by Joshua Skye:
Spooky is back!
The world’s favorite undead juvenile Spencer “Spooky” Lawson has started junior high, Greene Square Middle School. It’s a first day back from summer vacation filled with shocking realizations. Switching classes was a hectic ordeal. Not all teachers were born the same. Something ghostly lurks in the boy’s bathroom. And Spooky has a horrific encounter with the school’s resident bully.
Amidst the new experiences junior high offers, Spooky is invited to the Halloween dance. There he has a mischievously macabre encounter with the green entity haunting the school. Who is the ghost and what does it want? Trek along with Spooky on his latest paranormal adventure to find out.
Though there are moments of laugh-out-loud humor, this is a darker, more mature Spooky. Author Kevin A. Ranson captures the fears, drama, and intimidation of adolescent transitioning with clever aplomb. Pop culture genre references are perfectly contextualized, I was particularly keen on the allusions to The Shining and Back to the Future.
Ranson imbues his serial supernatural coming-of-age story with a surreal, fantastical edge. He is a skillful and imaginative writer who has created a charming paranormal world grounded by a delightfully appealing central character. Spooky has become a ghoulishly iconic hero. His chronicles are fascinating and enduring. And Greene Square Middle ranks as one of the best chapters so far. I can’t wait for the next one.
DarkMedia contributor Joshua Skye’s short stories have appeared in anthologies from STARbooks Press, Knightwatch Press, Sirens Call Publications, Rainstorm Press, JMS Books and periodicals such as Blood and Lullabies. He is the author of “The Singing Wind,” “Bareback: A Werewolf’s Tale,” “Midnight Rainbows,” the forthcoming “The Grigori,” and “The Angels of Autumn.” You can find him on his website.
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