Wednesday Review – Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman

Skeleton Creek Ryan’s Journal by Patrick Carman

Skeleton Creek. Who in their right mind names a town Skeleton Creek?

This is exactly what fifteen year-old Ryan and his friend Sarah want to know. Their research starts with a trip to the library and a cryptic explanation from the librarian. Add in a handful of old newspapers and this sets them on a perilous path down a sinister road as they search for an answer. Two weeks later, Ryan is laid up in his room with a broken leg and forbidden from seeing his best friend. More than that, they find an even bigger mystery than the strange name for their town, one that almost got Ryan killed. How do two people solve a mystery when they aren’t supposed to see each other? Ryan and Sarah find a way in this first installment of the Skeleton Creek mystery. But is this something two kids should be messing with or should they just forget about it? And is it worth risking their lives to solve?

Skeleton Creek is a fun new young adult series (and a Scholastic book, too). Not only did it capture my interest with a really neat journal type feel, but it has an even cooler feature. This is another interactive story where the reader gets to do more than just read. As you read through the “journal,” there are many spots in the story where you can take a break and log into the other character’s website on your computer. Here you get to enter a password and view a 2 to 5 minute video of Sarah’s side. This was a very cool feature and one I think will add immensely to this story. Of course, a few of the videos scared the pants off my son (at least the first viewing – after that, he loved them). I really think this story has the potential to start a whole new phenomenon. Great idea and I can’t wait to find out how the story progresses in the next installment.