Nightmares in Aston: Wicker Village by Michael J. Moore

 

Aston, Washington, isn’t much more than a farming community, strewn with trees and fields full of cows. Located across from the local cemetery sits Wicker Village, a trailer park with a dark secret that eleven-year-old Juanito wishes he hadn’t uncovered. He’s only lived there a week, yet something has begun to stalk him in the form of bizarre hallucinations. Though he doesn’t know what’s causing them, it’s clearly not friendly and has no intention of going away until it gets what it wants. Unfortunately for Juanito, all it seems to want is him.

When the Boogey man shows up Juanito  has not even had time to process the stress of leaving his friends and his house in the city for a tiny 2 bedroom trailer that looks like a Twinkie. Of course he doesn't really believe in such things, he's practically in the 6th grade and too grown up to be scared by monsters, but there is definitely something spooky going on in the trailer park. It's a good thing Juanito is good at making friends because he'll need some help if he's going to solve the mystery and save his family from a threat they won't even believe in.

This is a fun and creepy story geared towards a middle school audience but could certainly be enjoyed by older horror fans as well. I liked the main character Jaunito who seemed wise beyond his years, and who had the maturity to befriend the bullied kid Pinky even knowing it may cause the bullies to start picking on him too. There are a few really spooky scenes but I think if your kids have read any Goosebumps they can handle it. It did surprise me that there was a reference to drinking beer in the woods by an 11 year old, I hope kids these days don't really start that early. To be clear it was not as if drinking in the woods was glorified or encouraged, but it happened, and if I were purchasing this book for a child I would want to be aware of that.

4 out of 5 stars

I received a complimentary copy for review

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About the Author:

Michael J Moore is an author from Washington state. His books include Highway Twenty, which appeared on the Preliminary Ballot for the 2020 Bram Stoker Award, the bestselling post-apocalyptic novel, After the Change, which is used as curriculum at the University of Washington, the psychological thriller, Secret Harbor and the middle- grade story, Nightmares in Aston. His work has received awards, has appeared in various anthologies, journals, newspapers (i.e. the Huffington Post) and magazines (i.e. the Nation), on television (with acclaimed newsman, Carlos Watson) and has been adapted for theater.

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