The Stars Did Wander Darkling is a middle grade book by Colin Melody, who is the singer of the indie band, The Decemberists. I know he has written several middle grade books but this is the first one I have picked up.

This book follows a group of pre-high school kids who enjoy normal kid stuff-movies, camping, and saving their community from a dark force that is making all the adults act strange. They get advice from Randy, the local Betamax video rental store owner as they try to figure out what is going on.

This book is definitely reminiscent of “Stranger Things” and Neil Gaiman as it is pitched in the synopsis. It manages to layer humor inbetween more tense, bizarre themes and it has an ending that will leave the reader with more questions. I love a middle grade with a more ambiguous ending. It teaches kids that not every thing is going to have a perfectly wrapped up ending.

That being said, this is pitched as a middle grade but also has a lot of 80s nostalgia, which I appreciate as an adult but I worry that it won’t translate very well to a middle grade audience. I kind of wish this book was more young adult and went a little more out there. The story itself does have a very contained feel and I think that if it were young adult instead, it could have really leaned more into the horror of the situation these kids are going through.

I think this book is perfect for adults who may not want something super scary but want to read something with more tame horror. Also perfect for middle grade readers who like Stranger Things as a show but might be too scared to read books at that horror level (scary books are always more immersive than scary tv shows/movies).

This had the classic feel of a campfire ghost story. It's a well-executed “horror” novel with lots of creepy vibes and minimal gore. I can totally see this becoming a movie at some point.

Even though it is marketed as a middle grade novel, this book has enough interest and intrigue to appeal to readers of all ages. In fact, you almost have to be an adult to really appreciate the 80s references. Even the ending, which is rather profound, challenges readers to draw their own conclusions about the mysterious entity.

Well-written. Well-paced. Good worldbuilding and character development. Overall, this is a really enjoyable book that will appeal to a wide range of readers.

A special thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The cover and title are great! They set the stage for what's happening in this town in Oregon. As someone who is fascinated by horrors and thrillers but then also needs to leave the light on for a while at night, this was captivating and definitely enough to make me a bit on edge as I waited for all these omens to equal jump-favtor scares. It would be fun to read with your kids because they might be needing some extra comfort but it's not so scary that it should cause nightmares, I don't think. I liked the suspense!