Great set up with an underwhelming conclusion. Still a solid enjoyable read that I can see young people enjoying.

For those younger readers looking for an eerie, fall book (especially those who loved Stranger Things), read this!

I really enjoyed this one. I love this idea. I thought the way it came together was super fun and the last half of the book moves so quickly. Overall, I'm really happy I had the chance to read this and I think Colin Meloy has a great style. The development of the characters was interesting to read in conjunction with everything happening and it was easy to follow. I will say it did take me a bit to really get into it though. There were a couple points where I found major similarities to certain late 70s-80s films, which may have been the point, but they did feel a little too close a times (there are three in particular that I won't list for spoiler purposes). I'm also not entirely satisfied with the ending. I wish there was a little more to it. It made sense with the story, but it felt a tad abrupt.
A final note: I'm not sure if I would 100% classify this as middle grade though. It would absolutely work for some of the younger crowd, but I do wonder if it perhaps leans a bit closer to YA.

This book reminded me of a creepier version of The Goonies. If your young reader likes things from the 80s or is a big movie buff, they will love all the nostalgia and references to old horror flicks. I really liked the friendship between the main characters and I was definitely invested the core mystery of the story and wanted to know who the three creepy men were and what their motives were for unearthing the ‘evil’ beneath the cliffs. Best for ages 12 and up who like horror or spooky thrillers.

Colin Meloy has successfully written a scary story that will appeal to kids of all ages especially those who are addicted to Stranger Things and Stephen King's early books.

I appreciate Harper Collins and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this arc.

I appreciate the author’s attention to detail and how lyrical their writing is; however, these were aspects I found that simultaneously worked against the narrative.

The first paragraph of the novel, while attempting to build the setting for readers, simply read as an over-glorified attempt at hooking readers with a lot of descriptive babble. I felt as if I were glitching whilst reading it. That being said, this set the tone for the slowly burgeoning and moody atmosphere we meet our main characters in. As someone who didn’t live through the 80s, the nostalgia reads loud and clear.

My biggest question at the completion of the novel was, “Was this actually written with a middle grade audience in mind?” I really don’t think so. For that reason, I would be more inclined to recommend this to older audiences.

I had a lot of fun with this book! It's a great entry point for children that are interested in spookier things and has some genuine scares.

"A suspenseful and atmospheric horror set in 1980s Oregon, perfect for fans of Stranger Things, Neil Gaiman, and Margaret Peterson Haddix, from New York Times bestselling author and the Decemberists' lead singer/songwriter Colin Meloy.

Maybe Archie Coomes has been watching too many horror movies.

All of a sudden, the most ordinary things have taken on a sinister edge: a penny on a doormat. A man in a brown suit under a streetlamp. The persistent sound of an ax chopping in the middle of the night.

He keeps telling himself that this is Seaham, a sleepy seaside town where nothing ever happens. Or at least nothing did, until his dad's construction company opened up the cliff beneath the old - some say cursed - Langdon place.

Soon, though, he and his friends can't deny it: more and more of the adults in town are acting strangely. An ancient, long-buried evil has been unleashed upon the community, and it's up to the kids to stop it before it's too late...."

There's also a distinct Goonies vibe too.

There were some very interesting ideas in this book, but they didn't get fully developed to my satisfaction.

This book is pitched for fans of Stranger Things and it absolutely follows along the same veins but with a little more Goonies and a little less supernatural. The seaside town setting and the friend group gave me major Goonies vibes, but the weirdness definitely toes the line into Stranger Things territory.

This book has a good balance of horror, giving just enough of an unsettling vibe to give goosebumps without being too grotesque or graphic. I appreciate how the author took typical horror tropes and gave them a new twist.

I love how the main characters are huge fans of horror movies and use that as a basis for how they figure out what’s happening to their town. It was a fun way to tie everything together and reminded me of how the group uses Dungeons and Dragons in Stranger Things to explain what’s happening around them.

