This is a wonderful middle grade novel. Part of it reads like a touching look at experiencing anxiety as a child -- that feeling of dread that no one else seems to be as aware of as you are. Part of it speaks to road trip experiences -- imagining something running alongside the car. And part of it is like a chilling campfire story, "something with RED EYES" and all. ( )

What child is not afraid of the dark; There is something under my bed? What is in the closet? There is something looking in my window? Myles is not afraid of something in his room at night, he is sure he sees a monster following his family car on the way to their new house.

Myles, his mother and siblings are traveling overnight to get to their new house in Nobleville. They've been driving for days, to join Myles's father who's gone ahead to their new house so that he can work at his new job. On the ferry during their last leg of the journey, Myles is sure he sees a ghostly, misty figure of a man with red eyes. The longer he looks, the bigger it gets. He is sure that the monster has hitched a ride on the ferry and is following them calling for him. The family's final, late-night drive becomes a scary, exhausting adventure as Myles and his family encounter magical and ghostly forces in their new island home.

Myles and the Monster Outside is a quick read and a wonderful ghost story. It's weird, filled with foreboding and filled with the uncertainty extremely tired travelers in the middle of the night. This is a fun read for late primary and junior grade students. This would be a great book to read around Hallowe'en time.

I received a copy of Myles and the Monster Outside courtesy of Dundurn Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. ( )

MYLES AND THE MONSTER OUTSIDE, the second book in the Weird Stories Gone Wrong series, is a horror novel for elementary-grade readers. Myles, his siblings, and their mother are on the final leg of a cross-country move when something — a monster — catches his eye in the distance and whispers ominously, I see you, Myles. The chase is on.

The novel's tone is ominous, and as with any effective horror novel, much of the scariness is psychological. Overall the text relies on standard devices of horror. In that way, it would make a fair introduction to the genre. The narration is occasionally heavy handed, though, and I found it intrusive.

Read my complete review in RESOURCE LINKS 21:1 (October 2015). ( )