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bookboop's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
faerelady's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
mehsi's review against another edition
5.0
A terrifying and scary read that will be sure to keep you up at night!
A book I just couldn’t resist when I saw it come up on Twitter. I just HAD to have this one! I love super dark and scary books and this one looked to be perfect for my horror needs~
A book I just couldn’t resist when I saw it come up on Twitter. I just HAD to have this one! I love super dark and scary books and this one looked to be perfect for my horror needs~
the_best_ever's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
danielleh13's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.75
Book was interesting in some parts and reminded me as to why i enjoyed reading horror as a kid.
chigangrel's review against another edition
5.0
Thanks to NetGalley and Scholastic for the advanced copy.
I knew Scarewaves would have some good monsters in it because that seems to be one of Trevor Henderson's specialties - he did create the fantastically scary Siren Head, after all! And this book delivered. Boy, did it deliver.
This is the sort of scary children's fiction I absolutely adore. It's written perfectly for that middle grade audience, the language is simple and easy to read but it doesn't patronize and Henderson doesn't dumb any of his ideas or cheap out on the scares. It's very reminiscent of the scariest stories you'll find in Alvin Schwarz's [b:Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark|1325218|Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark|Alvin Schwartz|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1440189576l/1325218._SX50_.jpg|145600] (and the whole vibes of the novel is very reminiscent of [b:Alan Wake|8264822|Alan Wake|Rick Burroughs|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1312061371l/8264822._SX50_.jpg|13112803] as well, which I adore). For that reason, I would definitely recommend this only for kids who truly love a scary story and can handle any potential nightmares resulting from reading Scarewaves - I was one such kid, myself!
And, honestly, I heartily recommend it for grown readers as well. Henderson starts the scares early and the story only escalates from there. By the last third of the book I was holding my tablet, white knuckled, needing to know how it ends and if our protagonists survive. Again, for a children's book, this was genuinely terrifying. The copy I have is an ARC so there are illustrations missing, but I am looking forward to reading this again post-release to check those out (I'm assuming they'll be of the monsters). Even without the illustrations though, Henderson does a great job at describing the creatures - I could easily visualize each creepy, crawly one of them.
I also enjoy the occasional interspersal of transcripts from the radio show that features as the plot device. As a kid in the 90s who listened to late night radio (sneakily, under my bed covers), it gave me nostalgia vibes, and also added an anthological air to the story... and I hope that's what this is the start of because I would absolutely LOVE to see more childrens' horror from Henderson. He's a fantastic story-teller with a vivid and demented imagination.
I think this will definitely be in my end of year top 10 for 2023.
I knew Scarewaves would have some good monsters in it because that seems to be one of Trevor Henderson's specialties - he did create the fantastically scary Siren Head, after all! And this book delivered. Boy, did it deliver.
This is the sort of scary children's fiction I absolutely adore. It's written perfectly for that middle grade audience, the language is simple and easy to read but it doesn't patronize and Henderson doesn't dumb any of his ideas or cheap out on the scares. It's very reminiscent of the scariest stories you'll find in Alvin Schwarz's [b:Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark|1325218|Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark|Alvin Schwartz|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1440189576l/1325218._SX50_.jpg|145600] (and the whole vibes of the novel is very reminiscent of [b:Alan Wake|8264822|Alan Wake|Rick Burroughs|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1312061371l/8264822._SX50_.jpg|13112803] as well, which I adore). For that reason, I would definitely recommend this only for kids who truly love a scary story and can handle any potential nightmares resulting from reading Scarewaves - I was one such kid, myself!
And, honestly, I heartily recommend it for grown readers as well. Henderson starts the scares early and the story only escalates from there. By the last third of the book I was holding my tablet, white knuckled, needing to know how it ends and if our protagonists survive. Again, for a children's book, this was genuinely terrifying. The copy I have is an ARC so there are illustrations missing, but I am looking forward to reading this again post-release to check those out (I'm assuming they'll be of the monsters). Even without the illustrations though, Henderson does a great job at describing the creatures - I could easily visualize each creepy, crawly one of them.
