I just finished "Hampton Heights" by Dan Kois; I received a free eARC from NetGalley.

Kevin, an underachiever who runs a group of middle-school aged paperboys, picks his charges up for a late night door-knocking session to sell subscriptions to a local Milwaukee newspaper. Six middle school aged boys from different parts of the surrounding area load in to the backseat of the van. Armed with clipboards, a promise of Burger King, and a bribe of $20 (each, or as a pair?) to the 2 paperboys who sell the most subscriptions, the boys set out to have an eerie and unsettling night in Hampton Heights-- a place that very obviously stands on the threshold of reality and something else.

When I originally requested this book-- it was marketed as a Stranger Things-esque vibe. It takes place in the 80's, so we don't have any inclinations towards viral videos or TikToks. There are small references to the 80s scattered throughout, but otherwise it feels kind of timeless. I think that helps creates the atmosphere of Hampton Heights itself-- a place out of time, space, reality, etc. The boys are paired off, and my only negative criticism of that approach is that it almost feels like we're getting three short stories within a story. Kois brings them back around at the end, but each has a completely standalone adventure. While I enjoyed the witch story the best, the entire thing felt a little rushed and underdeveloped. We don't get a great sense of who these kids are minus a brief backstory. Overall it was a fun little jaunt, clocking in around 200 pages. It was neither as scary or exciting as I'd hoped, but it was a fun breezy read.

Harper Perennial provided an early galley for review.

I had the pleasure back at the PLA Convention in April 2024 to hear Kois talk about this upcoming novel. I liked the aspect of suburban horror tied to it being a period piece set in the late 1980's. It really enticed me to add it to my to-read list.

As a writer, I liked the way Kois has this novel structured. The opening chapter introduces our main cast, followed by the next four chapters telling the parallel exploits of each of the pairs and their boss. The final chapter pulls it all together. It works very well to move the story along, keep the focus on a specific arc, and give the reader easily digestible portions. The overall shorter length of this novel means there is not a lot of filler as well, which is always appreciated.

As for the story itself, I found the opening and closing chapters the strongest, followed by the Kevin chapter and the Nishu/Al chapter. The Sigmone and Joel chapter was next, though it is more about the former of the two with the latter sort of along for the ride. I found the Mark and Ryan chapter to be the one that least kept my interest.

Kois has a strong voice when it comes to the realistic/everyday aspects. This definitely has encouraged me to check out his earlier novel from 2023.

Late 1980s Set Nostalgic Light Horror. On a winter night in 1987 six paperboys and their manager stop off in the most haunted neighborhood in Milwaukee to sell newspaper subscriptions—mostly with the goal of cash bonuses and dinner at Burger King. Each of them has their own strange and unique experiences with situations reminiscent of Ray Bradbury, Seanan McGuire, and Stephen King. This is a beautiful, tender horror-comedy looking at the scary part of growing up.

Super fun, quirky and enjoyable! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book.

A fun, quick romp of a book. The pacing was good, and I enjoyed how the chapters were designed. It was like reading mini adventures each time. I never read a book quite like this - it was almost like reading a comic book somehow? Regardless, it was a fun time.

Hampton Heights
by Dan Kois
Pub Date: September 17, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
From the author of the Washington Post notable novel Vintage Contemporaries, something completely a hair-raising and rollicking adventure set on one night in 1987, when six paperboys must confront a slew of monsters as well as their own personal demons in a haunted Midwestern neighborhood.
While this book definitely has some horror elements, it's not scary at all. If you're not generally a horror fan, no worries – there's no blood or gore or jump scenes (can books have jump scenes?) or anything of the sort. There are monsters and supernatural occurrences, but they're more Hocus Pocus than A Nightmare on Elm Street, if that makes any sense.

this was a super fun and enjoyable read and I loved every minute of it. My overall rating:4

Fun, quirky, and adventurous. I really enjoyed how this book was written and found the characters to be fun. The plot is intriguing and I enjoyed the monster elements of the book. Overall, fun read for spooky season!

_Hampton Heights_ by Dan Kois is a quirky and engrossing read that follows six middle-school boys and their wild, mystical adventure one night in 1980s Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As paperboys for the local newspaper, they are enticed by their manager and the promise of Burger King, to sell subscriptions in a strange neighborhood that seems to get stranger as the night progresses. As they roam the community of Hampton Heights, the boys run into monsters and must fight to survive to claim their fast-food feast. This book will surprise readers and keep them interested to the end.

