WELCOME TO NOWHERE.
Danny’s dad takes a job as caretaker at a marina on the shore of a vast, frozen lake in Harvest Cove, a tiny town tucked away in Canada’s Big Empty. If you’re looking for somewhere to hide, this is it.
It’s the worst winter in years. One night, running in the dark, Danny is attacked by a creature so strange and terrifying he tries to convince himself he was hallucinating. Then he learns about Native American legends of a monster that’s haunted the lake for a thousand years. And that every generation, in the coldest winters, kids have disappeared into the night. People think they ran away.
Danny knows better. Because now the beast is after him.
>
This book is the first of the ten on the Virginia Reader's Choice list that I will be reading and reviewing over the next few months. I gravitated towards this one first because of the premise of the story; as a long time Stephen King reader, I was excited to experience someone else's scary story. Though this book is not nearly as terrifying as some of the King novels I've read, it was appropriately creepy and suspenseful to thrill a teen audience.
The characters in Bonechiller made an unrealistic premise seem much more real. Danny, the protagonist and narrator, adds a humorous and self-deprecating voice to the narrative that I loved. He is the first to laugh at himself or doubt himself, but also has a sense of confidence. My two favorite characters were Ash and Howie, Danny's friends. Ash is a completely kick-butt female character - she even boxes! I was happy to see a romantic interest in a story who breaks out of the typical blond hair and dress-code inappropriate cut-off shorts. Howie is the hypochondriac little brother of Pike who is also pursued by the Bonechiller. His intelligence and problem-solving helped drive the story in an exciting way.
The plot of this story wasn't unpredictable necessarily, but still very enjoyable. Any good monster story is only as scary as the monster himself, and the Bonechiller didn't disappoint. Instead of attacking his victims and ending their lives right there, the Bonechiller plays with his prey, letting the kids think they've escaped before he reels them in. The isolated and wintry setting of the novel enhanced this creepy feeling, as the omnipresent danger of freezing to death was always on the characters' minds. We follow Danny after his first attack from the Bonechiller through his journey of... infection? (not sure there's a better word for that) all the way to the final showdown with the beast. While this plotline is familiar to anyone who has read a horror story (or even seen a horror movie), there were still enough surprises to keep me engaged, and I genuinely found myself caring what happened to the characters enough to keep reading.
Luckily, despite the fact this story is a scary one, there isn't too much content-wise about which a teacher would worry. The language is extremely mild, even as the characters face extremely perilous situations. Similarly, there is a love story, but that doesn't necessarily take the forefront, so neither does anything inappropriate. My only caution would be a generic one about younger or more sensitive readers. There are always tenderhearts who are going to be bothered by a scary story (my little sister comes to mind), and this story has enough heart-pounding moments to potentially be too much for some.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this novel, and am excited to recommend something different to my students. It's rare we see a horror story get literary accolades (at least, it is in my experience), so to have one land on the Virginia Reader's Choice list is pretty special. I am sure plenty of my guy (and girl!) readers will love this one.
No comments:
Post a Comment