I also enjoy the occasional interspersal of transcripts from the radio show that features as the plot device. As a kid in the 90s who listened to late night radio (sneakily, under my bed covers), it gave me nostalgia vibes, and also added an anthological air to the story... and I hope that's what this is the start of because I would absolutely LOVE to see more childrens' horror from Henderson. He's a fantastic story-teller with a vivid and demented imagination.
I think this will definitely be in my end of year top 10 for 2023.
owllog's review against another edition
5.0
Made me feel like a kid reading scary stories to tell in the dark and goosebumps. Great story for young and old.
margueriteturley's review against another edition
This book was so much fun, and really scary too!! The illustrations are incredible, and the characters were perfect. This story follows a group of kids who are being followed by monsters and they just want to show proof of what they’re seeing. A great story, and I will definitely be recommending this!!
cosmicpanda's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
smalltowncreepy's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Scarewaves was an absolutely refreshing read after DNFing and slogging through a stack of adult horror that was more literary mumbling than terrifying scenarios. I know some horror fans bypass middle grade and YA horror books for what they feel will be better scares and writing on the adult shelves but let me encourage you to try them out. I find middle grade horror to be a blend of nostalgia (both for my own childhood as well as a type of childhood I saw on tv and in movies that I never had), traditional monster horror, and some really creepy scares that might have you checking under your bed before you sleep at night. Henderson’s Scarewaves is one of those gems.
We get a lot of the typical tropes for middle grade horror and horror dealing with kids. We got the new kid in town, the nerdy kid that people roll their eyes at for being a know-it-all, the mullet kid from the rural area of town that may or may not have an abusive parent (I honestly was really pleased with how Lucas was handled as I was worried we might have a Scud Farkus or Henry Bowers type when he was introduced), the bad ass babysitter taking care of her ward, and more. While the tropes might be ones we all know well, these were handled wonderfully. I felt hints of Coraline, with Mary that were more a wink and a nod than too on the nose. I also felt a strong leaning towards Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, a favorite among many kids and adults. So much nostalgia.
I am a huge fan of analog horror and having the Alan Graves BCON radio broadcasts separate story chapters was wonderful. We got lore drop about Beacon Point without the characters having to info dump. By the end of the book, I was deeply invested in this radio show and only wish we got more of Alan’s story.
If I have one complaint about Scarewaves (other than wishing it was longer and hoping for a second book in the Beacon Point universe of monsters) is that I don’t feel like we could really bond with the characters. There were several of them and by the time we get to the climax where they’re all together and working on their plan to get proof of the supernatural entities bothering them, I found myself caring less for some of them and more for others. I think it might have been a more emotionally hitting book if Henderson had focused on Byron, Mary, and Lucas rather than bringing in the others. I get why he did it – one entity or type of entity per kid allowing for a variety of Beacon Point’s terrors to be on display. However, I think it would have worked out with just three kids and the suggestions that others were dealing with similar things.
We get a lot of the typical tropes for middle grade horror and horror dealing with kids. We got the new kid in town, the nerdy kid that people roll their eyes at for being a know-it-all, the mullet kid from the rural area of town that may or may not have an abusive parent (I honestly was really pleased with how Lucas was handled as I was worried we might have a Scud Farkus or Henry Bowers type when he was introduced), the bad ass babysitter taking care of her ward, and more. While the tropes might be ones we all know well, these were handled wonderfully. I felt hints of Coraline, with Mary that were more a wink and a nod than too on the nose. I also felt a strong leaning towards Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, a favorite among many kids and adults. So much nostalgia.
I am a huge fan of analog horror and having the Alan Graves BCON radio broadcasts separate story chapters was wonderful. We got lore drop about Beacon Point without the characters having to info dump. By the end of the book, I was deeply invested in this radio show and only wish we got more of Alan’s story.
If I have one complaint about Scarewaves (other than wishing it was longer and hoping for a second book in the Beacon Point universe of monsters) is that I don’t feel like we could really bond with the characters. There were several of them and by the time we get to the climax where they’re all together and working on their plan to get proof of the supernatural entities bothering them, I found myself caring less for some of them and more for others. I think it might have been a more emotionally hitting book if Henderson had focused on Byron, Mary, and Lucas rather than bringing in the others. I get why he did it – one entity or type of entity per kid allowing for a variety of Beacon Point’s terrors to be on display. However, I think it would have worked out with just three kids and the suggestions that others were dealing with similar things.