THE BOY WHO CRIED WEREWOLF

A weekend getaway takes a hairy turn when a full moon invites werewolves to play.

Twelve-year-old Max Bloodnight is wary of meeting his grandparents for the first time and staying with them alone. They live in a dilapidated log cabin in the middle of the forest in Wolf County, which means no cell service and no electricity. But meeting the grandparents also means getting closer to Max’s late father, who died in a mysterious hunting accident in the area. Max’s grandparents only have one rule in their house: “Don’t cross the barbed wire fence into the eastern forest.” Max quickly breaks this rule when he helps Jade Howler, his grandparents’ young neighbor, search for her missing dog. The forest proves to be as monstrous as his grandparents warned. Can Max learn the truth about his father and the disappearances in Wolf County, or will he become the next to vanish? More Scooby Doo mystery than bone-chilling horror, Reynolds’ debut series entry is a fast-paced, cliffhanger-heavy creature feature. Thanks to plenty of carefully laid clues, discerning readers will solve the mystery long before Max does. The predictable, trope-filled plot and medium scare factor offer nothing new but may appeal to the Goosebumps crowd. A stand-alone sequel that stars a different main character, The Halloweeners, publishes simultaneously. The cast assumes a white default; Max is vegetarian.

Serviceable scariness for series seekers.