I am really torn about this book. It was good but I found myself not liking the characters  but enjoying the atmosphere and setting. I found Max annoying with his constant flip flopping back and forth but after a few moments of thought, I realized I shouldn't be expecting a lot of logic from a 12 year old. The friends he makes are fun side characters and exactly the type of support he needed. I think the adults in the story are what bothered me the most. Those 10 years lost in a time slip really destroyed any type of good parenting Ramhart had. I don't think I would leave a child with him. When later in the story, Max mentions being grateful for what Ramhart taught him, I was confused because it didn't seem like he taught him much before shit hit the fan. As for our main characters father, his actions and words at the end were nice but late. They were absolutely something he should have said to his son in the beginning, instead of leaving his son to stew in his fear and feeling of inadequacy. Despite all that, I still have been trying to find out if there is going to be a sequel anytime soon. 

There was a LOT in this one, probably too much. Here are two of my favorite quotes though:

"Isn't the pursuit of weirdness an honorable enough endeavor in and of itself?

"Evil is like water: rising, falling, but always seeking an opening."

I liked the premise, but at times it jumped around and I had trouble following the action.  It's the first book in the series but seemed to assume a lot of prior knowledge of its world.

This book started off so strong for me. It reminded me a lot at first of The Last Kids on Earth in the best ways - It has supernatural elements, humor, and a relatable main character, and I was 100% on board and already thinking of the students I would want to share this book with. But then, about halfway through, it really lost me. There were SO many creatures and mysteries introduced that they all started to run together. This book spends so much time creating zany adventures that it ends up really missing the mark on any character development or storyline. Characters change their desires and behavior at the drop of a hat with no explanation only for the reader to be distracted by yet another crazy kind of ghost/monster/zombie/demon to show up. The narration was good, but it wasn’t enough to hold my attention for the duration of the story, and quite frankly, I was glad when it was over. It definitely sets up for a sequel, but I won’t be reading it.