The Sheens have always been considered outsiders because legend has it that a Sheen brought a monstrous dog, the Shriker, to the woods 300 years ago. Although the beast disappeared for a long time, it has begun to return in search of human prey, and when a local girl's bones are found in the woods, the villagers blame the clan. Such is the premise of this story of 15-year-old Miles Sheen and his 13-year-old sister, Hanna, who are determined to break the family curse. The action tracks between two linked worlds, as Miles is drawn into the Otherworld in pursuit of the Shriker, and Hanna follows. Carey delivers an eerie, atmospheric tale, full of terror and courage, set in a convincingly realized magical realm.

A creature called the Shriker has lured helpless victims to their gruesome deaths in Shalem Wood for centuries. Miles and Hanna Ferrell learn that it was their own ancestor who was responsible for the creation of the beast and his anger and taste for blood. When their friend becomes the most recent victim, Miles is determined to kill the beast and right the wrong, before his sister is taken next. It isn't long before Hanna goes in search of her missing brother, to save him from becoming the very beast he has set out to destroy. Moving between parallel dimensions, leaving behind their friends and family, these two youngsters must prove themselves capable of surviving danger, making the right choices and always staying true to their inner selves and to each other. An engaging tale, with just the right touch of terror to make a good story, it thankfully avoids devolving into an unnecessarily gruesome gore-fest. A hefty but not tiresome read, this will leave the reader anxious to turn just a few more pages before turning out the light. (Fiction. 10-14)

Carey (The Double Life of Zoe Flynn) begins her atmospheric thriller with a doozy of a premise: 300 years ago, a man named Rory Sheen handed over his beloved dog to the Grim Reaper in order to spare his own life: """"Your master has betrayed you,"""" he tells Rory's dog, """"And through his betrayal man's best friend becomes his worst enemy."""" This story is repeated through the years, up to the present, when siblings Miles, 15, and 13-year-old Hanna Ferrell find the body of a girl in Shalem Wood who has been killed by an animal, the bones picked clean. Even though the townsfolk suspect the demon dog (the Shriker), they blame the Ferrells, for they are the descendants of Rory Sheen and thus treated as outsiders. An encounter with the Sylth Queen in the forest garners Miles the gift of shapeshifting-an ability also possessed by the Shriker-and he becomes obsessed with killing the beast, in hopes of ending the family curse. But when Miles assumes the form of a wolf, and experiences its hunger, the distinction between man and animal begins to dissolve. Readers might be conflicted about how the beast meets its end-the explanation may be too rosy for a story this dark-but the idea that kindness conquers all is ultimately a satisfying one. Ages 10-14.

Gr 5-8-Miles and Hanna Ferrell live near Shalem Wood where a beast known as the Shriker has been attacking villagers for 300 years. Everyone knows his story-he was once a faithful dog betrayed by his owner, given to an evil master (another Ferrell), and cursed to kill at the time of the dark moon. Miles is determined to break the curse and win the admiration of the town. It doesn't take long for him to get in over his head, and meek, quiet Hanna has to overcome her shyness if she is to save him. Or, will the siblings just become two more of the beast's victims? The story has plenty of intrigue and danger, and the characters are realistically drawn. While well written, the plot is just a tad predictable, which, in fact, adds to its charm as the novel reads almost like a fairy tale, with the same rhythms and the same etiquette. Recommend it to lovers of (very mild) horror and suspense or to those who enjoy old-fashioned fairy tales. All in all, a fun read.-Saleena L. Davidson, South Brunswick Public Library, Monmouth Junction, NJ Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Living ten miles outside the village, fifteen-year-old Miles Ferrell and his thirteen-year-old sister, Hanna, are treated with fear and distrust by the villagers who hold them and their family responsible for the recent death of young Polly, whose cleaned bones have raised the specter of the Shriker yet again. According to legend, it was a member of the Sheen clan, kin of Miles and Hanna's mother, who brought the monstrous dog known as the Shriker to Shalem Wood three hundred years ago, where he hunts still, calling to hapless folks on Enness Isle during the dark moon. While their mother refuses to believe in the legend, banning it from the house, Granda knows its truth, telling Miles and Hanna the family story before he dies. Determined to break the Shriker's curse, Miles steals a spell from his mentor, setting in motion a complex weave of force and power well beyond this world, and drawing Miles into a journey that will require all his courage, and from which only Hanna and her ingenuity can save him. One after the other, the brash, well-intentioned hero and the plucky young heroine enter a realm of betrayal, honor, destiny, and otherworldly justice. Plot twists combine with magic, suspense, legend, challenge, and redemption, creating a new tale that builds on "the threads from all the storytellers of the past." Complications and complexities add to the length of the book, which will appeal most to dedicated fantasy readers.-Kim Carter.