Review Detail

Killer Harvest tells the story of Marcus, Kris, and Angie who are taken to Gentle Valley by their parents after getting into trouble at school. Gentle Valley is a town that is very serious about its harvest festival but doesn’t allow for the celebration of Halloween. Marcus, Kris, and Angie believe that this town is a bit silly and decide to ignore the rules regarding certain Halloween-related festivities. To their surprise, ghosts of dead children start showing up around them and real-life children have gone missing. What exactly is going on in Gentle Valley?

What I Liked: When I was growing up, the only scary books I could find were Goosebumps, and it was rare to find anything else. I am quite pleased to find that there are more books now and that they cover a wider variety of topics.

This book takes a bit of time to set up the story before any action happens yet I found that it was the right amount of time to capture your attention. I enjoyed how the author set up the story and introduced us to Marcus, Kris, and Angie along with the small town.

I appreciated the way this book covers the happenings in a small town and how this setting adds a horror element to it. I love how the townspeople are very secretive and don’t reveal why they will not allow Halloween celebrations to take place. I also enjoyed going through various aspects of the harvest festival and seeing both their family-friendly side and then how those aspects turned spooky.

As soon as the action starts within this book it is as if you are transported into the story and watching as this all unfolds. As I was reading I could see everything happening and feared for the children as they tried to battle this scarecrow. I appreciated how the author builds tension in the book and adds suspense throughout the story in a way that works for a younger audience.

Final Verdict: Killer Harvest is a spooky read that children ages 9 and up will enjoy. This book is a great introduction to the horror genre for a younger audience and perfect for children ready to delve into something a little scarier.