The boy who cried werewolf

Taking a seat on the (R. L.) Stinewagon, Reynolds kicks off a series to be based on classic horror story scenarios with this tale of 12-year-old Max, who reluctantly visits his grandparents in their remote rural cabin just in time for some (literally) hairy adventures. Taking a cue from the master, most of the short chapters end with a sudden shock or cliff-hanger but the suspense depends more on mysterious clues and suggestive language ( Max looked out the window and saw ivy crawling across the shingled roof ) than explicit gore even when one character does get a silver dagger in the eye, there's no permanent harm done. Readers hoping for close encounters with werewolves will be well served, and as for Max . . . well, he starts out a vegetarian but doesn't end up that way. The unfortunately titled Halloweeners, copublished as book number two, shares a similarly low level of violence (one character dies but it's only temporary) and rapid pacing. Even in the initial going, a series of comfortably formulaic chills.--John Peters Copyright 2019 Booklist

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. (Horror. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.