Skeleton Man [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

Molly is having difficulties -- though her life is pretty normal, one Sunday she wakes up to find that her parents are missing. They haven't been found, no one knows where they are, but Molly is sure that they're alive and going to return. Social Services isn't as convinced as she is, and she ends up in the care of a formerly unknown great-uncle. Only problem is, this great-uncle (who is never named in the book) gives her a strange feeling. He's tall, bony, and sinister -- reminding her of an old legend about the carnivorous Skeleton Man, who tried to catch and devour his niece, before she was helped by a talking rabbit.

Her sense of foreboding grows stronger. She suspects that he's drugging her food and locking her door; strange dreams are haunting her, in which her stick-thin uncle wants her "fattened up." Frightened and unable to get help (others consider her too imaginative), Molly must escape the clutches of what she suspects to be the Skeleton Man.

Frightening? You bet. Bruchac has good insight into the mind of a frightened, lonely young girl, but one with guts, initiative, and imagination. Molly is a heroine that kids -- especially girls -- will be totally sympathetic to. The rabbit is both sufficiently real and otherworldly, while "my uncle" displays sinister malice without any cheap tricks. It permeates every scene he's in.

The writing is fast-paced and devoid of "dead spots," descriptions are highly evocative, and Bruchac displays dry wit in all the right places ("I don't need some furry Oprah Winfrey to tell me I need to get my spiritual act in order"). This book is pretty short -- only 114 pages -- and sometimes felt like it could use a little more length and buildup. There is also a lack of noticeable supporting characters, and I wish that Molly had gotten a best friend to bounce ideas off of. The inner illustrations (can't find the name of whoever did them) are soft-edged and slightly surreal.

Overall, an effective spinetingler that will not allow you to hear heavy footsteps without thinking "Skeleton Man!"

_Skeleton Man_ by Joseph Bruchac is a Native American legend with a traditional story twist told through the eyes of Molly. Molly leads a fairly normal life until her parents suddenly disappear. The story is an eerie tale of her life since her parents' disappearance. She is convinced that her parents are still alive, but is not sure exactly where they are or why they have abandoned her. Molly is sent to live with a man who supposedly is her "uncle" even though she has never met him and whom she has very uneasy feelings about. Her "uncle" actually reminds her of an old Native American legend about a "Skeleton Man" that her father once told her about. Throughout the story Molly also has dreams that seem to be warning her of impending dangers. Molly is a very likable, down to earth character to which the reader will definitely develop a special bond. Molly is also a very strong, but lonely girl with seemingly no one to trust until she finally confides in a teacher at school. In the end, Molly musters enough courage to plan an escape, but will it be in time to save her parents?

Caution to young readers: this book is recommended for ages 10 and up. I would definitely stay within those guidelines. The story gets a bit gruesome in the description of "Skeleton Man's" eating habits in the first chapter.

The book is quite scary, but fun. I enjoyed Molly's spunk and the illustrations scattered throughout the book were an added plus as well. Pick up a copy of _Skeleton Man_ today for some hair-raising excitement where the "terror builds on every page".