Reviewed by Chris Phillips.

What does a boy do when he loses all that he knew in the matter of a few hours? What does he do when he has to move in with his Aunt and Uncle and start again?  Nate, the unfortunate 14 year old, has these experiences. They all seem to stay with him through the dreams he has every night.

Uncle Nick and Aunt Nora are understanding and good substitute parents. Nate moves in and finds that the dreams keep occurring. He is trying to adjust but falls into a mystery instead. The building, Stonewood Sanitarium, is old and foreboding. There is a big mystery around why it was closed down and the new, adjacent facility was built. There are rumors to keep everyone excited. There are scary people, like the security guard for the new facility. Nate investigates and finds yet another, newer mystery with clues coming from the strangest places and encounters. Lives are threatened and friends are made all in unusual ways.

Krug has written a good teen mystery here. She creates genuine characters and realistic, but exciting situations. The plot goes at a good pace and keeps the reader interested. There are surprises and scares throughout the book.  The delivery and the final outcome provide enough to entice readers to wait for the next book by her.

This book is recommended for teen and tween readers, but particularly boys looking for some adventure on a rainy afternoon. Adults would enjoy it as a light read. Krug has taken the unfortunate circumstances of Nate’s parents passing and provided a good environment. Unlike some other books for this age group, Nate’s given good parenting and still is involved in quite an adventure.

The only recommendation for the author and publisher would be to put it in regular paperback size for convenient transportation.

The book was provided by the publisher for this review. This review was written for www.bookpleasures.com. Outskirts Press (OutskirtsPress.com) ($10.95/$8.95 – Amazon)

ISBN 978-1-4327-2981-3