Has Gabriel created a monster?

Something sinister lurks in the woods outside of Slade.

Gabe has seen it, or he thinks he has - a shadow standing at the tree line, watching Gabe's house with faintly glowing eyes.

Despite Gabe's misgivings, his new friend, Seth, relishes the creepy atmosphere of the forest. It's the perfect setting for his imaginary struggle against the Hunter, a deformed child-eating creature said to leave the bones of his victims in his wake. It's just a game, but it's all a bit much for Gabe, who quickly loses interest as summer ends and the days grow shorter.

But then strange things start to happen. Frightening things. And Gabe knows it has to do with the dark figure watching him from the edge of the woods.

Is Seth out to teach Gabe a lesson? Or is the Hunter more than just a myth? Gabe isn't sure which option is more horrifying, but he's determined to learn the truth before someone gets hurt . . . or worse.

**

### From School Library Journal

Gr 6-9-This unsettling tale starts out as a realistic friendship story but merges into fantasy/horror. With a dad who makes puppets for a living, Gabe is used to being teased by his classmates. After a devastating fire causes his family to move, however, he starts to experience a surge in reputation, though this popularity comes with a price. Gabe must choose between his new friends and Seth, a strange neighbor who introduces him to a fantasy role-playing game in the wooded area behind their houses. When the game turns out to be not entirely imaginary, and kids in the community start to get hurt, Gabe must figure out how to set things right. The short chapters create a fast pace that rushes to the ultimate confrontation in this supernatural thriller. The creepy mood Poblocki creates for this ghost story is its strongest asset. Although it's tame enough for middle schoolers, the ending may be intense for some readers.-Carrie Shaurette, Dwight-Englewood School, Englewood, NJα(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

### From Booklist

A fantasy game played in the woods by two eighth-graders becomes dangerously real in Poblocki’s latest spookfest. Gabe and his family move into his grandmother’s ancestral manor after their home burns down, and while exploring the nearby woods, Gabe meets skinny, intense Seth, a neighbor, and strikes up a friendship built on mutual loneliness. They pretend to be Robber Princes, tasked to fight monsters; currently, they are tracking a baby-eating beast named The Hunter. Gabe enjoys the escape from reality, but soon discovers that Seth is the school freak, a position Gabe is determined to avoid. When he pulls back from Seth and the game, frightening events occur. A dark figure watches him from the forest, and mean pranks plague him. At first he blames Seth, but soon it’s apparent that The Hunter is real—and Gabe’s baby sister is in danger. The social dramas mesh well with the supernatural elements, as do the family histories. Poblocki creates a real sense of suspense, and a well-executed character death gives the denouement gravity. An excellent Halloween read. Grades 7-10. --Krista Hutley