My only issue is the ending. It gets super confusing toward the end, and I’m still not sure what exactly happened. I also can’t tell if the end-end is supposed to lead to a sequel or if it’s just supposed to be open-ended to leave the reader unsettled. Sometimes that can work for a novel, but it left me wanting a little more closure about everything.

I’ve seen this book labeled for middle grade readers, but I think it would appeal more to high school students since the main characters are eighth graders going into ninth grade and middle grade is usually aimed toward a younger reader group. Nothing in it would inappropriate for a younger middle school reader, though.

I picked up this book not because I particularly enjoy reading middle grade books, but because I am an avid fan of Colin Meloy. I was hoping that this book would interest me even though I wouldn’t normally read this type of book. Unfortunately, it was a bit of a slog for me to get through, and I am so sad to say that. That doesn’t mean that it was a remotely bad book. It still gets 5 stars from me, even though I didn’t really connect with the characters/story. It was so well crafted and written like only Colin Meloy can.
I was not a child of the 80s (I was a baby), but this book really set the place and time well. I loved all the little details that fleshed out the characters more. My favorite was Archie liking new wave-type music and his older brother loving hair metal – two very different genres and say a lot about each character in a few words. This book was quite creepy, I was expecting it to be a bit tamer, but it did deliver on the middle grade horror aspect. Like actual 80s movies where a group of children goes on an adventure (The Goonies, Stand By Me), this novel was about more than just the horror. It was about friendship, mental health, and growing up (among other things) – the horror/mystery aspect just pulls the reader in more.
Overall, I would still enthusiastically recommend it to others, especially any tween readers. I will also make sure my library purchases a copy when this comes out. That’s how good the book is, even though I wasn’t a fan, I’m still giving it five stars!

In a sleepy coastal Oregon town, Seaham, in the mid 80s, four best friends are enjoying the summer before high school with camping, watching movies, and hanging out with Randy, the local Betamax video rental store owner. But things start to get bizarre once Archie’s father’s company begins construction on a cliff side. Pennies are appearing on doorsteps, Oliver is having disturbing visions, and adults start to act strangely—in fact, they seem to be almost completely different people. A powerful, ancient evil has come to the surface in Seaham, and it’s up to Archie and his friends to destroy it before it’s too late.

This was an atmospheric, suspenseful story chock full of 80s nostalgia, and it feels very timely with the recent release of the newest season of Stranger Things. However, I wouldn’t consider this to be a middle grade novel (ages 8-12). I think the pacing is too slow and the chapters are too long for the intended audience, and I think the violence is a bit too much, including a very graphic and frightening murder. This misses the mark for its intended audience, but slightly older readers (ages 12+) would certainly enjoy it.

I'm a real sucker for 80's horror, be it show, movie, or book. The ease of storylines without the interruption of technology makes for a way entertaining read. This was a really great atmospheric horror that I couldn't put down. I loved the characters and suspense. Really great middle-high school read.

Strange things are happening in Seaham, OR and it's up to Archie and his friends to figure out what. Parents are behaving strangely, pennies keep appearing on doorsteps and Archie's friend Oliver is having visions. What has come to Seaham? And can they stop it?

A fun creepy romp with plenty of 80s nostalgia. The characters are likeable and easy to identify with. It felt like the start was way too slow for its intended middle grade audience. It also seemed too many threads were left hanging, to many things unexplained. While this would work for an older audience, kids usually want more answers from my experience. A great diversion for those of us old enough to appreciate the 80s nostalgia, but misses the mark for its intended audience.

What an incredible middle-grade thriller by Colin Meloy! It's Invasion of the Body Snatchers meets Stranger Things and my students are going to LOVE it! With just the right amount of creepy and an open ending, The Stars Did Wander Darkling is a suspenseful and artfully crafted horror story for middle and high school readers. I can't wait to add it to my classroom shelf!

