If you grew up wanting a spooky adventure night, this is a book for you. Each pairing & the guy who drops them off, have their own adventure. So you get a few stories, which I liked. They are very odd sometimes but in a good way, I got Tales From the Crypt meets fairytales/folklore vibes. Add in some coming of age. It’s such an odd combo, very unique, I haven’t read a book like this before. Overall I liked it, I just wish the stories melded better together, it felt more like an anthology.

It is a foggy, winter’s night in Hampton Heights, Wisconsin. Soon it will be getting dark, casting shadows in a neighborhood totally alien to the six paperboys roaming its streets. It is an odd time of day—and year—to be tasked with selling subscriptions. Kevin—their newspaper delivery manager—says it is mandatory. The young entrepreneurs are promised $20 to the highest sellers, and dinner at Burger King. For these boys, it is their Holy Grail.

Kevin divides the boys into three groups of two (warning: this action will send you into the horror genre! Never split up!). Al and Nishu head north; Ryan and Mark: south; Joel and Sigmone set off west; and Kevin heads off to a tavern. With instructions to return to the van by 8:30, the boys trudge through snow with their lists of names and addresses, while Kevin orders a beer. What ordeals will they encounter? Will Kevin get lucky?

After this introduction, each of the three groups and Kevin are given their own story lines. A drunk Kevin goes to the home of a women he meets at the bar. Sigmone and Joel run into the former’s grandfather. Ryan and Mark meet a friendly, grandmotherly woman. Al and Nishu get a run of luck. But Hampton Heights—and one’s experience there—are not what they may seem to appear. You may run into a troll, werewolf, or witch. And then there is Kevin and....

At only 208 pages, this is a quick and enjoyable read; the title is almost longer than the book itself (Hampton Heights One Harrowing Night in the Most Haunted Neighborhood in Milwaukee, Wisconsin). The main narrative of selling newspaper subscriptions serves as the frame for the four stories contained within the book. The stories have flavors of mystery, horror, and fairy tale.
It is horror-lite, a cozy horror novel filled with humor and insight. Dan Kois is an experienced writer; he writes for and edits Slate, and has written other books, fiction and non-fiction. This book is well written. I highly recommend this book.

I would like to thank Harper Collins and NetGalley for introducing me to a new author, and to read and review this book.

🎬 Read this if you like:
Stranger Things
True Blood
⏰ Best time to read:
When you’re feeling nostalgic about your childhood
📝 Themes:
1980s, Male Coming-of-Age, Monsters, Fairy Tales, Social Issues, Vignettes, Milwaukee
👍 What I liked:
I am THE target audience for this book:
✓ I was born and raised in Milwaukee
✓ I was a kid during the 1980s
✓ I’m a huge fan of horror and coming-of-age fiction
❓ Synopsis: Six adolescent paperboys are enticed into an evening of door-to-door subscription sales by the promise of Burger King. Mostly unknown to one another before being picked up in a white conversion van by their adult supervisor Kevin, the boys find themselves in the Milwaukee neighborhood of Hampton Heights, a place none had previously visited. During a night of scary encounters with a series of monsters, the boys (and Kevin) make discoveries about themselves and the meaning of friendship.
📣 Review: You had me at Holton and Concordia! I was absolutely smitten by this book about my hometown, but the author’s razor-sharp and often humorous portrayal of the horrors of adolescence (anthropomorphized into monsters) was what really made this book great. Great writing, great characters, and (dare I say) great monsters! I’ll be looking for more by Kois.

Dan Kois is a new author for me, and the premise for this one seemed so fun, especially for this time of year! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was…interesting. I’m a little torn on how I felt about it. On the one hand, the book was very well written and also really unique—it’s spooky with the monsters and mythological creatures the boys encounter, but it’s also really funny at parts and even heartwarming, at least certain chapters. On the other hand, I didn’t totally understand how the monsters and the spookiness related to the underlying story/the characters. I wanted more explanation about the monsters too—if I’m going to suspend belief in a book and believe in fantasy elements, I want some explanation, lol. Why were there so many monsters in this neighborhood in Milwaukee??

Reading about the boy’s lives and different backgrounds and experiences in the same town was my favorite part of the book, and I enjoyed reading them coming together to deal with whatever they encountered. The Ryan and Mark chapter was far and away my favorite one and had the best message of the book, in my opinion. Kevin’s chapter confused me a lot, and maybe that’s where my confusion on the whole story started, since it was one of the earliest chapters. The ending was a little weird too…I don’t want to spoil it, but the very last scene I’m literally unsure what was happening.

