The Start of Spooky Season, Just A Little Early

I recently finished reading Skeleton Man and Return of Skeleton Man by Joseph Bruchac. This is book #1 and #2 in The Skeleton Man duology. I re-read this middle-grade book as a way to start off spooky season. *POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT* Rating: 2.75/5 stars and 2.25/5 stars "Ever since the morning Molly woke up to find that her parents had vanished, her life has become filled with terrible questions. Where have her parents gone? Who is this spooky old man who's taken her to live with him, claiming to be her great-uncle? Why does he never eat, and why does he lock her in her room at night? What are her dreams of the Skeleton Man trying to tell her? There's one thing Molly does know. She needs to find some answers before it's too late."

"It's not over, that voice says. Some dreams, rabbit, are like this one I just sent you. They are messages and warnings.

And even though it sends a shiver down my spine, I understand what this message, this warning, means.

Skeleton Man will return.

Molly thought she'd put her traumatic past behind her when she escaped from Skeleton Man last year. She rescued her parents and tried to get her life back to the way it used to be. She thought her family would live happily ever after and just be normal again. She thought wrong.

Skeleton Man is back for revenge—but this time Molly is ready."

Book 1:

An interesting middle-grade horror novel with a few fairly creepy moments. It was a pretty generic read with short sentences and a quick-moving plot.

What stood out to me was the Native American viewpoint, which I've rarely read in a middle-grade book. I appreciate the weaving of native folklore to form the story.

Book 2:

The beginning and the ending were enjoyable, however, there were parts in the middle that went off on random tangents in many different directions. I enjoyed some of the ideas he had for side stories, however, I don't feel they actually added to the main storyline. Also, Molly felt about 3-4 years older in this book even though it takes place one year later. It was definitely still an okay book, it's just that that first book was so good.

I struggle to effectively rate and review because I am clearly much older than the intended audience. Check out the Skeleton Man duology, and jump into spooky season. Happy Reading :)