Shiver Point: it Came From The Woods by Gabriel Dylan is the first in a horror series for 9 -12 year olds which follows a group of unlikely friends solving creepy goings on in the town of Shiver Point. Our protagonist Alex is a typical grumpy 12 year old who is annoyed at the world for being made to move town due to his mother’s job. This gave me major Eerie Indiana vibes, a welcome bit of nostalgia that put me in the right mindset for reading a book aimed at kids.
Alex goes to investigate some mysterious happenings in the brilliantly named Howlmoor Forest and so starts our story, we meet the ragtag gang who are thrown together by chance and left with no choice but to become friends and save Shiver Point. Just on the right side of spooky so as not to give nightmares, we are thrown into a world of latchkey kids, graveyard treehouses and a trip to the sewers.
Throughout the short pacy chapters I was impressed with Dylan’s ability use an authentic voice for his characters, their points of reference and language could have come directly from the mouth of my partners 10 year old and there were also some great references to classic movies which may go over the heads of the target audience at the moment but will plant the seeds for budding fans of horror.
It’s this generations Goosebumps and I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Shiver Point and would be happy to go back to visit.
Shiver Point: It Came From The Woods is available to pre order now
