I have been waiting years for another book by McNamee after having read Acceleration a few years ago. This novel is a great follow-up. Set in the Canadian rural suburbs not too far from Toronto, Danny finds himself drawn to a group of military brats that live on the nearby base. Howie and Pike are a pair of brothers who have been friend with Ash, and they have more than welcomed Danny into their midst since his arrival after the difficult death of his mother from a brain tumor.

One evening after having a run with Ash, Danny is walking home and has an odd experience. He is attached by a large creature that is clearly not anything he has ever seen before. He is fortunate enough to the escape to the safety of his home only being stung, leaving him with a small bluish mark.

A short time later, Howie and his brother are ice fishing when Pike stops by Danny's to get some warm coffee. They hear the sounds of screaming and head down to the lake, where they find Howie in the water after having been attacked by the creature.

Howie and Danny are unsure as to whom they should tell because they doubt that anyone will believe them. Danny ends up talking with Ash's father, who is an Ojibwe, shares some local native folklore about Windigos. It is then that Danny learns this creature has been hunting on the souls of the areas young people for centuries.

The foursome decides that they must work together to stop the creature because Danny and Howie are in danger. The stings they receive seem to be changing them ... preparing them to be devoured. Their body temperature is slowly dropping and they are growing weaker. The question is whether or not they can find a way to destroy it before one or both of are done for.

This is a great classic-style horror tale with strong character development and the evil having roots going back in time and the area's folklore. I picked this one up and found myself not wanting to put it aside. The tension builds as the story develops, and the reader finds the story racing along to a pretty intense climax at the conclusion. In fact, I thought this one had a stronger conclusion than Acceleration, and it was worth the lack of sleep!

This is a great teen thriller in the style of Joseph Bruchac, only for older readers. I also think fans of Carol Plum-Ucci will really eat this one right up. In a way, it also reminds me of a junior version of Stephen King's It.