The Wildman of Shaggy Creek
(Frightland #1)
by R.H. Grimly
Barde Press, 2021
Early Middle-Grade
As I jump full-steam into this recent wave of nostalgia, I must draw attention to a new series of books designed to recapture the look and feel of the original Goosebumps books. Frightland’s entry-level scares offer kids an introduction to horror that won’t keep them awake at night but will definitely give them shivers imagining something unnatural lurking under the porch.
Scott’s new house is on the edge of the woods surrounding Shaggy Creek, where local legend says a wildman roams. The neighborhood kids warn Scott to stay away from the forest, but the school is a straight shot right through the trees, and he has no bike. Hailey becomes a good friend, but her brother Zach is always teasing Scott about being afraid of the woods. There are big footprints near the creek. And a hideous half-human cry emanating from the woods at night. And a terrible smell that comes and goes when there are rustlings in the brush. One day after Scott gets caught in the rain, Zach goes too far, and Scott takes a dare to tent overnight in the woods. Hailey overhears her brother and his friends talking about a prank, and she’s sure he’ll pull something that night. But when Scott hears his warning perimeter bell ring in the darkness… It isn’t Zach.
Grimly is successful, these books read just like Goosebumps. I was genuinely chilled when the story described a vulnerable window with no curtains looking out onto the threatening woods and a cry broke the silence. In a room with no furniture, there is nowhere to hide from the night.
Establishing the setting starts out a little slow but then suspense kickstarts the scares as we find evidence of a wildman. Is there really a monster? Is the whole legend just some neighborhood prank? The story does not disappoint. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
