NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A mad scientist's concoction of teen detectives, H. P. Lovecraft, and a love of Americana, this is a story filled with rich horror, thrilling twists, outright hilarity, and surprising poignancy.
"While this is obviously an ode to Scooby Doo... fans will love the idea of a group of mystery hunters coming back together after leaving the business.” —Bustle
“Filled with high jinks both terrorizing and hilarious.” —USA Today
In 1977, four teenagers and a dog—Andy (the tomboy), Nate (the nerd), Kerri (the bookworm), Peter (the jock), and Tim (the Weimaraner)—solved the mystery of Sleepy Lake. The trail of an amphibian monster terrorizing the quiet town of Blyton Hills leads the gang to spend a night in Deboën Mansion and apprehend a familiar culprit: a bitter old man in a mask.
Now, in 1990, the twenty-something former teen detectives are lost souls. Plagued by night terrors and Peter's tragic death, the three survivors have been running from their demons. When the man they apprehended all those years ago makes parole, Andy tracks him down to confirm what she’s always known—they got the wrong guy. Now she'll need to get the gang back together and return to Blyton Hills to find out what really happened in 1977, and this time, she's sure they're not looking for another man in a mask.
As someone who grew watching "...those meddling kids.", I was curious about this book. What *did* happen when The Gang grew up, and was it as rosy as we all assumed? That answer is a distinct and resounding NO. The jock committed suicide, the brainiac became a deadbeat, the dork lives in an asylum, and the popular girl is wanted in two states and is gay. Definitely not what anyone would necessarily have expected.
There are so many ways this book could have gone wrong, but Cantero did an excellent job taking the darker aspects and running with them. A lot of that has to do with the dialogue of the characters, including the ghost of the jock who is currently haunting the dork - hence his commitment. As for the dog, whose character could have just degenerated into ridiculousness, he turned out to be my favorite. He was definitely not an in your face kind of character, but he certainly was an important member of the group, and picturing his thought bubbles sometimes had me laughing out loud.
Overall, this was an excellent read. I'm hoping there are more adventures to come, but even if there are not - it's well worth the time. It's fun and absurd and it embraces both of those things while showing that even in the dark, there can be love, laughter, friendships...and monsters.
