Took by Mary Downing Hahn (review)

A rundown old farm in rural West Virginia is the setting for Hahn’s latest horror story for young readers. After Daniel’s dad loses his high-paying executive job, his family moves to a dilapidated farm in Woodville, a town with boarded-up shops, unwelcoming residents, and the legend of Old Auntie and her man-eating hog, Bloody Bones. Rumor has it that Old Auntie kidnaps a girl every fifty years to work tirelessly as her servant—a rumor that Daniel scoffs at until his own little sister (who had started talking ominously to her toy doll) goes missing and Daniel narrowly escapes Bloody Bones in the woods. With the help of a local conjure woman, Daniel prepares to face down Old Auntie and her murderous pet in order to get his sister back. Occasional chapters narrated by Old Auntie herself give a particularly chilling effect to this creepy tale, especially after Daniel’s sister is kidnapped and readers witness the abuse that Old Auntie heaps upon her. The classic elements of a scary story—a family’s relocation to an eerie town, unexplainable noises in the woods, increasing bizarre behavior of family members—are executed perfectly here and given a sense of immediacy by Daniel’s narration. Sure, it’s formula, but it’s a formula that will particularly appeal to those just discovering the delicious spine tingles of creepy urban legends.