Wisconsin Werewolves

American Chillers #7

by Johnathan Rand

Hide and seek. That's the game we were playing one night. The night that everything started to happen. It's one of my favorite games to play, especially after dark. I'm great at finding places to hide.There were six of us playing on this particular night. Sometimes there's as many as twelve, which can be really fun.But tonight wasn't going to be much fun. Oh, it started out fun . . . but that's not the way it ended up.

Genres: Horror, Middle Grade, Childrens, Fantasy, Fiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2002

About the author

Christopher Wright is the author of dozens of horror fiction books for children and young adults. He writes under the pseudonyms Johnathan Rand and Christopher Knight. Almost all of Wright's books (save American Chillers) take place in his home state of Michigan.

Reviews

[Josiah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Following the trail of scares from state to state with the American Chillers is fun, and in this book it's Wisconsin's turn to face a supernatural menace. Jeremy is an only child in suburban Madison, Wisconsin, but he has plenty of friends the same age living on his block. The story begins with them all playing hide-and-seek in the forest near their houses, Jeremy nestled in the perfect hiding spot to avoid detection by his friend Colette. He's bound to win this round...until, in the darkening evening, he spots a werewolf staring back at him, fangs dripping and a wild look in its eyes. Jeremy runs screaming to his group of friends—Colette, Brian Ludwig, Stuart Lester, James Barker—and describes the creature he saw. They're skeptical, but a trail of evidence the next morning leads them all to agree that a werewolf has taken up residence in the forest. Their parents won't believe such a claim, so what should Jeremy and his friends do about the problem?

Jeremy and Colette decide to research werewolves at the library, but they're disconcerted by the behavior of the new media specialist, who's filling in for Mrs. Owens, the regular librarian. He takes undue interest in Jeremy and Colette's study subject, hanging around and pretending not to watch them as they read. Is he connected with the werewolf in the forest? Jeremy and Colette ask Mrs. Owens about the man when she returns to work, but the usually gregarious librarian is tight-lipped where the new media specialist is concerned. She's not certain he should be trusted, and she advises caution. As Jeremy, Colette, and their friends launch a search in the forest where the werewolf was seen, Jeremy wonders what the consequences will be if they encounter the creature. Would their lives be at risk? It's time to discover who is turning into the werewolf and neutralize them, before this adventure morphs into a night of horror that will haunt Jeremy and his friends forever.

I like the vibe of Wisconsin Werewolves; it reminds me of Johnathan Rand's Adventure Club series, about a group of friends who get together to play games, have conversations, and go on adventures in and around their Midwestern hometown. The relationships add a touch of character and poignancy to the story. In most American Chillers you'll find at least one tongue-in-cheek reference to other books by the author, but I was surprised by the overt nature of the reference in Wisconsin Werewolves; on page one hundred thirty-eight, Colette states that what's happening "is like something out of my American Chillers books!" Touché, Mr. Rand. I rate Wisconsin Werewolves one and a half stars, but might have gone considerably higher if the logic were as consistent as the best American Chillers. Important narrative details don't line up as they should, a problem that could have been corrected with more work on the manuscript prior to publication. If you don't mind lack of cohesiveness, this might be the book for you, especially if you like the tone of the Adventure Club series. Even when marked by significant story flaws, American Chillers are enjoyable.

[Afro Man O'connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thesis- Johnathan Rand's Wisconsin Werewolves is very good because it catchs ur intrest and it also gets you thinking about whats going to happen next.

Plot- This story is about some kids that were playing hiding go seek in the woods and one of the kids heard a sound and thought it was his friend. But really it was a big furry creature the kid telling his friends after running and screaming out of the woods.

Style- I like that the book catchs your intrest and it makes you want to read more so that you know whats happening next. I don't dislike anything about it. Yes, it does give a sence of were it is set. The narrator voice is intense the narrators voice is one of the kids in the story he is the kid that runs and screams because he had seen a big furry thing in the woods. I think the book is unique because it shows you that playing in woods is not always salf because u can end up dead or something.

