Recommended Age:
11
+
Great for readers who like suspenseful, atmospheric stories with immersive, character-driven plots.
About the Book
After reading a mysterious book about a woman who made a deal with a sinister entity called the Smiling Man, eleven-year-old Ollie and her classmates find themselves trapped on a haunted farm where scarecrows come to life and a ghostly presence hunts them. A genuinely frightening middle-grade horror novel with strong emotional depth. First in a trilogy.
Content Ratings
💡
Intense Themes
The main character is grieving the recent death of her mother and uses books as escape. The children face genuine supernatural danger with no guarantee of survival. Themes of grief, terror, the fragility of safety, and the necessity of facing fear are emotionally intense. This book is genuinely frightening.
⚔️
High Violence
Living scarecrows hunt children with the intent to capture or kill them. A supernatural villain is terrifying. Violence is sustained and intense but not gory.
