G (0 swears 0 'f's); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG. (monster and hunter violence)
BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
12 yo Max is sent to stay for the weekend with his grandparents who he doesn't remember ever meeting. They live in a remote cabin, without electricity, and there are a lot of rules. Don't talk to or trust any of the neighbors, and especially never go into the woods - there's monsters in there! Of course Max immediately strikes up a friendship with the girl next door and they both break their family rules by going into the woods - at night - under a full moon. Max has a lot to learn about his family - the father who died when he was a baby and his grandparents, and even himself. Breaking rules seems to be his MO, but even he is surprised when snooping around the cabin reveals more secrets than the woods are hiding.
Readers who liked Goosebumps will like this series. A little bit edgy and gory, the young reader looking for a good scare won't be disappointed. The text may be a little easy for middle school, but the story is satisfying and exciting. I'm looking forward to reading more!
Lisa Librarian
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
Language: G (0 swears 0 'f's); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG. (monster and hunter violence)
BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
12 yo Max is sent to stay for the weekend with his grandparents who he doesn't remember ever meeting. They live in a remote cabin, without electricity, and there are a lot of rules. Don't talk to or trust any of the neighbors, and especially never go into the woods - there's monsters in there! Of course Max immediately strikes up a friendship with the girl next door and they both break their family rules by going into the woods - at night - under a full moon. Max has a lot to learn about his family - the father who died when he was a baby and his grandparents, and even himself. Breaking rules seems to be his MO, but even he is surprised when snooping around the cabin reveals more secrets than the woods are hiding.
Readers who liked Goosebumps will like this series. A little bit edgy and gory, the young reader looking for a good scare won't be disappointed. The text may be a little easy for middle school, but the story is satisfying and exciting. I'm looking forward to reading more!
Lisa Librarian
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
August 7, 2019
Max’s dad died when he was young so he doesn’t remember much about him. He also never sees his dad’s side of the family. That’s why he’s surprised when his mom tells him he’s going to spend the weekend in Wolf County with his grandparents.
As a city boy, Max is shocked to discover that his grandparents live a completely different lifestyle than he’s used to. They don’t have any electricity, warm him away from the forest, and tell him to avoid talking to any of the neighbors. They also to be wary of the full moon.
When he meets the neighbor’s daughter Jade, Max doesn’t understand why his grandparents told him to avoid her. She seems nice and friendly. On the night of the full moon, Jade’s dog goes missing in the forest and she enlists Max’s help. There, they discover a terrifying beast who looks like a werewolf that jumped right out of a comic book. Every one seems to have secrets in Wolf County and for some reason, they tie into the truth of his dad’s death.
THE BOY WHO CRIED WEREWOLF is a creepy story that is perfect with fall right around the corner. It gives me a Goosebumps feel but isn’t as terrifying. Instead, it’s a lighter version that won’t keep kids up at night.
Final Verdict: I would recommend this to fans of werewolves, horror, mysteries, action, and R.L. Stine.
As a city boy, Max is shocked to discover that his grandparents live a completely different lifestyle than he’s used to. They don’t have any electricity, warm him away from the forest, and tell him to avoid talking to any of the neighbors. They also to be wary of the full moon.
When he meets the neighbor’s daughter Jade, Max doesn’t understand why his grandparents told him to avoid her. She seems nice and friendly. On the night of the full moon, Jade’s dog goes missing in the forest and she enlists Max’s help. There, they discover a terrifying beast who looks like a werewolf that jumped right out of a comic book. Every one seems to have secrets in Wolf County and for some reason, they tie into the truth of his dad’s death.
THE BOY WHO CRIED WEREWOLF is a creepy story that is perfect with fall right around the corner. It gives me a Goosebumps feel but isn’t as terrifying. Instead, it’s a lighter version that won’t keep kids up at night.
Final Verdict: I would recommend this to fans of werewolves, horror, mysteries, action, and R.L. Stine.
January 11, 2020
Super fun read. My 5yr old son absolutely lived this, he got so into it at times that he was literally cheering and jumping around.
We read five chapters each night, and he always asked for more.
The day after finishing the book he wanted to play make believe in the theme and pretend we were in the book too!
5 stars for sure.
My only problem with this book was the chapter were the grandfather gave a child a loaded rifle for some practice shooting without even mentioning basic gun safety stuff. The chapter did not add anything worthwhile to the story, and just felt so cringe and wrong.
When I was reading it to my kid I expanded the story myself and had the grandpa explain the basics of gun safety before he handed the gun over.
We read five chapters each night, and he always asked for more.
The day after finishing the book he wanted to play make believe in the theme and pretend we were in the book too!
5 stars for sure.
My only problem with this book was the chapter were the grandfather gave a child a loaded rifle for some practice shooting without even mentioning basic gun safety stuff. The chapter did not add anything worthwhile to the story, and just felt so cringe and wrong.
When I was reading it to my kid I expanded the story myself and had the grandpa explain the basics of gun safety before he handed the gun over.
August 6, 2019
This was a book that I won in a GoodReads giveaway and it was fun and quick to read. Since I'm a senior citizen and this book was written for pre-teens, I'm not a good judge of how a child would react. The storyline is fairly simple and there is action to keep the reader interested. For a young reader, the short chapters should be a bonus and encourage them to keep reading to find out what happens next. I plan to donate the book to a Little Free Library for someone else to enjoy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews