Link to article: http://bewarethescarylibrarian.blogspot.com/2021/03/screen-to-scream-summer-of-84-and.html
The past year hasn’t been the best one, and there are a lot of reasons why. It’s pretty tempting then to go back to a simpler time, where life made a bit more sense. From binging the sitcoms you watched in the ‘80s or buy a few discount parachute pants, there are a lot of ways to do our own limited version of time travel. The pull of nostalgia can easily pull one down the rabbit hole of VHS tapes and slap bracelets, but we should also remember that nostalgia, quoting from Mad Men ad man Don Draper, literally means the pain from an open wound. In a nutshell, the past isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and the movie Summer of ’84 and Jeremy Hepler’s coming of age book Cricket Hunters are prime examples of this.

Summer of ’84, like its TV show progenitor Stranger Things, draws a lot of inspiration when Reaganomics and horror permeated the American consciousness. The story takes place in Cape May, Oregon, an idyllic small town full of nice houses and manicured lawns. Teenager Davey Armstrong, a fan of urban legends before the Internet, suspects that his neighbor, a well-respected Police officer, is a serial killer responsible for the deaths of thirteen boys. Pulling his three friends and his crush into the investigation, they search for the necessary clues to prove the killer’s guilt to a town full of unbelieving adults. If the plot sounds like something dredged up from too many Hardy Boys books, that could have been the filmmakers’ intention, if only to later subvert them. What starts off as a Rear-Window type mystery soon becomes something much more high stakes and much more terrifying. The resolution of the film should turn that sugary hit of nostalgia viewers were expecting into something more stomach-churning.

This is a similar formula Hepler uses to great effect in his book Cricket Hunters. The story follows Celia Garcia and her friends during an eventful autumn in 1998 and 15 years later, when the kids now adults are still processing what happened to them. Not only is Celia’s grandmother, a bruja, dealing with a sister who is cursed by a rival brujah, but the kids, including Celia’s future husband Parker, must navigate a city full of danger, including a husband stalking his ex-wife, young Abby Powell’s mother, and a nephew of the brujah who cursed Celia’s great aunt. Young Abby disappeared that year and 15 years later, the adult Parker turns up missing. Celia must dig through her past if she hopes to have a future with her husband. Hepler weaves a story that moves through past and present, showing readers how that fateful autumn has affected Celia’s life today, especially as it unravels when she becomes a suspect in Parker’s disappearance. The real joy in this novel is watching Hepler set up our expectations only to gleefully knock them down. This isn’t, however, mere shock value. It merely proves, like Summer of ’84, that the past shouldn’t be looked at through rose-colored glasses lest you miss something important.

With spells, rituals, incantations and Cel's practice of brujería, this book brings something different than the usual horror story. I liked the brujeria aspect of the story and how other characters dismiss Cel's beliefs as it felt like a realistic depiction. I thought the flashback interspersed with the present story successfully sheds light on the mystery and gives an added dimension to the characters' relationship with each other. The ending is really satisfying with no loose ends.

As much as I was pulled along by the plot, I had a hard time connecting with the characters. I found Cel, her husband Parker and their friends to be really unlikable which I don't think it was meant to be that way. Also, these are purely personal issues but I'm not a fan of the cheating trope and animal cruelty, both of which feature quite prominently here. While I was ultimately fine with the former as it served the story, I thought the latter is unnecessary and soured my enjoyment of the book.

Great story, great character development, great plotting, and an exceptional reveal that'll have readers turning the pages and simultaneously begging for the book to never end while screaming for the suspense to stop.
This tale has so many elements going for it that choosing one is impossible. Without tossing out any spoilers, which is difficult, the backstories are so interesting that any of them could have been a book in their own right; the section jumps from the characters' childhood to the present were neat and purposeful, not clunky like you see in a lot of books that use this device; and that ending... you're just going to have to experience it. It's completely unexpected--and yet when it occurs, the reader will look back on the rest of the narrative and wonder how they missed it.
Cricket Hunters is a really fine tale with supernatural elements, real-world horrors, and again--greatest ending I've read this year.

This is hands down one of the BEST books I’ve read in all of 2019, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. If you’re the type of person that doesn’t need to read a full review of something to want to buy or read it – GO NOW! ORDER IT! You won’t regret it!

In the story, we’re introduced to a central cast of characters that we follow through a timespan of 15 years. I loved the transitions between past and present – this isn’t always done well in books, but Hepler handled it perfectly, making it feel fluid and smooth rather than disjointed or clunky.

While there are some great horror elements to CRICKET HUNTERS, it’s also an amazing coming-of-age tale, especially in the parts from when Cel and her friends were young kids. I loved how real the depiction of childhood was, from their imaginative games to their neighborhood adventures. Woven together with Cel’s grandmother’s spells and superstitions, all of the chapters taking place in the 1990s felt really magical and enchanting to me.

In the present-day, the story felt more like a thriller – which I loved. Trying to solve the mystery in the present, while the mystery from the past unfolds alongside the main story, was a completely absorbing experience. I was swept away, and couldn’t put the book down – I honestly only stopped reading for the half hour it took me to drive home that day!

This was my first book by the author, so I didn’t know what to expect at all writing-wise – and I loved it all! Hepler’s writing is engaging and accessible while remaining completely original, from the twist ending to the beautiful blend of cultures and languages. This could easily be adapted into a movie, and I hope that someday it is, because the story is amazing and it’d be incredible on screen – although I’m not positive that any director could capture the atmosphere and ambiance to Hepler’s writing.

