Parents' Guide to

Creature of the Night

By Kristen Breck, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Gritty story about troubled teen is realistic and complex.

Book Kate Thompson Coming of Age 2009
Creature of the Night Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

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age 18+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Q25
Q25 Adult
June 13, 2012
age 18+

Great novel. IMHO, not for kids.

Graphic language. Pervasive criminal and antisocial behavior from most characters including violent assault. Pervasive smoking, drinking, and drug use. Occasional references to sex. Focus on fear, supernatural events, and dysfunctional families. Central plot theme involves a murder with subsequent dismemberment. A great novel. IMHO, not for kids.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
cooolboy12344
cooolboy12344 Adult
February 25, 2012
age 17+

poopoo

Very good book but swears too much lads so watch broo

This title has:

Great role models
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Bobby leads a reckless life of violence, car theft, and drug abuse in Dublin. Ma moves the family to the country to keep Bobby away from his bad-influence friends. There they rent a cottage from a kind and hardworking farming family. Over time, Bobby learns important things from the family, such as how to work hard and be responsible, and also that the cottage has a mysterious past, including a murdered child and the disappearance of the previous resident. The story follows Bobby's slow, painful, and curvy road toward dignity, while the subtle subplot of the mysterious cottage unfolds with intrigue.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (3):

While Bobby is crass, indignant, criminal, and insensitive, this book is well written and fully engaging. The characters are genuine and complex, and mature readers will want to turn the pages. The author leads the reader through micro-climates in the storyline: One is the thug and drug world of Bobby in Dublin; another is the good, clean, hardworking world of the farm family; and the third world is the mysterious and eerie cottage. Readers will want to know if and how Bobby transforms, and also if the myths about the cottage are real.  For those readers who can make their way through some intense delinquency and unapologetic characters, this book will satisfy on many levels.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the idea of belonging to something. Did Bobby belong to anything? Where did he look for belonging, and where did he ultimately find it?

  • Discuss the role of boredom in Bobby's life. When
    he was in the city, boredom led to bad behavior but when he lived in
    the country, it led to new learning and discovery. What do you do
    when you are bored?

  • Talk about the wrench that Bobby
    bought after earning and saving money for the first time. Why was that
    so important to him? Have you ever bought something with money you
    earned? What did you buy and why? 

Book Details

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