All in all, I don’t think this kind of book is for me, but I didn’t hate it either because of the great writing and the boy’s characters. This is a great spooky season book with all the monsters and if you’re into unique/genre bending books, I think you’ll enjoy this one!

OMG this was fun. The author manages to capture 80s lightning in a bottle in this cross between Stranger Things, Stand By Me and Grimm's Fairy Tales. This novella tells the story of 6 boys and their boss selling newspaper subscriptions in a very peculiar neighborhood in Milwaukee late in the evening. Thr boys pair off in groups of 2 and run headfirst into the more unorthodox members of the neighborhood. As with many 80s movies, this story transforms all the anxieties that could not be spoken of at that time and transforms them into monsters that these young boys can grapple with and become a little more mature and powerful themselves. The characters are fantastic and the warmth is palpable. I love that the ending revolves around Burger King. I'm so glad I requested this book on NetGalley.

"From the author of the Washington Post notable novel Vintage Contemporaries, something completely unexpected: a hair-raising and rollicking adventure set on one night in 1987, when six paperboys must confront a slew of monsters as well as their own personal demons in a haunted Midwestern neighborhood.

On a cold winter's evening in 1987, six middle-school paperboys wander an unfamiliar Milwaukee neighborhood, selling newspaper subscriptions, fueled by their manager Kevin's promises of cash bonuses and dinner at Burger King. But the freaks come out at night in Hampton Heights. Sent out into the neighborhood in pairs, the boys will encounter a host of primordial monsters - and triumph over them.

Sigmone, who is bussed to a white school, is stuck with Joel, a white kid who idolizes Black culture. Mark, who's wrestling with his sexuality, joins his secret crush, Ryan. Nishu and Al are outsiders; one is a second-generation immigrant, the other a poor kid in a rich school. Over the course of one eventful evening, the three pairs will encounter the wild things of Hampton Heights - werewolves, witches with a centuries-old story to tell, and a creepy, ancient monster who feeds on memories. Meanwhile, Kevin is having an adventure of his own, seducing a beautiful woman in the neighborhood's tavern...but who is actually in control?

Funny, thrilling, outrageous, and sneakily beautiful, Dan Kois's Hampton Heights captures without sentimentality the dreams and fears of teenage boys in a tender horror-comedy about camaraderie, bravery, vulnerability, and the terrifying prospect of growing up."

Paper Girls for those who prefer prose.

This is 100% middle grade, with some slight adult language. I did get lost for quite awhile when everyone was a werewolf, but while this wasn’t fully for me, it’s a specific audience.

I just finished "Hampton Heights" by Dan Kois; I received a free eARC from NetGalley.

Kevin, an underachiever who runs a group of middle-school aged paperboys, picks his charges up for a late night door-knocking session to sell subscriptions to a local Milwaukee newspaper. Six middle school aged boys from different parts of the surrounding area load in to the backseat of the van. Armed with clipboards, a promise of Burger King, and a bribe of $20 (each, or as a pair?) to the 2 paperboys who sell the most subscriptions, the boys set out to have an eerie and unsettling night in Hampton Heights-- a place that very obviously stands on the threshold of reality and something else.

When I originally requested this book-- it was marketed as a Stranger Things-esque vibe. It takes place in the 80's, so we don't have any inclinations towards viral videos or TikToks. There are small references to the 80s scattered throughout, but otherwise it feels kind of timeless. I think that helps creates the atmosphere of Hampton Heights itself-- a place out of time, space, reality, etc. The boys are paired off, and my only negative criticism of that approach is that it almost feels like we're getting three short stories within a story. Kois brings them back around at the end, but each has a completely standalone adventure. While I enjoyed the witch story the best, the entire thing felt a little rushed and underdeveloped. We don't get a great sense of who these kids are minus a brief backstory. Overall it was a fun little jaunt, clocking in around 200 pages. It was neither as scary or exciting as I'd hoped, but it was a fun breezy read.

Harper Perennial provided an early galley for review.

I had the pleasure back at the PLA Convention in April 2024 to hear Kois talk about this upcoming novel. I liked the aspect of suburban horror tied to it being a period piece set in the late 1980's. It really enticed me to add it to my to-read list.

As a writer, I liked the way Kois has this novel structured. The opening chapter introduces our main cast, followed by the next four chapters telling the parallel exploits of each of the pairs and their boss. The final chapter pulls it all together. It works very well to move the story along, keep the focus on a specific arc, and give the reader easily digestible portions. The overall shorter length of this novel means there is not a lot of filler as well, which is always appreciated.

