Bad Grains (The Order of the Strawberry Circle #1) by Susanne Schmidt

What worked:

Jo’s older brother Hektor is introduced in the first chapter and disappears, literally, with two of his friends into a cornfield. The author then creates an eerie picture of Fels, the German town setting for the story, using descriptive words and phrases. The dreary light reveals an inexplicably unharvested field of ryegrass that reeks of decay and rot. Jo hears the howling of wolves that shouldn’t be there. It’s only two days until Halloween which prompts normal reader expectations of spookiness and the supernatural. A large, angry dog growls and barks at Jo as she sneaks around the field. The owners of the property are cast as an old drunk and his belligerent son who has managed to ostracize himself from most of the town. Jo finds Hektor’s phone and brings it home but it seems to terrify her pet guinea pigs.

Jo is the virtuous, brave heroine who’s determined to rescue her brother. Hektor’s not overly nice to his sister and is irked when she’s around with his friends. Still, she won’t give up on him. The early pages cast her as a superstitious loner yet she’s still able to put aside her fears and trepidations. She loves to read but doesn’t have any special powers or abilities. She takes the lead and initiative when others would suggest she give up. Jo represents a normal young girl who portrays a positive character that all readers can admire. Even when it seems the problem is resolved she’s determined to stop it from happening again.

What didn’t work as well:

Jo’s dad doesn’t remember Hektor even exists as Hektor’s school schedule even disappears from the refrigerator door. However, Jo finds his bedroom still has school books on his desk and a FIFA video game on the floor. Later, the scene changes for her when she’s with her father. It makes sense that “reality” might be hidden from adults but why does that change what Jo is able to see?

The final verdict:

It’s interesting that this story depicts a German Halloween that offers a break from cultural traditions. The author artfully develops a creepy setting that utilizes customary traits from other spooky stories with the countdown to Halloween instilling tension. Overall, this book should entertain young readers and I recommend you give it a shot!