Joseph Bruchac - Skeleton Man

Pros: Appropriately eerie for those who enjoy the genre, Molly's courage
Cons: Grotesquely eerie and should be avoided by those who do not enjoy this genre

Joseph Bruchac's Native American Stories collection of myths and Keepers of the Earth, both co-written with Michael J. Caduto, became two of my favorite sources for information on Native American culture and legends. Their stories provided ...

Pros: A quick read, and clever adaptation of an authentic tribal legend to a contemporary setting.
Cons: I'll never again be able to accidentally burn myself without contemplating what I taste like.

I became acquainted with author Joseph Bruchac by way of his historical fictions for young adults based on American Indian history – richly researched, deeply felt and politically nuanced books like Geronimo about the legendary ...

Pros: Well-drawn characters; grounding in Native mythology; realistic voice of the child narrator.
Cons: Can be a little too intense for those who still sleep with a night light.

My daughter, a 12 year old avid reader, couldn't finish the book because she found it too scary to read.

The subject matter (a girl whose parents have disappeared goes to live with an erstwhile "unknown uncle," who reminds her of the Mohawk myth of the Skeleton Man, who beckons his kin to their deaths. The uncle locks her in her room at night, feeds her what she is sure is poison, and is generally very creepy. Her confidant is a teacher who assails her beleaguered students with off-key show tunes whenever she can. The plot becomes as claustrophobic as the girls bedroom, as the reader begins to wonder with her just what is going on out in the tool shed.

I found it to be an excellent example of adolescent horror that is based where true horror always is -- the horrible parts of day to day life -- missing loved ones, possible child abuse, psychotic manifestations of folk tales who know how to use electric screwdrivers...

Not for the very young or the squeamish, but does a great job of having a young FEMALE protagonist struggle in her quest for escape and the truth.

Pros: None.
Cons: Graphic
Perverse
Will cause nightmares
Cannabalism
Kidnapping and abuse

I cannot recommend this book. The scene where the Skeleton Man eats himself (bit by bit in graphic detail) is far too explicit and the material for nightmares. Cannabalism, kidnapping, abuse, and murder do not make for suitable reading material for any age group.

I was absolutely horrified that this story was read aloud to my son's elementary school classroom. There are much better Native American legends to chose from.