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#23 - Night of the Goat Boy Synopsis Camp Spotlight is a great place for a kid who wants to be an actor. But no one's acting when tales are told of the Goat Boy. Half boy, half goat, all teeth. But are the stories real? You and Nathaniel is about to find out. Notes I like how the mystery is set up right away with the parents. They way they behave tells you immediately that something cool happened, and it was cool enough for them to keep it a secret all these years! Camp itself is a cool place. Anything can happen. You're out there, alone in the dark woods. Strange people are with you. I like the remoteness of it ... it makes things scarier. As usual, Shivers excels in putting the reader in a creepy locale. I thought it was interesting that the main character was set up as being athletic. I wondered if there was going to be some action sequences later on, and if he'd have to face any physical trials. I didn't understand the purpose of the sister at first. Usually a character exists for a reason, so I kept holding out to find out what the reason was. It made the world richer, either way. Some of the Shivers books are great coming-of-age tales, like this one. Seperated from his parents for the first time. Left in a strange place with a lot of uncertainty. Certain things he must overcome, literally just like his father and mother before him. I loved the description of the camp counselor. Mostly bald, fringle of black curly hair around the edges, thick glasses, fish eyes, polka dot shirt, clipboard. "The four boys, realizing they were in the presence of a grownup who was the opposite of everything they would ever want to be, looked at the floor and shuffled their feet." It's the colorful characters that add flavor to the series! "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown." Is the author a Peanuts fan? I liked how all the counselor names started with an A or an M ... makes you wonder what kind of creepy stuff was going on at the camp. This story in particular benefits from the short length of the Shivers novels. The action is constant, and really made for a book I couldn't put down. I loved the "Old McDonald" part, as well as the cook forgetting to cook the noodles. The details really make it sparkle of the page sometimes! I think there's a chronology issue on page 98, but who cares. Let's not talk about it =) The storm added a lot to the end of the story. Interesting Info
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