Scan barcode
beth_don's review against another edition
5.0
This was wildly good and really creepy considering it's a middle grade. Even though it was short, it did a great job sucking me in and keeping me entranced.
kristins3's review against another edition
My fourth grade teacher read this to our class and I was terrified for months
merissareadsstuff's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This is a good book for kids, but the way Skeleton Man came to be is pretty disturbing, so read it first before you read it to very young children. The most disturbing part is in the first chapter.
I really enjoyed learning about Native American mythology and culture. The legend of Skeleton Man comes from Native American mythos.
The main character was a female was constantly putting herself down using traditionally sexist rhetoric. It is clear her parents had been pretty sexist to her when they frequently said she is melodramatic. Boys are rarely called that, and girls are usually called that to silence them. So there was a bit of sexism in the book as both books had her saying that a lot.
It was creepy. It did a good job creeping me out at times, and I'm an adult. The girl's parents are kidnapped and then she forced to go live with this creep she doesn't know, so it might scare your kids, especially the younger kids.
At the beginning of my copy, the author says that even though he knows the story of skeleton man is disturbing, the moral is not to be lazy or greedy and he is glad to have grown up with such tales, despite how disturbing it is. I do see the point is obviously what he says. And I think it is good to have such stories, too as long as the kids will not be too frightened.
The main character is pretty fleshed out, but the skeleton man is not so much. I don't think that really matters, though, since he just supposed to be a scary monster, and he plays that role well.
I really enjoyed learning about Native American mythology and culture. The legend of Skeleton Man comes from Native American mythos.
The main character was a female was constantly putting herself down using traditionally sexist rhetoric. It is clear her parents had been pretty sexist to her when they frequently said she is melodramatic. Boys are rarely called that, and girls are usually called that to silence them. So there was a bit of sexism in the book as both books had her saying that a lot.
It was creepy. It did a good job creeping me out at times, and I'm an adult. The girl's parents are kidnapped and then she forced to go live with this creep she doesn't know, so it might scare your kids, especially the younger kids.
At the beginning of my copy, the author says that even though he knows the story of skeleton man is disturbing, the moral is not to be lazy or greedy and he is glad to have grown up with such tales, despite how disturbing it is. I do see the point is obviously what he says. And I think it is good to have such stories, too as long as the kids will not be too frightened.
The main character is pretty fleshed out, but the skeleton man is not so much. I don't think that really matters, though, since he just supposed to be a scary monster, and he plays that role well.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Violence, and Cannibalism
lisa61's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
sandevie10's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
bl00dy_knuckles's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
bookishrealm's review
4.0
Ya'll why didn't anyone tell me this book was going to be so damn creepy??
So this is the first book that I completed for Indigathon! It was CREEPY AF! I don't think I expected that level of creepiness for a middle grade story. It's actually two books in one and each book is based off of Mohawk folklore and legends. Both stories follow a girl by the name of Molly who's parents go missing after an outing during the weekend. Molly is then "claimed" by an uncle that she believes is an imposter. However, when he is able to produce pictures of her family Molly has no choice but to live with him. His behavior is incredibly strange and reminds Molly of a legend that she heard about a cannibal skeleton man who started off as a man that eventually ate himself down to his bones. In both of the books, Molly must fight to save her family.
First let's talk about the writing in these books. It created such a spooky atmosphere. I was listening to this on audio while I was at work and something in the building made noise and I swear my heart dropped to my feet. I haven't had that happen to me in a long time. I also enjoyed the fact that Bruchac spent a lot of time educating the reader of cultural traditions especially those that are significant to the Mohawk people and even the origins of The Day of the Dead. It is a great talking point for middle grade readers that being exposed to works outside of their own race, ethnicity, and culture. In regard to characters, Burchac also did an excellent job illustrating the connections that Molly had to her parents. I wish we would have gotten a little more of that in the first book, but it definitely shines through in the second book. Some parts of the text were a little info-dumpy, but the sheer creepiness of the books helped me get through that.
At first I was surprised that this is marketed towards a 7-8th grade audience. There were several parts of the book that made me very weary of my own surroundings, but I'm also a big baby so I'm sure that those middle grade readers who like horror will be really invested in this story. If you're looking for a new horror middle grade book I would check this one out. I would also recommend listening to it on audio.
So this is the first book that I completed for Indigathon! It was CREEPY AF! I don't think I expected that level of creepiness for a middle grade story. It's actually two books in one and each book is based off of Mohawk folklore and legends. Both stories follow a girl by the name of Molly who's parents go missing after an outing during the weekend. Molly is then "claimed" by an uncle that she believes is an imposter. However, when he is able to produce pictures of her family Molly has no choice but to live with him. His behavior is incredibly strange and reminds Molly of a legend that she heard about a cannibal skeleton man who started off as a man that eventually ate himself down to his bones. In both of the books, Molly must fight to save her family.
First let's talk about the writing in these books. It created such a spooky atmosphere. I was listening to this on audio while I was at work and something in the building made noise and I swear my heart dropped to my feet. I haven't had that happen to me in a long time. I also enjoyed the fact that Bruchac spent a lot of time educating the reader of cultural traditions especially those that are significant to the Mohawk people and even the origins of The Day of the Dead. It is a great talking point for middle grade readers that being exposed to works outside of their own race, ethnicity, and culture. In regard to characters, Burchac also did an excellent job illustrating the connections that Molly had to her parents. I wish we would have gotten a little more of that in the first book, but it definitely shines through in the second book. Some parts of the text were a little info-dumpy, but the sheer creepiness of the books helped me get through that.
At first I was surprised that this is marketed towards a 7-8th grade audience. There were several parts of the book that made me very weary of my own surroundings, but I'm also a big baby so I'm sure that those middle grade readers who like horror will be really invested in this story. If you're looking for a new horror middle grade book I would check this one out. I would also recommend listening to it on audio.
viachu888's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book! It was the perfect mixture of creepiness and adventure. It was a little gross/disturbing at some parts though.
msrachelreads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
msrachelreads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5