This book was very interesting and fun read. Each chapter is one characters story and, also, the journey on how they all wind up as friends. The supernatural elements were a definite plus for me. Thank you NetGalley & Harper Perennial for this ARC. Check this out when it publishes on Septmeber 17, 2024!

Publication date: 9/16/24
Genre: horror/comedy

Six adolescent paper boys are enticed to canvas for their local newspaper in the infamous Hampton Heights neighborhood in exchange for a Burger King feast. However, what they don't know is that creatures and cryptids lurk around every corner.

This unexpected, clever twist on fighting your own demons and coming of age was quite the adventure!! Not only was it a fun read, but it made me laugh. There were super eerie parts that made my skin crawl due to Mr. Kois's prose. I also love love LOVED the fairy tale/folklore aspects that were woven into each pair's story.

Thank you Netgalley, Harper Perennial, and those involved in allowing me to read this ARC! What a privilege!

Hampton Heights is a modern fantasy anthology following a cast of youngsters selling newspaper subscriptions in an otherworldly neighborhood outside Milwaukee -- along their respective journeys, the boys run afoul of witches, werewolves, hodags, trolls, and more. The narrative style is reminiscent of Stephen King with an offbeat, "Goonies"-esque sense of humor. Fans of "Stranger Things" and "It" will find much to love about this one. It's a coming-of-age story of mythic proportions, with our characters comprising a found family by journey's end. I enjoyed the distinctive personalities of each of the characters and their stories were varied and fantastical, though I yearned for more of a unifying element to tie everything together in a more satisfying way. Overall, I enjoyed the read and would recommend to fans of horror and modern fantasy.

If you like supernatural stories, then this book is for you!!!

You start this book off thinking it will be a normal, teenage boy story and then it adds some supernatural storylines that make you want to keep reading until the end.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved how the chapters broke off into each of the boys' stories. It added so much more to the book knowing what was going on with each of them at the same time as the others. It also had an ending that wrapped everything up nicely.

After reading this, it would be cool if the Hampton Heights neighborhood existed. What a ride that would be!

4.5 stars

This book was weird, hilarious and fun! It was everything I was hoping it would be. Adventurous, a little absurd, and lighthearted.
The characters were great, and the mishaps even better.
I loved it!

This is a very weird book, you guys. But it's weird in a good way, not weird in a “I can't believe I suffered through this nonsense” sort of way. There are succubi and trolls and witches and werewolves and Burger King (one of these is not like the others), and it is a wild and entertaining ride.

Hampton Heights focuses on a group of paperboys (and their irresponsible boss, Kevin) who are sent out into Milwaukee's most bizarre neighborhood to sell newspaper subscriptions. When the boys are split up into pairs in order to canvass the neighborhood, this novel essentially becomes a series of interconnected short stories. Each pair (plus Kevin) have their own separate supernatural experiences while exploring Hampton Heights, and they don't meet up again until the very end.

My favorite story of the bunch was probably Ryan and Mark's adventure with the witches. There's something about it that's so magical and fairy tale-ish and perhaps even a little heartwarming. I'm just ever so slightly surprised that the witches' cottage wasn't made of gingerbread, because it seems like it should be that sort of tale.

Al and Nishu's experience with the troll is also a tremendously entertaining read – it's funnier and more lighthearted than the other chapters. What do you do when a troll is giving you problems? You trap it upside down in a backpack, of course!

Really, all of the boys' adventures are quite amusing and there wasn't a one of them that I didn't enjoy. And Kevin? Well, let's just say that Kevin should never be left alone in charge of children ever again and leave it at that. I mean, this book is set the 80s and I can say from first-hand experience that parents were a little more lax when it came to the quality of their kids' adult supervision back then, but I'm pretty sure that even my parents wouldn't have approved of Kevin's shenanigans.

While this book definitely has some horror elements, it's not scary at all. If you're not generally a horror fan, no worries – there's no blood or gore or jump scenes (can books have jump scenes?) or anything of the sort. There are monsters and supernatural occurrences, but they're more Hocus Pocus than A Nightmare on Elm Street, if that makes any sense.

So, yeah – this was a super fun and enjoyable read and I loved every minute of it. My overall rating: 4.55 stars, rounded up.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.