by Dan Simmons
First published 2011
Mike, Duane, Dale, Harlen, and Kevin spend their summer days riding bikes through Elm Haven, Illinois, hiding in the woods and sharing the secrets that bind twelve-year-old friends together. The year is 1960, and their small town feels safe beneath the corn-filled horizon. Then a bell rings out in the darkness from Old Central School, the massive brick building that looms over their community like a fortress. The sound marks the beginning of terror. Strange events plague the town as an invisible force stirs within the school's mahogany-scented halls. The boys watch their peaceful world transform into something deadly. Normal life crumbles as supernatural horrors emerge from the depths of the old building. The five friends realize they alone understand the true nature of the threat. They must stand together against an ancient evil that commands the night, knowing their bond may be the only thing capable of saving Elm Haven from complete destruction.
Genres: fiction, coming-of-age, horror, supernatural
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful
Tropes: coming-of-age, found-family
Setting: Elm Haven, Illinois, Old Central School
Period: 1960
528 pages · Kindle Edition · St. Martin's Griffin
Content warnings: violence