Annotation:
A werewolf plagues town, only wheelchair bound ten-year-old, Marty Coslaw knows the truth. Alone against a vicious hellbeast, can Marty stop it before it’s too late? Read it next full moon, and find out.
Justification for Nomination:
Beginning in the full moon of January, a werewolf begins his murderous rampage in Tarker’s Mills. Month by month, the werewolf kills a new victim who is introduced in each chapter. The terror builds within the town, while police search for a serial killer, the werewolf massacres women and children indiscriminately, that is until the July 4th. With the town too afraid to do anything on Independence Day (a full moon conveniently!), wheelchair bound Marty Coslaw celebrates by himself with a bang. The werewolf pays an unexpected visit, and not to watch Marty’s fireworks. Marty, hurls some dangerous firecrackers right at the beast’s face, causing the creature to lose an eye. Needless to say, Marty’s parents are not happy, and of course nobody believes he saw a werewolf.
Months pass, the killings of people and livestock continue, so the townspeople organize a lynch mob. While some are there just to tell bad jokes, pee in the woods and drink beers, many of them are serious enough to cause the werewolf to leave town on the night of the full moon. In the neighboring town, the werewolf encounters a resident of Tarker’s Mills who was out of town on “business” with a local prostitute. The wolf proceeds to do the obvious.
Towards the end of the book, it has been revealed that Marty has been sending anonymous letters to the werewolf. Marty used some quality deductive reasoning (more than any of the adults in the story can manage) to determine that the werewolf’s human form would be missing an eye. On Halloween, he discovered who it was while trick or treating, and has been appealing to the wolf to move, or kill himself. Eventually, Marty reveals that he knows who the werewolf is. On the night of the full moon the werewolf attacks Marty’s home, crashing through the window. Hopefully his parents’ insurance covers that. Not to be taken unawares, Marty is armed with two silver bullets, courtesy of his cool uncle. After a brief struggle, the werewolf dies revealing to the rest of Tarker’s Mills who has been terrorizing them.
Teens would love this novel, for several reasons. It’s short, it has pictures, and the one who figures everything out, thus saving the town, is the unlikeliest person. A teenage boy in a wheel chair. The book is also non-stop gore from cover to cover, and should greatly appeal to the teen’s desire for horror stories. It’s also appealing that none of the adults have clue one what they are dealing with, despite the wolf tracks and eviscerated corpses, they’re searching for a run-of-the-mill serial killer. Even after a witness, Marty, identifies the killer as a werewolf, the sheriff doesn’t believe him. Which is too bad, because he dies a month or so later. Due to this, it’s up to Marty to solve the ongoing mystery, and save the day.
Although the book doesn’t showcase developmental areas, it is a great choice because it shows a young person succeeding against the odds, and the ill-place rules to save the adults from their own stupidity. It shows that even the least likely person can stop an unstoppable hell beast with a little brain power, and some effort. In short, Marty succeeded when no one else could have.
It also explores humanity at some point, getting into the werewolf’s mind as to how (it’s human form) feels about the murders being committed. The story further explores Marty’s relationship with his parents, compared with that of his uncle. Marty is basically independent solving the problem, the story catches uncertainty, and allows Marty to overcome impossible odds.
Suggestions for improvement:
I would have to say, Marty is not really a main character. He isn’t properly introduced until halfway through the story, then he disappears from the story for a time. The book also does not deal with any teen developmental things, unless you want to be really symbolic, and say that the werewolf is a metaphor for being a teenager. They’re both going through changes, they both become monsters every once in a while, and they both feel invincible. The book could also use more character development, but I think it serves its purpose as a horror story.
Genre: Stephen King, Horror
A werewolf plagues town, only wheelchair bound ten-year-old, Marty Coslaw knows the truth. Alone against a vicious hellbeast, can Marty stop it before it’s too late? Read it next full moon, and find out.
Justification for Nomination:
Beginning in the full moon of January, a werewolf begins his murderous rampage in Tarker’s Mills. Month by month, the werewolf kills a new victim who is introduced in each chapter. The terror builds within the town, while police search for a serial killer, the werewolf massacres women and children indiscriminately, that is until the July 4th. With the town too afraid to do anything on Independence Day (a full moon conveniently!), wheelchair bound Marty Coslaw celebrates by himself with a bang. The werewolf pays an unexpected visit, and not to watch Marty’s fireworks. Marty, hurls some dangerous firecrackers right at the beast’s face, causing the creature to lose an eye. Needless to say, Marty’s parents are not happy, and of course nobody believes he saw a werewolf.
Months pass, the killings of people and livestock continue, so the townspeople organize a lynch mob. While some are there just to tell bad jokes, pee in the woods and drink beers, many of them are serious enough to cause the werewolf to leave town on the night of the full moon. In the neighboring town, the werewolf encounters a resident of Tarker’s Mills who was out of town on “business” with a local prostitute. The wolf proceeds to do the obvious.
Towards the end of the book, it has been revealed that Marty has been sending anonymous letters to the werewolf. Marty used some quality deductive reasoning (more than any of the adults in the story can manage) to determine that the werewolf’s human form would be missing an eye. On Halloween, he discovered who it was while trick or treating, and has been appealing to the wolf to move, or kill himself. Eventually, Marty reveals that he knows who the werewolf is. On the night of the full moon the werewolf attacks Marty’s home, crashing through the window. Hopefully his parents’ insurance covers that. Not to be taken unawares, Marty is armed with two silver bullets, courtesy of his cool uncle. After a brief struggle, the werewolf dies revealing to the rest of Tarker’s Mills who has been terrorizing them.
Teens would love this novel, for several reasons. It’s short, it has pictures, and the one who figures everything out, thus saving the town, is the unlikeliest person. A teenage boy in a wheel chair. The book is also non-stop gore from cover to cover, and should greatly appeal to the teen’s desire for horror stories. It’s also appealing that none of the adults have clue one what they are dealing with, despite the wolf tracks and eviscerated corpses, they’re searching for a run-of-the-mill serial killer. Even after a witness, Marty, identifies the killer as a werewolf, the sheriff doesn’t believe him. Which is too bad, because he dies a month or so later. Due to this, it’s up to Marty to solve the ongoing mystery, and save the day.
Although the book doesn’t showcase developmental areas, it is a great choice because it shows a young person succeeding against the odds, and the ill-place rules to save the adults from their own stupidity. It shows that even the least likely person can stop an unstoppable hell beast with a little brain power, and some effort. In short, Marty succeeded when no one else could have.
It also explores humanity at some point, getting into the werewolf’s mind as to how (it’s human form) feels about the murders being committed. The story further explores Marty’s relationship with his parents, compared with that of his uncle. Marty is basically independent solving the problem, the story catches uncertainty, and allows Marty to overcome impossible odds.
Suggestions for improvement:
I would have to say, Marty is not really a main character. He isn’t properly introduced until halfway through the story, then he disappears from the story for a time. The book also does not deal with any teen developmental things, unless you want to be really symbolic, and say that the werewolf is a metaphor for being a teenager. They’re both going through changes, they both become monsters every once in a while, and they both feel invincible. The book could also use more character development, but I think it serves its purpose as a horror story.
Genre: Stephen King, Horror
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