As for the story itself, I found the opening and closing chapters the strongest, followed by the Kevin chapter and the Nishu/Al chapter. The Sigmone and Joel chapter was next, though it is more about the former of the two with the latter sort of along for the ride. I found the Mark and Ryan chapter to be the one that least kept my interest.

Kois has a strong voice when it comes to the realistic/everyday aspects. This definitely has encouraged me to check out his earlier novel from 2023.

Late 1980s Set Nostalgic Light Horror. On a winter night in 1987 six paperboys and their manager stop off in the most haunted neighborhood in Milwaukee to sell newspaper subscriptions—mostly with the goal of cash bonuses and dinner at Burger King. Each of them has their own strange and unique experiences with situations reminiscent of Ray Bradbury, Seanan McGuire, and Stephen King. This is a beautiful, tender horror-comedy looking at the scary part of growing up.

Super fun, quirky and enjoyable! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book.

A fun, quick romp of a book. The pacing was good, and I enjoyed how the chapters were designed. It was like reading mini adventures each time. I never read a book quite like this - it was almost like reading a comic book somehow? Regardless, it was a fun time.

Hampton Heights
by Dan Kois
Pub Date: September 17, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
From the author of the Washington Post notable novel Vintage Contemporaries, something completely a hair-raising and rollicking adventure set on one night in 1987, when six paperboys must confront a slew of monsters as well as their own personal demons in a haunted Midwestern neighborhood.
While this book definitely has some horror elements, it's not scary at all. If you're not generally a horror fan, no worries – there's no blood or gore or jump scenes (can books have jump scenes?) or anything of the sort. There are monsters and supernatural occurrences, but they're more Hocus Pocus than A Nightmare on Elm Street, if that makes any sense.

this was a super fun and enjoyable read and I loved every minute of it. My overall rating:4

Fun, quirky, and adventurous. I really enjoyed how this book was written and found the characters to be fun. The plot is intriguing and I enjoyed the monster elements of the book. Overall, fun read for spooky season!

_Hampton Heights_ by Dan Kois is a quirky and engrossing read that follows six middle-school boys and their wild, mystical adventure one night in 1980s Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As paperboys for the local newspaper, they are enticed by their manager and the promise of Burger King, to sell subscriptions in a strange neighborhood that seems to get stranger as the night progresses. As they roam the community of Hampton Heights, the boys run into monsters and must fight to survive to claim their fast-food feast. This book will surprise readers and keep them interested to the end.

This book was very interesting and fun read. Each chapter is one characters story and, also, the journey on how they all wind up as friends. The supernatural elements were a definite plus for me. Thank you NetGalley & Harper Perennial for this ARC. Check this out when it publishes on Septmeber 17, 2024!

Publication date: 9/16/24
Genre: horror/comedy

Six adolescent paper boys are enticed to canvas for their local newspaper in the infamous Hampton Heights neighborhood in exchange for a Burger King feast. However, what they don't know is that creatures and cryptids lurk around every corner.

This unexpected, clever twist on fighting your own demons and coming of age was quite the adventure!! Not only was it a fun read, but it made me laugh. There were super eerie parts that made my skin crawl due to Mr. Kois's prose. I also love love LOVED the fairy tale/folklore aspects that were woven into each pair's story.

Thank you Netgalley, Harper Perennial, and those involved in allowing me to read this ARC! What a privilege!

Hampton Heights is a modern fantasy anthology following a cast of youngsters selling newspaper subscriptions in an otherworldly neighborhood outside Milwaukee -- along their respective journeys, the boys run afoul of witches, werewolves, hodags, trolls, and more. The narrative style is reminiscent of Stephen King with an offbeat, "Goonies"-esque sense of humor. Fans of "Stranger Things" and "It" will find much to love about this one. It's a coming-of-age story of mythic proportions, with our characters comprising a found family by journey's end. I enjoyed the distinctive personalities of each of the characters and their stories were varied and fantastical, though I yearned for more of a unifying element to tie everything together in a more satisfying way. Overall, I enjoyed the read and would recommend to fans of horror and modern fantasy.

If you like supernatural stories, then this book is for you!!!

You start this book off thinking it will be a normal, teenage boy story and then it adds some supernatural storylines that make you want to keep reading until the end.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved how the chapters broke off into each of the boys' stories. It added so much more to the book knowing what was going on with each of them at the same time as the others. It also had an ending that wrapped everything up nicely.

After reading this, it would be cool if the Hampton Heights neighborhood existed. What a ride that would be!

4.5 stars

This book was weird, hilarious and fun! It was everything I was hoping it would be. Adventurous, a little absurd, and lighthearted.
The characters were great, and the mishaps even better.
I loved it!