Rodman, Sean. Night Terrors.

Rodman, Sean.  Night Terrors.  Orca  2013  128p  ISBN 978-1-4598-0420-3 ms/hs  Paperback  VG-BN     

There is a palpitation and adrenaline rush to this book that will push young readers to read it in one sitting!  Although the idea of having a bully for a boss is not new, nor is the idea of a dead family member rising from the grave to support a survivor through a struggle, the plot contains other ins and outs that are thrilling.  When protagonist Dylan pairs up with the reclusive Josh at their summer job, they must figure out why weird events are happening all around them.  All Dylan knows is that it was inhumane of their boss, Edward, to push Josh to swim the cold lake to retrieve the raft for the winter.  When Josh nearly drowns, the rising action begins!  Does Edward have anything to do with the bones Dylan finds in the woods?  Does he have anything to do with the ransacked cabin?  Dylan constantly sees images that he can’t determine to be real or imaginary.  His brother’s red jacket haunts him.  The action is fast-moving and exciting.  We can literally feel Dylan’s tenuous emotional state when he decides to run off into a snowy, treacherous night to try to find help.  The resolution is eerie; the outcome, insane.  Teen readers will love this Orca!  The only criticism is that the reader will finish the book too quickly!   Please note the grammatical errors on pages 57 and 119.  In both cases, the reader should see “Josh and me” instead of “Josh and I.”  The objective case is needed.  Middle-school and high-school libraries will want to stock this book!  It won’t stay on the shelf!       

Summary: Dylan witnessed the death of his brother and hasn’t come to terms with his grief.  In this thriller laced with some supernatural elements, Dylan mistrusts his boss, a “mad” man at a summer camp where he works, and he must figure out whether his fears are reasonable.

Horror-Fiction, Bullying-Fiction                            --Martha Squaresky