Frenzy

Gr 6–9—What's not to love about Camp Harmony? Fourteen-year-old Heath likes the setting and activities, and he's even made friends. But the wolves are howling, the horses are skittish, and by the time the rabid porcupine goes on the attack, camp isn't so much fun anymore. Suddenly every single animal for miles around is frothing at the mouth and gunning for humans. Heath and the last remaining survivors attempt to make their way back to civilization, fighting not only the wildlife but their own demons. Among the gang are the fat kid, the bug-obsessed kid, horse-mad twins Em(ma) and Em(ily), the former bully, the little girl, and Machiavellian chess player Will Stringer, whom Heath describes as "operating on a whole different level than the rest of them, like Einstein or Batman." The pace is breathless (with a brief time-out for a swimming lesson) and the scenario plenty gory and horrifying. Heath is almost too good to be true—smart, compassionate, genuinely nice, and a natural leader—but his secret explains a lot of that, and he's not annoying about it. Readers who like their horror strewn with corpses, leavened with compassion, and rooted in reality will find this one entertaining indeed.—Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library