After his mother is institutionalized with a sudden mental illness, Stephen moves with his father from Denver to Spencer, Michigan, population 816. At first, Stephen thinks that Spencer's inhabitants are hicks, the town is rundown and boring, and his father has spinelessly abandoned his mother, and he is counting the days till his eighteenth birthday d escape. A charismatic set of twins makes life more interesting, though, and Stephen falls hard for beautiful Cara and befriends her brother, Devon, and his crew of followers. Through them, Stephen learns of the village legend e Winged Ones o bring bad times to Spencer until they are appeased by a human sacrifice. Rumor or truth? The tension builds from the first scene, but stock characters abound, and few, if any, clues are provided for a pull-the-rug-out-from-under-you ending. In addition, Brewer's treatment of mental illness is unfortunate: Stephen's mother comes down with delusions suddenly, like a case of measles. Still, fans of Brewer's Slayer Chronicles will be creating demand for this new supernatural thriller. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: An all-in marketing campaign, including plenty of social media outreach, will put this on the radar of readers beyond Brewer's already extensive fan base.

Gr 9 Up-Forced by financial stress to leave his mother behind in a mental health institution, Stephen and his father reluctantly move to a tiny town to live with his bitter, unhappy grandmother. Stephen's summer starts to look brighter when he meets cute outcast Cara and her fun-loving brother Devon. As the townspeople reveal their bizarre local mythology, Stephen slowly discovers that Devon's gang is up to something more sinister than just drinking in the cemetery, but it may be bigger and darker than he can imagine. Stephen is a well-developed character, with the right amount of snark, lust, and angst for an honest portrayal of a 16 year old. The dark, mysterious tone combined with a surprise ending bolster the book's thematic warning on the danger of belief. Instantly engagingwith plenty of suspense surrounding the town's secretthis supernatural mystery will please fans of Brewer's previous vampire hunter series (Dutton) and new readers looking for less paranormal, and more quiet horror. Hannah Farmer, Austin Public Library, TX

After suffering through his mother's debilitating mental illness, which left the family broke, Stephen's father moves them to the small town he grew up in to live with Stephen's grandmother. Surrounded by schoolmates he is not sure he can trust, a grandmother who seems to hate his mere existence, and a possible romantic fling with the beautiful and punk girl Cara, Stephen feels like he has been transported to another planet. But soon after settling in, he finds friendship with Cara's twin brother, Devon, and the two hang out at the local cemetery with others in Devon's group, passing around liquor and harmlessly discussing town lore. That is when Stephen learns of a frightening tale believed by most of the townspeople that could lead Stephen down a very dark path.The Cemetery Boys is a sinister tale of a frightening legend and the power of belief. With an ending that will shock and sadden, Brewer takes readers on a journey of friendship, recklessness, secrets, and betrayal. The small-town setting is ever exemplified by the narrow-mindedness of its inhabitants. Teens will be able to relate to Stephen's frustration of being trapped by circumstances beyond his control. This is a perfect choice for those who enjoy mystery and suspense with dark and twisted characters.Erin Segreto.