Grabbed the audio for this for a long drive with my fiancée to help pass the time.

This one was a little odd to me honestly. Nothing really happens, which sometimes in a book can make it more scary or suspenseful, but that doesn’t often work in middle grade.

For the most part this one was about walking in the woods, a big giant dog, and being afraid of a swamp hermit. The kid is certain there’s a werewolf and yet he keeps exploring the woods like nothing’s wrong…which is not unlike children. But the ending was exciting and definitely has the classic Stine twist, so I enjoyed that.

Personally a 3/5*.

Poor Grady Tucker now lives in a swamp because his parents are scientists who have decided to study whether or not swamp deer from South America can survive and thrive in Florida. Both he and his sister are incredibly upset at being uprooted from their home in Vermont, but Grady soon adopts a giant stray dog that helps make all the changes in his life a bit easier. However, a predator is stalking the swamp at night, killing other animals, and the main suspect is Grady’s dog, Wolf. Grady is convinced that Wolf is innocent, and the real culprit must be the swamp hermit. Unfortunately, the real werewolf turns out to be someone much closer to Grady, and Wolf is the only one who can save him! Goosebumps novels that are set in isolated places tend to be quite successful in their scariness, and a swamp was a great place to use as a backdrop for a werewolf story. Swamps are dank, dark, mucky places where the very ground can sometimes seem out to get you. Plus, how can you go wrong with werewolves! While not the most innovative Goosebumps (aside from the moving for deer excuse), it still a decent scary book for kids.

2.75