Review: Hickey of the Beast by Isabel Kunkle

Title: Hickey of the Beast
Author: Isabel Kunkle
Available: Now
Reading Level: Young Adult













Description via Media Kit:


Connie thought freshman year might suck. She never thought it'd be literal.

Bad dreams? No big deal. After all, Connie Perez is starting her first year in the prep school her mom runs. Anyone would be a little stressed, right? When she starts dreaming about strange creatures and places that don't make sense, she doesn't think much about it: there's other stuff on her mind. Then she starts noticing that the people she dreams about get sick right afterwards.

Then everything gets weird.

There's something bad on the campus of Springden Academy. Something that feeds on students and warps their minds. And, as Connie and her friends try to figure out what's going on, it starts to look like she's the only one who can stop it.

Freshman year was hard enough without having to fight evil after class.

My thoughts:


Connie Perez is the daughter of Springden Academy’s headmistress. She is excited and nervous about making the transition from a faculty kid to an actual student. As the new school year progresses she finds herself plagued with nightmares involving a swarm of angry mosquitos. Coincidently her little brother is also having bad dreams. As the dreams evolve and students fall sick, Connie sets out to find answers with two of her closest friends.


Hickey of the Beast is told in the format of a letter from Connie to her friend Amanda. I really enjoyed this style. I felt it gave the book a nice and easy flow. I think readers will like the up close and personal look into the main character’s mind. Main character Connie was easy to like, but she does have a bit of a potty mouth at times. I would have liked to see more development with the secondary characters. Something to make them stand out I guess. 


I thought the mystery surrounding the illness infecting some of the female students at the school was paced well. While I did have my suspicions about who was behind the attacks, I wouldn’t call the plot predictable. My interest was definitely held, and I was shocked by how quickly I finished reading. Obviously the mystery was one I was eager to figure out. The ending was great. The author provided answers to all the questions raised, and I appreciated her tying up the loose ends so readers aren’t left hanging.


This is a really fun and unique book. I’d defiantly recommend it if you dig books with paranormal elements especially with a boarding school setting. While the format in which the author tells the story has a few minor flaws, I still enjoyed the all around feel it gave Hickey of the Beast.

My Rating:

Source: