Iain Rowan

John knows what it’s like to be bullied. Yet he does nothing when another kid is bullied. Plagued with guilt his mother sends him to spend some time with his sister in a fishing village. Have things really changed? When he arrives and gets off the bus the first thing he sees is a boy with a snarl. Then he meets Simon and Sal. The three become best friends. But something is seeking John out. Something needs his help. It seems to be the worst bully of all. Will John help or will he finally stop running?

This book starts out with a bullying incident that leads to John being shipped to his sisters for a while. Then things turn creepy. You have a small fishing town. Dark legends and tales. What I loved about this story was the message of learning to stand on your own two feet and face your fears. The idea of standing up to bullies. The ideas that if you take revenge on the bullies then you yourself become the bully. I also loved that John is introduced to an old man through his sister’s friend Alan who runs the local bookstore. This is where John learns about the towns legends and the evil that is there.… (more)

John is a young man staying with his older sister for a few week at her home by the sea.
He is feeling pretty badly about himself due to a bullying incident which took place at his school back home.
The village in which his sister lives is rich in folklore and strange stories, which soon become more than that to John.
I enjoyed the myths in this story, especially the one of the strange black dog who will lead one to safety.
In a way, this is a coming of age story, in another way, this is a story about facing one's fears.
However one chooses to view it, it was a good story.… (more)