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A review by motherhorror
Dog Days O' Summer by James Newman, Mark Allan Gunnells
5.0
This is a quick read you can enjoy anytime and anywhere but my recommendation is that you read it on a lazy, summer Saturday afternoon.
I’m utter trash for a coming-of-age horror story. I enjoy all the nostalgia that comes with reading about kids on the cusp of adulthood--especially if the story involves some kind of unspeakable evil the kids must battle.
Think, IT by Stephen King, Children of the Dark by Jonathan Janz, December Park by Ronald Malfi and Summer of Night by Dan Simmons.
In Dog Days of Summer, we get to know our gang of misfits through authentic dialog and realistic childhood drama. There’s a big reveal in the very first line and the back of the book,
So the reader has a pretty good idea of what’s going on and what’s going to happen. The story starts with the spoiler but then goes back in time to unravel the events that led up to such a heinous statement.
Our story is set in the 90s, an era I am totally at home with as I was an incoming high school freshman in 1990. The main character/protagonist is a level headed boy with a stable home life. He has a mentor/teacher named Mr. Martinsen who also lives just up the street from him. The 14 year old boys are rattled when a child their age is brutally murdered in the woods nearby. The tragedy is still the main topic of conversation in their small town when yet another murder of a child rocks the community. The boys gather in their hangout to discuss what they’ve heard and develop some working theories based on town gossip.
The direction this story goes in will surprise and entertain you!
I’m always curious how a collaborative effort on a story works out, which author was responsible for certain aspects of the story--especially when the narrative is particularly engaging in a seemingly singular voice. James Newman and Mark Allan Gunnells have harmonized their author voices so well, it was impossible to recognize any isolated fingerprints. A truly remarkable achievement.
I’m recommending this one to horror fiction fans who enjoy Lycanthropy Folklore and coming of age stories they can devour in one sitting!
I’m utter trash for a coming-of-age horror story. I enjoy all the nostalgia that comes with reading about kids on the cusp of adulthood--especially if the story involves some kind of unspeakable evil the kids must battle.
Think, IT by Stephen King, Children of the Dark by Jonathan Janz, December Park by Ronald Malfi and Summer of Night by Dan Simmons.
In Dog Days of Summer, we get to know our gang of misfits through authentic dialog and realistic childhood drama. There’s a big reveal in the very first line and the back of the book,
So the reader has a pretty good idea of what’s going on and what’s going to happen. The story starts with the spoiler but then goes back in time to unravel the events that led up to such a heinous statement.
Our story is set in the 90s, an era I am totally at home with as I was an incoming high school freshman in 1990. The main character/protagonist is a level headed boy with a stable home life. He has a mentor/teacher named Mr. Martinsen who also lives just up the street from him. The 14 year old boys are rattled when a child their age is brutally murdered in the woods nearby. The tragedy is still the main topic of conversation in their small town when yet another murder of a child rocks the community. The boys gather in their hangout to discuss what they’ve heard and develop some working theories based on town gossip.
The direction this story goes in will surprise and entertain you!
I’m always curious how a collaborative effort on a story works out, which author was responsible for certain aspects of the story--especially when the narrative is particularly engaging in a seemingly singular voice. James Newman and Mark Allan Gunnells have harmonized their author voices so well, it was impossible to recognize any isolated fingerprints. A truly remarkable achievement.
I’m recommending this one to horror fiction fans who enjoy Lycanthropy Folklore and coming of age stories they can devour in one sitting!