Overall, if I could give this 6 stars, I would. It will absolutely be in my Top Books of 2019 recap (coming soon!), and it’s one I’ll probably read again in the future. The publisher, Silver Shamrock Publishing, is putting some great stuff out recently – keep an eye on both Silver Shamrock & Jeremy Hepler‘s books!

CRICKET HUNTERS is an excellent, dark coming-of-age horror story that I highly recommend! I love the relationship between Cel and her abuela, Yesenia. I could not put this book down when I started reading it and by the time I finished it, it was after two in the morning. I had a feeling about how the story would play out, though I was right in one aspect, I was completely wrong about the ending. This is the first book that I’ve read by Jeremy Hepler, and it won’t be my last!

Thank you, NetGalley and Silver Shamrock Publishing for providing me with a copy of CRICKET HUNTERS in exchange for an honest review.

Fantastic. CRICKET HUNTERS will be in the conversation for best book of 2019, trust me. Hepler is on the rise.

I love a good coming of age story, when done right, they transport you back to times that were somehow simpler, yet much more confusing. Frustrating, yet magical. When I caught wind of the latest by Jeremy Hepler, I knew I needed this book. I’m pleased to say it’s even better than I had hoped.

Cricket Hunters follows Celia Lundy as she attempts to locate her missing husband, Parker. The disappearance of whom seems to be somehow related to the disappearance of their childhood friend, Abby. Fifteen years pass between the events and the truth behind Abby’s disappearance remains unknown.

Jeremy Hepler wrote one damn fine book. The story takes place going back and forth between the present and the past. Hepler hits all the right notes of what you’d want in a coming of age tale. The characters experience loss, love, adventure, dangerous close calls, you name it. Celia is the protagonist here, and one interesting aspect that sets this book apart is Celia’s Hispanic heritage. Celia is raised by her Abuela, Yesenia, who is a Bruja. Throughout the book we’re treated to the delightful interactions between Cel and Yesenia. We watch as Yesenia casts healing spells, protection spell, barriers and all manner of witchcraft. The true joy of the book however, is following Celia and her friends, known as the Cricket Hunters, through their daily interactions.

The book is very well written with excellent prose. The story is fascinating and a breeze to follow. You can tell throughout reading that Hepler took great care writing this, there are no loose ends, no big plot holes, nothing at all I can find to complain about. The transition between time periods is woven throughout the story in a manner that makes sense and enriches the story, sometimes time jumps can be confusing and that was never the case here. Central to the story is the disappearance of Cricket Hunter Abby, and Celia’s husband Parker. I had suspicions as to what happened and when all was revealed, I couldn’t have been further from the truth, it came out of left field in the best way possible.

When I finally closed Cricket Hunters I was left completely satisfied. It has everything I love about coming of age stories while still managing to feel completely fresh. Jeremy Hepler has not only written a spectacular novel, but he has succeeded in writing one of the finest coming of age stories I’ve read in a long time.

This was definitely different from what I usually read, and I was curious to learn more about the 'magic' that permeates the book. I was positively surprised that the story did not focus on that aspect alone, but offered a lot more - like coming-of-age and thriller.

The book is told in parallel story-lines. One is taking place in the past and tells us about a group of five teenage friends and the sudden disappearance of one of them. The other covers the present, where all have grown up and Cel and Parker are married. When Parker goes missing, Cel must not only confront her fears about Parker possibly cheating on her, but also about the mysterious, never solved disappearance of Abby back then. All the while she is accompanied by her magic, which shields, protects and strengthens her. But will it also be able to help bring Parker back?

There are some very strong characters in this book, but all have their faults and come across as believable. There were all kinds of spells and magic things, but on a level that makes it seem real and just a different belief which I can fully respect. I consider it similar to other people praying or crossing themselves. I was pleased to find that the book does not delve deep into supernatural fantasy, but always remains anchored in the real world. Especially the ending brought a very clever surprise which I didn't see coming but which brought together the loose ends perfectly. Not really what I expected - but much better!

This story is just not my personal tastes so I have decided to DNF it around 40%. I like the fertility and witch aspects to this book, but I really don't enjoy "coming of age" horror about groups of children.fighting evil. I hope I can still review review Shamrock titles, because I previously really enjoyed In the Scrape.

I will not be reviewing this publicly because I do not review books that I DNF.

Cricket Hunters takes place on two time lines. It is both a coming of age tale in the late 1990s and a supernatural mystery taking place today. Back then Cel and Parker were teenaged sweethearts, and part of a close knit group of friends. In the present day the bloom is off the rose and their marriage is quite rocky. After a heated argument with Cel, Parker disappears. Cel doesn't know if it's because of his philandering ways or if it is something to do with an unresolved incident in their past. The interpersonal relationships between the characters in the past and the way it shaped their adult selves is quite realistic and believable. In my opinion this is the author's best work to date and that is saying something considering his previous work is quite good. The ending left me awe struck.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book. I really enjoyed this book. Look forward to reading more by this author. Had me on edge and I loved the lore and legends the grandma shared. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

this was a really good horror novel, the characters were interesting and I found the idea of someone missing to be very scary. It really was a great read that had me on the edge of my seat the whole time.