Friday, October 28, 2016

Book Review: Henry Hunter and the Beast of Snagov by John Matthews

I received a free copy of this book from Sky Pony Press in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. 

Title: Henry Hunter and the Beast of Snagov
Author: John Matthews
Series: Henry Hunter #1
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Publication Date: September 20, 2016
Genre: Middle Grade, Supernatural, Mystery
Length: 240 pages
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher


Synopsis:
Adolphus Pringle lived a relatively normal life before he met Henry Hunter, but being the best friend of a twelve-year-old millionaire genius certainly makes life interesting. He has accompanied Henry on adventures all over the world and encountered dozens of supernatural creatures. Henry has a penchant for paranormal mysteries, and he never fails to drag his trusty sidekick, Dolf, into adventures to track down the truth in these mystical legends. 

Henry announces one morning that he and Dolf are going to go in search of a creature more terrifying than Dracula himself: the Beast of Snagov. The pair of supernatural investigators travel from where Bram Stoker stayed in Whitby to Transylvania. Along the way they come across some strange things such as Dracula's daughter, Bella, and an organization called the Order of the Dragon that wants to sacrifice Henry Hunter to the Beast of Snagov. When Henry is taken, it's up to Dolf and Bella to team up and rescue him!

Will Henry survive this supernatural adventure? Get ready to discover the world of the supernatural through the eyes of our spooked narrator as he tags along on the first adventure in the Henry Hunter series! 

My Thoughts: 
Henry Hunter was dangling from a window ledge the first time Dolf met him. Dolf soon became Henry's sidekick in his many adventures which took them to obscure places all over the world. When Henry Hunter gets it into his head to investigate Bram Stoker's story of Dracula, they end up finding some old manuscripts that hint at the story being true, along with that of a giant beast! So off they go to Transylvania to delve deeper into the mystery. 

Henry Hunter is a very smart young man with the freedom and resources to do whatever it is he chooses to do, even if that means flying across the world in a private jet at the last minute. His intelligence makes him naturally curious and he tends to dig up adventures as often as he can. 

Dolf is an average young man who sees himself at Henry's sidekick. Watson to Sherlock Holmes. He is our narrator but at the same time, he seems to be just a supporting character to Henry. 

The idea of two young teen boys traveling the world without adults does seem completely out of the norm. Henry's parents are exploring South America and give him free reign to do as he pleases. Dolf, on the other hand, doesn't really explain how he can join Henry on his crazy adventures but it does make for a fun and interesting start to a series. We are told that this is just one of many adventures they partake in together. Dolf is chronicling them and hints at many other stories to come. (If they are anything like this one I am definitely going to be looking forward to them!)

Henry Hunter and the Beast of Snagov is a delightfully spooky supernatural mystery revolving around Bram Stoker's Dracula with a ton of wonderful illustrations that really add to the story. Filled with vampires, a giant beast, and an ancient secret society, this book is sure to delight readers of Araminta Spookie and Goosebumps. 

My Rating: 4 stars

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