Scowler

Summary:  Ry Burke is a 19 year old who suffered severe abuse at the hands of his father. His father is imprisoned with a 20 year sentence because of crimes committed against his mother, sewing her to the bed and hunting and chasing Ry through the forest for 2 days. Ry, his little sister Sarah (who doesn't remember their father), and his mother are barely making a living on an old run down family farm. A meteorite hits the prison 10 years into his sentence.  Another meteorite lands in the field of the farm.  Ry’s father manages to escape and makes his way home to take his revenge on his family.  He decides to use Ry to gather the meteorite so they can sell it for a fortune. Ry fights to survive and save his mother and sister with the help of three imaginary friends who have returned from his troubled childhood to help. His three childhood toys–his teddy bear Mr. Furrington, a bendy figure of Jesus Christ, and a monster with metal teeth Scowler give him the courage to fight his father's cruelty.  Ry struggles between reality and madness, unsure of whether or not he is a monster himself.  

Kraus, D. (2013). Scowler. New York: Delacorte.

Commentary:  The strengths of this horror book is the suspense that keeps your interest. The development of Ry in the course of the book has you rooting for him, his sister and mother because all the cruelty they have suffered at the hands of their father.  No one deserves this.  The teenager struggles with his reality, between good and evil.  Sometimes good people have to do bad things to protect themselves or those they love.  

Connections:  This book would be a Fiction novel - low fantasy in the horror category.  This book reminds me a lot of I Hunt Killers with the abusive fathers, escape from prison and sons who question whether they are monsters themselves because of their fathers.  I admire the way the author  represented the imaginary friends as encouragement (Mr. Furrington), wisdom (Jesus) and violence (Scowler-sometimes a necessary evil) like war.


Link to the author's page Daniel Kraus.

Book Trailer

Audio Excerpt from Scowler

Interview with Daniel Kraus about his book Rotters.

Daniel Kraus reads from Scowler.

I Hunt Killers Discussion Questions