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Who says spending time with your friends by going camping, watching movies, oh and saving your community from the dark forces that are turning the adults into something strange. With the help of Randy, the local video rental store owner, a group of friends will have to figure out whats going on before its too late. This book follows a group of pre-high school friends who start to notice strange things going on from the construction project hiding something else, a penny on a doormat, and a strange man in a suite under a streetlamp, as well as the sound of axe chopping fills the night. In the sleepy seaside town of Seaham, things are about to get a little bit dark as a long buried evil is unleashed onto the community. This story gave off Stranger Things meets Stephen King vibes as well as a ton of 80s nostalgia. This was a fun atmospheric read with tame horror aspects and perfect for fans of horror/camp fire stories and despite being a middle grade book its perfectly fine for older audiences!

*Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books, Balzer + Bray for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

As a longtime listener of The Decemberists, I was really looking forward to picking up The Stars Did Wander Darkling. With some very clear influences - namely Stephen King and his truly staggering number of stories centered around small town horrors being confronted by kids who shouldn't have to be the ones to take on that confrontation, but must because they're the only ones who can - it seemed like the kind of thing tailor-made for my interests. 

I couldn't wait to find out how Archie Coomes and his friends would fare against whatever his father found lurking underneath the huge, abandoned manor when Coomes Construction began excavating it under contract for a new hotel. Or what the three strange, suited men who suddenly appeared in Archie's hometown of Seaham, Oregon might have to do with it all - or what they might be, even.

For me, though, The Stars Did Wander Darkling never quite rose above the stories it took its cues from. Although an enjoyable enough read, it mostly felt like a retread of tales I've already seen or read before: The Tommyknockers, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and the wide variety of Horror Stories Set in the '80s Centered Around a Group of Four Kids Or Young Teens.

Then again, I am also, perhaps, ultimately not the correct audience for this one. Meloy notes in the forward that he hopes The Stars Did Wander Darkling might fill a void he found when he was first discovery and then devouring horror as a kid: Something that served as a stepping stone to Stephen King - something that offered those kind of tales, but within a more kid-oriented frame. Something librarians could present to kids who might not be quite old enough for King yet, but who still long for those kinds of stories.

And I think The Stars Did Wander Darkling DOES fill that void. So, even though this one wasn't for me - it might be for you, or for the horror-loving kids in your life. 

It might be just the thing for fresher eyes.

I loved this book so much - it gives off a Stephen King vibe, especially if you liked the friendships and suspense in "The Body" or "It". The 80s setting didn't feel like it had an impact on the plot, other than the idea that these kids weren't on their phones constantly, but the small, seaside town atmosphere definitely set the mood.

A modern coming of age-horror telling, fresh in a lineage of IT, The Lost Boys, & Stranger Things. The story is well-crafted, with a firm blend of folk- and cosmic-horror, with a grounded cast.

I'm really struggling to put into words what I think about this book. It was really a rollercoaster of expectations and delivery that I don't feel like I can put it accurately into words. But I will not lie, when I first started reading this book, I was expecting your typical middle grade mystery with a touch of light horror. Maybe some science fiction thrown in there. But as I read the first few chapters, I discovered something truly special. This book really took the genre of middle grade horror and stretched it into both something familiar and unknown. It took the somewhat overused premise of teens in a small town in the 80s solving a mystery, and made it feel like an entirely new story/genre. The mystery was always thrilling and intense. The stakes felt high, especially for a middle grade book. Which made this once I got into the story, a very quick read (in the way the best thrillers are). The characters felt fleshed out and properly developed. And that ending....I will be left thinking about it for some time!

At times I did find myself questioning whether or not this book was indeed middle grade. While I think it can be classified as middle grade, I would definitely recommend more for the older middle grade/younger YA audience. While well-done the horror and some of the descriptions might be a little too young for younger middle grade readers. But for those 12+ I think this would be a great read!

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.