I've been getting more and more requests from the middle graders in my library for scary stories. There are only so many times I can recommend Goosebumps (also they are not every kids favorite flavor of scary), Holly Black's Doll Bones, or Gaiman's Coraline. I loved this book. It was the book version of a camp fire story in all the best ways plus there was a friendship story underneath. Kind of like a Baby Sitters Club meets Friday the 13th?
Not for the timid reader, but for those chapter book readers craving an entry to the horror genre, this one will not disappoint.

New town. New house. New friends. The house, and all the others on the street, has a history, and the first thing Radiah, Crystal, and Ruthy do is warn Noe to stay out of the basement at night. There is an evil presence that seeps out of the cracks, but the adults are totally oblivious. Erica, a girl who used to live on the street is in a coma, and then there is Fern, a strange person who is a member of a group that fights evil. She educates the girls about painting sigels for protection, and alternate realities. Recommend to middle grade fans of horror.

I love the title of this book...it's practically a tongue twister. And the rest of the book is just as fun to read. Spookier than your average middle grade book and a great choice for those recently graduated from Goosebumps.

Are you afraid of your dark basement? Well, you will be after confronting and meeting the 'Smashed Mad' in J.W. Ockers teen; middle grade horror book! Well, not as much horror as I thought there would be.
Here is my video review here on my Youtube channel; "Nightmares, Tears, Anyone?"
https://youtu.be/bY28zzunibI


After reading this author's 'Twelve Nights at Rotter House' I was really expecting more of a a chilling and scary book; even though I knew it was a middle grade read, this was really kind of disappointing in the fact that the reveal and explanation of what and who the 'Smashed Man' is was not well done. Could have been close to a four star but this barely made it to 3 for me. There were some very dark and creepy scenes, but they were just really cut quickly before the jump scare came! Damn.

Can't recommend it.

I like it -- I especially like the author's voice. The story is chilling but the author's voice is funny and appealing.

Thank you to #NetGalley, J.W. Ocker, and the publisher for the ARC copy of this book.

This was a fun and thrilling middle school read that reminded me a lot of the Goosebump books.

In the story, Noe is so excited for her family to movie after an embarrassing sleepover disaster. She's also ready to make new friends. She's surprised when the strange girls are her street tell her to not go into the basement no matter what!
Does Noe listen? No and it's up to you to read it to find out what happens!

I think this would be a great book for students to read, especially students who might be more reluctant readers. I think it would hook them from the beginning.

A totally unique and exciting horror/thriller for kids. The plot felt like nothing else I’d read before, and I could not stop reading until I found out what happened to the protagonists.

Initially, I could see the fear appeal in this book. Eerie kids, a spooky basement, an ominous sense of wrong-ness. And the first time that we see the smashed man starting to emerge from the wall was a bit frightening. But that was the last moment that felt compelling to me. The exploration of the source of the smashed man takes some of the spookiness away. It would also be more frightening if we understood his motivation and felt a real threat to the characters.

When Noe moves into her new house on a Cul-de-Sac she is greeted by three girls that also live in the neighborhood who warn her not to go into her basement at night. Noe is not about to get pranked just because she is the new kid, so her first night, she goes into the basement, and nothing happens. But, Noe has parasomnia and when she sleep walks into the basement a week later, she is met by a different and terrifying sight. A flat man with a terrifying grin is trying to crawl out of a crack in her basement wall. It turns out that the Smashed Man lives in the basements of all the houses in the neighborhood, but only kids can see him, and only kids are in danger from him. The Dread Enders (what the children of the neighborhood call themselves) have already lost one member to the Smashed Man. Erica was obsessed with getting rid of the Smashed Man for good, but all her experiments failed, including her final one that ended with her in a coma. Noe is now living in Erica's old house, and has taken on her mentality of ridding the neighborhood of the Smashed Man, but not because she is brave like Erica, because she is terrified that she will release the Smashed Man from the crack in the basement during one of her sleepwalking episodes. Unfortunately, Noe's plan to get rid of the Smashed Man backfires and he is instead released, putting the entire neighborhood, especially the Dread Enders at risk.
This was an interesting enough story, but it was a little too sci-fi for me. I think this is important to mention, as this was billed as horror, and I am a huge horror fan, but this did not feel so much like horror to me. I would be much more likely to hand this to a science fiction fan that is looking for something a little scarier. I also struggled with the resolution. There were so many different attempts to stop the Smashed Man, and get rid of the Smashed Man, and protect the neighborhood, pretty much all of them failing, that when they finally succeeded it was hard to understand why. I did enjoy the relationship between the Dread Enders and the way their relationship evolved throughout the book. It was really lovely to see a relationship that began as quite hostile become something very loving.

The Smashed Man of Dread End was a unique middle grade horror novel. The atmosphere was creepy and the main character acted in a manner that was very believable. The premise involves a creepy flat being that comes out of cracks in basement walls, but only children can see it. Adults are blind to the monster. This being is pretty terrifying in that it can actually be harmful to children if it fully escapes the crack and if it touches the child. The neighborhood children get together to try to figure out how to keep everyone safe, but how can they be safe when they don’t know what the rules are?

Overall, this book was fun. I feel that middle grade students will enjoy reading this . . . even reluctant readers. The creature was genuinely creepy and the premise was different than any other book like this. There were also tidbits of information throughout the book concerning science. I highly recommend this to anyone who has a middle grade aged reader who enjoys a good scary story. It reminded me of reading RL Stine when I was younger.

This one didn't grab me. It was just fine. I'd recommend it to fans of Small Spaces and Lindsey Curie.

The Smashed Man of Dread End by J.W. Ocker ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
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The very first day that Noe moves into her new house, she is met by the neighborhood kids…who say nothing to her other than an ominous warning about her basement…will she and her little sister be safe? What is going on in her house?
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This is an excellent upper junior/ middle grade horror novel 💖 Genuinely spooky, creepy monsters, cosmic horrors, brave kids, great setting. I loved it! I absolutely would recommend this for 4th-6th grade

I adored this middle grade horror! It's full of mystery, heart, and WHAT an original monster! I know that kids in my seventh grade class will be on the edge of their seats. Can't wait to purchase for my classroom library.

A New England family of 4 relocate to a quiet cul-de-sac in a house that strangely seemed to find Noe, the oldest of two girls and the hero of the story. She’s okay with the move, as life and friendships back home were iffy things. A fresh start is just what she needs when a group of morose, off-putting girls give her a simple warning. “Don’t go in your basement at night.” The welcome committee doesn’t intimidate Noe, who goes into the basement and discovers the nightmare living with her family- The Smashed Man. Shocked and worried, she has no choice but to consult with the other Dread Enders to share all that they know about the “thing” and protect themselves and the neighborhood.

Full transparency, I thought this book was straight up terrifying. If I read this from ages 8-12, I would have been RUINED emotionally. The antagonist is a Flat Stanley-like mofo who can hide behind literally anything and looks smashed. Not in a jolly British way, but in a broken bone and bruises sense. And to top it all off, the guy is smiling maniacally the entire time. Nightmare fuel! That is truly my only point that could be viewed negatively; it may be too scary for its target audience. Maybe I’ve peaked or cracked from years upon years of horror 24/7? Who knows? There’s still a small part in all of us, I think, that’s still afraid of the basement.

The metaphysical philosophy landscape that Ocker made for a middle grade novel is just outstanding. He detours from a traditional supernatural plot and veers into territory we should head into more often. His work always remains abundantly true to his passions and interests, which inherently makes it one of a kind. The nods to Poe throughout his stories is also always appreciated. It’s an arguably odd task for a middle aged man to write from the point of view of a 13 year old girl, but Ocker pulls it off naturally and thoughtfully. The fears and rationale of a child all come through the story beautifully, while still being mature enough to connect with as an adult reader. The guy definitely has kids and he knows how they tick. I found the relationship between the two sisters truly touching and the personal challenges they faced with their nighttime conditions was used strategically throughout the story. It was nice to see a lead teen that wasn’t an utter brat, too.

The Smashed Man of Dread End was an exciting, skin-crawling read that will undoubtedly be whispered about from young mouths. The story is kid-focused but emotionally driven and full of enough surprises, believable dialogue, and easy humor to entertain every age of reader. Two skeletal-thumbs up.

The Smashed Man was a unique villain and I enjoyed the thrills and surprises in this book. I would recommend it for older middle-schoolers and younger teens, as it does have some legitimately scary scenes and some sci-fi concepts that might be hard for younger kids to follow. However as an adult reader who loves middle-grade books this was an enjoyable read!

*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC*

A legitimately creepy middle grade story. I had a hard time reading this book at night, even as an adult. Strong characters and great tension.

This was great! A solid middle grade horror story that I would've eaten up as a kid, alongside the R. L. Stine Goosebumps series. I think this is a great book for kids in the 4th-8th grade range, and really satisfies that need for the scary and macabre. Also, I think the cover of the book is really wonderful too - definitely a great, eye-catching illustration.

Reviewed from an ARC from @NetGalley. There are some legit scares in this story. The Smashed Man is a haunting figure and constant suspense keeps the reader on edge.

This was a fun, suspenseful read. It had friendship, horror, and mystery all wrapped up. At times I was scared to turn the page.
I wish there were some light hearted moments. A little comic relief would have been nice.
All in all, this story kept me intrigued till the end.

Wowza. This book was scary AF.

I am a grown-ass lady who has read and watched a zillion horror things, and I was freaked out by this story. If books like this had existed when I was 11 (SO long ago), I would have been so happy (and could have maybe held off on the Stephen King for a bit).

There is something so alarming about the Smashed Man - the flatness? the oozing from the crack in the wall? that no adults can see him? - aaagh. So good. The kid characters were realistic and kind of jerky like kids can be - loved that they weren’t all sweetness and light.

I would hesitate to recommend this to the older elementary kids at the school where I work, but I am all over this for middle school kids who like the scary stuff. I haven’t read any of J.W. Ocker’s other books, but that will be remedied ASAP.

IG review will be posted @leavemetomybooks on/around 8/15/21.