Introduction
Written by Jeff Strand, “It Watches in the Dark” is a middle-grade horror novel that blends suspense and humor. The story follows twelve-year-old twins, Oliver and Trisha, who embark on a canoe trip in Missouri with their father to celebrate their birthday. Within minutes of beginning the story (it really does get straight to the point), an accident happens, leaving their father unconscious, and the twins paddle downriver in search of help.
They come across a remote village with strange, overly helpful residents and a giant scarecrow that seems to hold a significant place in the community. The villagers insist that the scarecrow, which stands ominously in the town square, watches over them and keeps them safe. However, an old woman warns the twins not to spend the night in the village if they want to leave.
As the twins navigate this eerie environment, the scarecrow begins to exhibit supernatural behaviors, taunting and threatening them. The story takes a darker turn as Oliver and Trisha realize that escaping the village and saving their father might be more challenging than they initially thought. The novel combines elements of folk horror with a fast-paced, engaging narrative that is ideal for young readers like want to be creeped out, but not have nightmares.
Horror Literature Elements
As I typically do with horror meant for younger audiences, I listened to this as an audio book with my nephew. The narrator did a good job with the scarecrow, not a super scary voice, but captured the complete mind control it had over the town. Honestly, with such a short book (I think it was only about 4 hours), and with it being made for younger audiences, it’s a little tougher for me to critique as I’m not the target audience (I’m an adult, not a middle schooler). With that being said, I feel as though kids shouldn’t be dumbed down and their age shouldn’t be an excuse for poor writing, so I’ll critique it without “holding back”.
Let me start by saying, I have a soft spot for scarecrow horror. Growing up, each year our mom would tell us the same scary story involving an evil scarecrow named “Bob” who terrorizes whatever town we were living in at the time (we moved a lot). Though the story almost always ended with one of us destroying Bob, it ultimately lead to me getting the creeps anytime I passed by a scarecrow in real life. Even the friendly-looking ones. Even as an adult.
It was for this reason, I was drawn to this book and recommended reading it with my nephew. Immediately, it grabbed my attention as the introduction was a no-nonsense dive into the plot, which my ADHD appreciated.
The horror elements in the novel arent’ as in-depth as a longer novel would be, yet the author certainly captures a creepy setting within only the first part of the book. The remote and isolated village with its eerie atmosphere and strange, overly friendly residents creates an unsettling backdrop for the story. In addition to this, the the village is watched over by a 50-foot-tall scarecrow that is believed to protect the villagers. This scarecrow starts exhibiting supernatural behaviors, such as speaking to the twins and issuing gruesome threats/mind control.
Adding almost as much to the scary setting, are the villagers themselves. Though technically creepy characters, the villagers’ unwavering devotion to the scarecrow and their disturbing ethos contribute to the tension. The children encounter bizarre and frightening behaviors from the villagers, adding to the sense of danger and paranoia. This was probably the creepiest part of the story for me, as it bordered on the Lovecraftian premise.
With that being said, the human involved between the characters takes away from the scare factor, but helped my nephew engage with it better. Since it’s a story targeting his age group, I’d say that’s a plus for the book. There’s also a bit of a twist, which I enjoyed as much as my nephew did. All in all, it’s worth a read for the younger horror fans as it’ll creep them out without a high likelihood of causing nightmares.
Conclusion
The story’s conclusion highlights the twins’ resourcefulness and bravery as they devise a plan to escape the village and rescue their unconscious father from the villagers’ clutches. The scarecrow’s threats and the villagers’ unwavering belief in its protective power create a tense and suspenseful atmosphere. Ultimately, the twins’ determination and quick thinking lead to a resolution, but the lingering presence of the scarecrow and the village’s dark secrets leave a lasting impression on them, though there is a definitive ending to the story. Ultimately, it’s a worth a read for youngins just getting into horror, but not very interesting for Aunts having to listen along.
Final Scare Me Please Score: Just burn that town to the ground, out of 100
Have you read this book? What did you think? Have you ever been to a creepy town? Are you afraid of scarecrows? Drop a comment below to let us know!
Scare Me Please 