Review: A Hollow Dream of Summer's End by Andrew Van Wey

Book: A Hollow Dream of Summer's End by Andrew Van Wey
Published by Greywood Bay; August 2012
94 pages
Fomat: Ebook
Genres: Novella/Thriller/Supernatural/Horror
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review

Synopis via Goodreads: This summer vacation was one of endless adventure. Of bicycle trips and slumber parties, sports camps and water fights, and most of all, of friendship and laughter. But all suns must set, all seasons must end. For three fifth-grade friends, this summer’s final sleepover takes a dark turn when an entity as old as time itself rises from the gnarled shadows of the woods to claim them. Trapped high in a treehouse by a monster below, their friendship is tested as they discover the true meaning of terror. Tonight, they must fight for their lives to keep out the nightmare below and the madness it brings. There is no escape.
 There is no salvation.
There is only the treehouse, the nightmare below, and the dawn that may never come...

Having read Andrew Van Wey's novel Forsaken (review here) last year and loving it, I was very excited to read this novella A Hollow Dream of Summer's End. I expected a somewhat strange story that would freak me out and probably leave me unsettled. That is definitely what I got.

I normally have trouble relating to male protagonists, especially young children, but had very little trouble with this one. The dialogue is very much what I expect from young boys to the point where it was quite amusing. As the novella started, I wasn't really sure how the story could go from where it started to all the elements in the synopsis with such a short length. However, the story moved swiftly and I didn't feel like there was anything lacking in that regard.

I can't really grasp how the monster aka Mr. Skitters looks, though he is quite detailed in the novella. My mind can't put together all the details into a physical form. (The closes I could get was the bedlam from Coraline). I can say that just the idea of Mr. Skitters had me pretty shaken. The idea of being trapped in a tree house 30 feet off the ground with some unknown, shape shifting creature that can climb and want to eat you...made me very anxious. In broad daylight.

I did expect there to be a twist near the end, based solely on the twist in Forsaken. I thought that I knew what was going on and was very smug about it. In the end I was wrong, but headed in the right direction. I really loved the twist though.

The novella ends on what I can only assume is a cliffhanger. I really want to know what really happened with Aiden. I also want to know what happened to his dad and his dad's girlfriend.

Overall, it's a great creepy story. Though the main characters are young boys, it's not a book for young children. It's mostly suspenseful/creepy, but there is some gore as well. While the book may not be for everyone, it's length makes it a breeze to get through and well worth taking a chance on it.