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spookycurious

Sonja Ska Reviews: 10/3/2024


Regardless when you pick up his books, reading Jonathan Janz always feels like wrapping yourself in a blanket and welcoming in spooky season. But that's especially true with Children of the Dark. Part slasher, part creature feature, this book oozes horror and is an essential part of any horror book starter pack.


Pulling you straight into a time when afternoons were filled with riding your bike and unsuccessfully avoiding bullies, Children of the Dark follows Will, a shockingly likable 15-year-old trying to navigate friends, an intense crush, a mother battling substance abuse, and caring for his younger sister. The dude clearly has enough going on without a notorious serial killer escaping a prison a few miles from his home and rumors of creatures stalking through the woods, but his life is about to get a lot more complicated and bloody.


There's clearly a lot to juggle regarding the plot, but Janz balances it well. He takes his time ensuring readers buy into the characters, so by the time Will is worrying about making sure his little sister is okay, you're also stressing out, promising to rage if Peach or anyone you've come to know doesn't make it out of everything okay. That's saying a lot for someone who does not enjoy coming-of-age tales because I can never relate or connect with the characters. All I wanted was for everything to end well for Will, and I felt an intense need to scream every time he hinted that it wouldn't.


Don't worry too much about this being too much of a slow burn, the tension keeps you on the edge of your seat until everything kicks off in a whirlwind of action that will take you to the end.


Perfect if you're into:

Coming of Age

Creature Features

Slashers

Character and plot-driven narratives

Dread-inducing slow burns

Action

Gore (not too bad)


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