Review to come to my blog nearer to the release day (plus also on other places).

I received this book from the publisher/Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

This year is really a spooky year for me, I am hunting for all the spooky books to read and I was delighted when I found this one. It looked and sounded super spooky and I was in for it. 

In this one we meet a boy named James. At the start of the book he and his twin sister Jen are getting some snacks after school when Jen encounters something, a black hound. Cue to some time later and Jen is dead and James is determined to figure things out. What is the black hound? What is happening in his town? Can he find Jen again? He finds out some details, meets an older lady next door who helps him out at points (and of course, like any older lady warns him for the dangers), and tries to deal with the grief and loss he feels over losing his twin sister. Things get quite spooky as the story progresses. But I love that despite all that James never gives up and keeps on going. He has a mission. 

But the side-stories is where the book really shines. Those were the ones I looked forward to the most. To see what happened in this town over the years. From a family that met a hitchhiking ghost and never got home, to a girl with a broken hoop, to a black hound, to a circle of stones. I wouldn't mind a whole book with just the side stories, just a book full of spooky folklore tales. Guess my next mission is to see if the author did anymore spooky things, who knows by the time this review pops up (writing this mid-April) I have found some great spooky reads~ 

And while I wasn't always a fan of the main story, I did appreciate that everything connected. What we see in the main story also appears in the side stories and vice versa, the side stories are also connected, there are hints everywhere and it is like a big puzzle just clicking together in the most satisfying way. 

I did love the ending, not just the ending to the story as it is with a new person chosen for that job, but also the part in which James is a grown-up. 

And as always, I do love extras at the end. The author/artist explains more about the folklore, the ideas he had, photographs and art, and more. Quite interesting to read! 

The art was really fun, I loved the style, very geometrical very fitting for the story! 

I would definitely recommend this one to everyone looking for a spooky read, this one would be perfect for Halloween!