Bonechiller (review)

Since the death of his mother, Danny and his father have been moving around a lot, and the chilly emptiness of upper Ontario is Danny’s new home. Danny finds himself liking it there, bolstered by his friendship with gentle Howie, his semi-crazy older brother, Pike, and tough, beautiful Ash, who KO’ed him in the boxing ring at their first meeting, and with whom he’d like to be more than friends. Danny has bigger things to worry about, though, when a huge pale monster hunts him down one night, leaving his mark on the teen; soon Howie’s marked as well, and the friends begin to realize that the monster is a historic evil that’s been seizing young people for centuries, and that soon, if they can’t figure out a way to fight back, he’ll reel Danny and Howie in to their doom. The classic elements of a good supernatural thriller are all present and accounted for here—the sympathetic protagonist-cum-victim with a haunted past, the evil with a resume dating from time immemorial and the folktales to prove it, and even the lone survivor of a past attack—and the vividly realized winter landscape makes for both a literally and figuratively chilling setting. The plot’s architecture is carefully constructed, with even seemingly throwaway details becoming relevant in the high-action climax, and Danny’s increasingly passionate relationship with Ash and his grieving for his lost mother provide additional character development and encourage greater reader investment. This will be an easy booktalk and a splendidly enjoyable read sure to please those who respond with both hope and dread when things go bump in the night.