Kazumi Reads

Plot Summary:
Never in a million years would Danny believe in ghost stories, but, this time, they are real. After moving to a town covered in snow, Danny, Howie, and Ash, take a joy ride on the snow covered roads. Although Pike, the driver, decided that he want to set fire to the store of a known pedophile, Danny will never forget that night where he was stalked and attacked by a hideous creature. What seemed like an awful nightmare, Danny tries to shrug off this "dream" until the local bully disappears out of nowhere he believes that his attack, and this disappearance, are related. What is even more suspicious, is that his friend, Howie, also meets this beast and is obsessed with finding this creature, which leads Danny, and his friends, on a dangerous journey to destroy the beast. 

Critical Evaluation:
Bonechiller is an amazing horror story packed with suspense and mystery. In this story is a teen who is not only struggling with the loss of his mother, he is also having to deal with his father inability to cope with his wife's death, which forces Danny to move all around the country to escape the memories of his mother. This story is not only scary, but incredibly touching that many teens can relate too. Moreover, one of the main themes of this story is about making choices; when bad things happens do we face them or run away. For Danny, he has decided that the only way he can move on with his life is to stop running away from the past and face his fears (the beast and living without his mother). Teens will not be able to put this book down because not only are they awaiting an epic battle, they want to see Danny triumph.


Information about the Author:
Graham McNamee is an incredibly mysterious man. Although he is well known as an amazing young adult author, his background are under lock and key. According to Teenreads.com, McNamee is an incredibly shy man who is  5'10" with brown hair and eyes.He was born in Toronto, but there have been very few sightings of him. However, his publisher (Random House) said that he can be found working at the Vancouver Public Library from time to time. McNamee based Bonechiller after a nightmare he had when he was staying at his uncle's cabin in the winter and this is what he had to say about this place:

Outside, the squall was howling, heaping drifts up against the cottage and trying to pry the wooden planks off the boarded windows. I stayed up half the night peering through knotholes in the wood, trying to spot the 'thing' that was making that howling noise. More than just the wind, I was sure there was something alive out in the freezing dark. Something big and mad, and hungry. In bed, even with my ear muffs on, that arctic howl found me. And when I finally slept, 'it' came to me. A huge snow-pale beast with blade-like teeth, ice pick claws and big silver eyes. It chased me through my dreams, through the ice-bound town. And when it caught me--it always caught me--all I could do was stare at my own reflection in those hideous, silver-mirrored eyes. And scream until I screamed myself awake.

After two nights of nightmares we finally made it out, driving over the frozen lake to get back to the main road. I remember looking through the rear window, searching the snowy landscape for my beast. The dreams haunted me for months after. And the cottage was never the same after that. Because even in the heat of summer I knew something was hiding, and only waiting for the deep freeze to come back out" (para. 3).

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•    Best Fiction for Young Adults: 2009
•    Georgia: Georgia Peach Award Nominees: 2011
•    Indiana: Eliot Rosewater Award Nominees: 2011
•    Texas: Tayshas Reading List: 2011