Description

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Following his parents' ugly divorce, Jake Oliver chooses to move with his father to a remote corner of Connecticut. It is bad enough that their new home turns out to be a fenced-in dump in the middle of nowhere, but it seems that the previous owner, his dad's late Uncle Horace, had been the local crackpot ridiculed by the community for his belief that a Bigfoot roamed the vast woodland preserve that lay beyond the property.

Not everything about Jake's new life is bad, though. His job at the local market is okay, and it doesn't hurt that his coworker is pretty Nell Davis. But when odd things start to happen, like weird calls in the dead of night, stones thrown by an unseen assailant, and lingering foul odors wafting on the breeze, Jake starts to believe that maybe old Horace wasn't so crazy after all. With Nell's help, Jake is determined to make a name for himself by proving to the world that the mythical Sasquatch is alive and well and living in the woods just on the other side of that fence.

About the Author

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Andrea Schicke Hirsch has been a bookseller, editor, copywriter, teacher and paralegal. She studied theatre and English at Fordham University and has a Master's degree in Education from the University of Bridgeport. A Connecticut native, she lives in Wilton with her family. This is her first YA novel.

Praise For…

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"Gr 8–10—Sixteen-year-old Jake Oliver chooses to go live with his dad in a remote area of Connecticut instead of staying with his mom after his parents' divorce. Things could be worse than the smelly, run-down cabin that used to belong to his late Uncle Horace. Here, he has his freedom. It is far better than being back home with his mom and her creepy, rich husband. His new job at the local grocery store is not too bad, either. After all, that is where he meets Nell. Jake might miss his friends, but the very cute Nell makes life here seem better every day. When the protagonist's dad has to leave for a long business trip, things start to get strange. Why was Uncle Horace obsessed with Bigfoot? Where is that creepy howl coming from? Jake and Nell decide to make a documentary in order to find out. Things become more complicated when Jake's sister Megan shows up unexpectedly. Touches of teen issues with alcohol and sexuality round out the plot. With so much focus on ghosts, mermaids, and zombies in teen fiction, it is refreshing to read a book based on a different supernatural figure. Believable settings and compelling characters will generate interest in the cryptid. Exciting if predictable plot twists will keep teens invested in the story. VERDICT A good choice for reluctant readers or for those who are getting bored with mainstream supernatural books." —Claire Covington, Waynesboro Public Library, VA