The Shiver Squad are back! This time Oli, Riley, Alex, Sophia and Mo are going camping with Oli's dad in Howlmoor Forest, with plans to watch scary films and toast marshmallows on the campfire. Oli can't wait to tell his friends some scary stories to freak them out, like the scouts who camped there and got eaten one by one....but then Oli sees a monster outside his tent that night and no one believes him...until they realise his dad's went missing....

Gabriel Dylan has done it again, I don't care that they're kids books they're utterly fantastic and I love them!
Devoured it (much like a monster from the woods would) in two days and I can't wait for the next one to come out. Highly recommended, buy it for Hallowe'en!

Review also posted to Goodreads but unable to link account.

Gabriel Dylan has done it again! An exciting, engaging and thoroughly enjoyable middle grade book just in time for spooky season! Under a Howling Moon does give a massive clue as to the monster involved but once again the Shiver Squad are ready for whatever comes their way.

A camping trip for Oli’s birthday soon becomes frightening when his tent is slashed…then his dad goes missing in the woods…and there’s soon to be a full moon!

This series is definitely a firm favourite to follow on from the Goosebumps of my youth and the author kindly sent me a link so I could access the ARC on NetGalley.

I have been a fan of Gabriel Dylan since reading his YA monster horror survival epic Whiteout a few years back and was intrigued by his switch to Middle Grade with the Shiver Point series. I enjoyed both It Came from the Woods and its A Tap at the Window, with Under the Howling Moon continuing the series. In the first two books a group of kids formed their own version of the Scooby Gang (the Shiver Squad), vow to protect their town from anything dodgy by, firstly, fight off alien slugs before tackling freaky scarecrows. The books are written as standalone reads and there are few references to earlier events, so kids could happily read this without having read its predecessors. Book three has the same level of scares, but I felt there was little in the way of child character development and returning readers might begin to feel the stories might be getting a bit samey as very little new about the children is introduced.

Under the Howling Moon opens with Oli and his friends going on a camping trip, with his mechanic dad, to Howlmoor Forest for a birthday treat. But soon his dad goes missing, the moon is full, and campers abandon the site in their droves. The first half of the story sets the scene and the second involves the mystery, with a werewolf being suspected. Soon the Shiver Squad are hitting the library (very cool), researching werewolves, and trying to figure out what has happened to Oli’s dad. This was a very easy short read and is a perfect gateway horror novel for younger children, or less confident readers just getting into the genre. The characters are engaging and realistic, with the story being confidently paced with short chapters and many horror film references. Shiver Point 4: Beneath the Ghostly Graves will be with us in 2025. AGE RANGE 8-11

The Shiver Point friends are back for another creepy adventure - this time, it’s something lurking in the woods. Oli makes up a scary story about the Slaughtered Scouts to spook his friends before their camping trip.. but could the monster from
his story actually be real?
This is a great fast-paced story for middle grade readers with plenty of intrigue and spooky scares, balanced out with lots of humour. The dialogue is authentic and snappy, and there’s lots of fun little contemporary references scattered throughout that bring the group of kids to life. And any book that introduces the word lycanthropy is a sure winner!
There’s also enough explanation of the characters that you don’t necessarily have to have read the earlier books in the series to follow what’s going on. We also really loved exploring the hand drawn maps of Shiver Point at the start of the book - a brilliant easy way to introduce new readers to the town.

A quick and fun read with likable characters and a great spooky vibe! This was very atmospheric filled with mystery and fun