Nightmares in Aston: Wicker Village Book #1 is a wonderfully, dark middle-grade novel by Michael J. Moore. Eleven-year-old Juanito Hernandez moves from Seattle to the small town of Alston where he finds himself bored and friendless, then things take a terrifying turn when Juan runs into a humanoid creature made of bees. Juan immediately identifies this horrifying entity as the boogeyman. Things only escalate for Juan as gets a creepy video on his phone that just as mysteriously disappears.  

Juan gains friends, first Pinky, then Bobby and Lauren. Soon after, the friends give each other courage, learn to stand up to bullies, and tackle the weird goings-on in Alston. 

Young readers will be drawn in to this spooky Goosebumps-esque tale full of creepy adventure, twists, and turns. It’s a fast-paced plot full and readers will become quickly become engrossed in the story all the way up to the unexpected ending. 

While parents should be aware of scenes discussing kids drinking beer in the woods, I recommend this book for adventurous middle-grade readers who like scary stories. Overall, this is a very good read. I look forward to future books in this series.