Book Review: Myles and the Monster Outside

Book: Myles and the Monster Outside by Philippa Dowding

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

I will never leave this car, the back seat reeks of everything my little brother has ever eaten, and that thing is still out there …

Myles and his family have been driving for four days. It’s their final night on the road, but Myles knows they will never arrive at their new house. It will never stop raining. And even if they do get there (which is doubtful), he knows he will never have friends again.

He also knows that something is following them in the dark, rainy fields outside their car. Something monstrous.

Once the monster arrives, things go very wrong. Myles and his family get lost, their car keeps breaking down, and a strange old man and his dog turn up, again and again. Then things get really weird. Myles is pretty sure it’s all his fault: he’s the only one who can see the monster. He’s the only one who can hear the monster.

And hardest of all? He’s the only one who can make it go away.


Rating: 5 stars

Review:

13 years old Myles is in for the most spookiest and nerve racking nights ever as his family travels to their new home.

The whole ordeal started when Myles was on the ferry traveling with his mother, younger brother Norman and older sister Bea. The only thing he was worried about was that he wasn't going to like his new town, Nobleville. With his father already there getting everything prepared for the family, it was just the four of them traveling.

Standing outside on the deck of the boat, Myles swore he saw something moving on an island in the misty foggy air. Whatever he thought he saw had been big with intense red eyes, the thing seemed to see him before it went into the water. Myles was so afraid that he went back in and joined his family and the other passengers. He wanted to tell someone what he saw but what did he really see? Thinking maybe he was just tired he tried to put it out of his mind.

The real trouble began once his family started out on the road in their trusty but starting to become unreliable car. As they drove through the night in increasingly stormy weather, Myles kept seeing the fiery red eyes following them and the monster the eyes were attached to. Why was it chasing him and why couldn't his family see it? As well as all the other strange things that were happening that night.

To make matters worse, no one else saw the dog that ran up to the car except him. But something that him, his mother and sister did see was an old man on the side of the road in the pouring down rain. He said his name was Pete Fournette and he was looking for his dog. Myles thought there was just something a little odd and creepy about the old man.

And the family found out just what that was when they stopped at a local diner to get something to eat. It was hard to believe what they heard but deep down Myles knew the truth and it only added more to this already terrorizing night.

This middle grade read is absolutely a nonstop spooky experience with anxiety inducing things that go bump in the night. It's a fun read that is very well-written with a great build up to the story. For parents, the book is spooky but it's not gory or super scary, Myles and the Monster Outside is more in line with those classic ghost stories.