Scarewaves by Trevor Henderson

What worked:

The author spends the first fourth of the book developing a creepy, scary atmosphere. A young girl named Beverly is grabbed by a bony hand in the first chapter and she’s dragged into the dark, ominous forest. Several unrelated characters are introduced who will be the focus of the rest of the story. Byron, Beverly’s best friend, realizes the disappearances have now affected him personally especially when a ghoulish man with a wide-brimmed hat and trench coat appears in his room. Lucas has always been creeped out by the scarecrow in his father’s cornfield but he can’t believe it might actually be moving on its own. Then there’s Mary whose family just arrived in this small town. She’s looking for a little excitement before Beacon Point bores her to death but little does she know what’s lurking in her new home. The author uses descriptions that affect several of the readers’ senses. There are shadowy images of eerie creatures lurking beyond the light, scratching and whispered voices just out of sight, and branches seem to grab characters causing their spines to tingle.

Readers are left to their own imaginations as they try to understand what’s going on in Beacon Point. The current incidents seem to have nothing in common and occur in different parts of town. Different characters encounter a bony hand, a scarecrow, deerlike beasts, and a crow-headed witch. Beverly is almost home from soccer practice, Lucas is in the cornfield by his farmhouse, and Byron is inside his own bedroom late at night. Why are these eerie things happening to these specific characters? Adults and children have been taken in the past but is there something they have in common? Why are kids disappearing now? The characters all know nothing good happens after sundown.

A radio station sits alone atop a hill just outside of Beacon Point. The transcripts of a radio broadcast are presented every few chapters to fill in the gaps of what’s happening. However, the characters begin to wonder if the voice is warning them of potential dangers or if it’s actually part of the threat. Radio static suddenly sounds from televisions and telephones and adds to the unnerving mood. The radio broadcast shares the background history of the area around Beacon Point and describes disappearances that have been going on for a couple of hundred years. These past incidents bear striking similarities to the attacks happening now which lets readers know the evil has been on the prowl for hundreds of years.

What didn’t work as well:

Too many characters pop up throughout the book and are then snagged by different creatures. Readers try to figure out their importance as they’re introduced but then they’re gone. Each one feels like a false alarm, kind of like the little boy who cried wolf.

The Final Verdict:

This book shares a spine-tingling story that young readers will love. The vivid, graphic language will overload readers’ senses and keep them engrossed until the exciting conclusion. Overall, it’s a very entertaining tale and I recommend you give it a shot.