Tomes of Shadowstalking

Welcome to the land of shadows, where evil is the greatest power, where nightfall marks the birth of terror, where your very soul is at risk. Join me as I investigate worlds filled with black magic and dark souls and encounter the monsters rule these wicked places.

This review does not represent the opinions of the general public. It reflects my personal thoughts and opinions on the book.

That said, on to the review!

Summer vacation's about to begin in 1960's Elm Haven, Illinois. For the students who've been attending Old Central School, it means the last time they'll ever have to set foot into the creepy old building. But as they soon discover, the school isn't quite through with them. Or, at least, the thing in the school isn't through with them. For Mike, Duane, Dale, Harlen, and Kevin, it becomes painfully obvious that something is going on in town, something that is reaching out from the school towards all of them. And it's obvious, too, that there's a conspiracy of some sort that's guarding and spreading the evil around. Now, what should have been a summer of fun and freedom is a summer of death and decay and danger as the boys dodge the Rendering Truck, escape from the things under the ground, and do all they can to survive and protect their loved ones from the evil rising around them. But what can five boys do against a power that not even Rome and the Catholic Church could conquer?

Summer of Night is a creepy, creepy novel, and you won't want to put it down! There are, admittedly, slow parts that you'll want to skim through, but it's those slow parts that provide all the backstory you'll need to fully understand what's going on.

It's hard to say what I liked about this book without giving too much away, but I'll say at least that I enjoyed the way the author wholly demonized the childish fears that most people outgrow: the monster in the closet, the monster under the bed, the monster in the basement, etc. By giving these fears substance and power, the author makes it that much easier for readers to empathize and identify with the characters. The one thing that I found the hardest to identify but the easiest to recognize was the Rendering Truck. I guess that any vehicle responsible for collecting dead things--dead horses, dead pigs, roadkill--could be a source of uneasiness and/or terror for young children, and Simmons moves the Rendering Truck far from its origins as a simple waste collector.

Summer of Night, incidentally, has a stand-alone sequel now available in hardcover. Its title is A Winter Haunting, and while it isn't absolutely necessary to read Summer of Night first, don't let that stop you from enjoying a good read.

Buy this book in hardcover or paperback or visit the Cosmic Tomes Bazaar for other titles.

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