Setting- It compares or contrast to the world good because it catchs yous interest well it shows that the world is good. Plus, it shows that the world sometimes is scary and not easy at that. Yes, the auther makes me feel like I am a past of the setting in many ways because it catchs your eye so it makes you feel like you are the character that is in the trouble. Yes, I picture the books setting in many ways becaus it shows how the kids were running from whatever was chasing them and I could see that the kids were scaryed and worried about whats going to happen.

I recommend this book to boys/girls because either way it is going to cach your eye and make you want to read more.

[Austin Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

This, along with Florida Fog Phantoms, were my favorite American Chillers books as a kid. Having just finished the former book, I decided to give this one a reread, next. Similarly to Fog Phantoms, this book brought back a flood of fond memories for me; the pages oozing sentimentality and nostalgia. Unfortunately, I don't think I enjoyed this one quite as much as the aforementioned book this time around.
This one has a bit more meat to the story, whereas Fog Phantoms had a very simple premise and just rolled with it. (Both puns intended).
Where Wisconsin Werewolves falls a bit short, is the unanswered questions and logic gaps the slightly more complex plot brings along with it. I still had fun rereading this, again, mostly because of the nostalgia, but this one just doesn't stand the test of time quite as well. This entry in the series also has some more annoying stuff in it than its predecessors.
Here, we meet some overused tropes that are meant to induce suspense during the middle-muddle of the book.
Minor spoilers ahead,
Mr. Rand uses both the "It Was All A Prank" trope, and the infamous "It Was Just A Dream" trope around the mid-way point of the book. Thankfully, we do get some truly suspenseful moments as real werewolves actually are introduced into the story - in a surprising and unexpected way, on top of that.
I also noticed during my reread that the characters are a bit dumb. Not only is their dialogue unrealistic (they don't seem like real kids) but they (along with most other Chiller protagonists, I assume) don't seem to figure things out until the last possible minute. Of course, this is done to create mystery and invoke optimum suspense in the reader. While it may have worked when I was a young lad, it didn't work for me this time around. In a way, though, I can see how the character's lack of smarts and personality can add to the experience of immersion by making it feel like you're the character in the story; not unlike what Mr. Stine has tried to achieve with his Fear Street and Goosebumps books.
At the end of the day, I can't say these Chiller books are great, not by any means. The writing is pretty amateurish, even by the standards of children's horror, and they lack the level of both horror and humor found in the more successful and well known series such as Goosebumps.
However, these books do have a certain charm about them, and this one in particular will always hold a special place in my heart. I'll never forget being shocked by the twist ending of this book as my 12-year old brain tried to unravel the mystery of who the werewolf was.

[Roxann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another fast read. I'm reading these books so I can get some of my students to read them. This was a well written book. As an adult I found it a 'fun' book to read. The book is written at a fourth grade level. I would think students in that range would enjoy the book.

[Skylar Putmon]

I think its a interesting book but Johnathan Rand has published better books before.

[Jaxon D · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is horrible, it is worse than the first one. The plot doesn't flow smoothly and the story is terrible. The characters talk like morons. The characters are super lucky. The character always get out of every situation and it's really annoying.

The book starts of by playing hide and seek in the woods. They heard some noise in the bushes while they were playing hide and seek. I was mad that David thought that he was really brave when he saved Blake. Blake was not brave at the beginning of the book but at the end he was. John was the only smart one when he said they should go home.

[Max Higgins · Rating 1 out of 5]

Completely inaccurate. My grandma owned a canine and it would eat its own shit. It would have been much better if the author was honest. He needs to rewrite this and make the werewolf act more like how a real werewolf would actually act, including the shit eating and butt sniffing that real canines do.

[Howie Boyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was worse than the first one that I read in the series, but better than the second. the plot flows smoothly and the story makes sense. the characters talk like robots though. The characters have unbelievable lives. The characters have insane luck too.
the characters played hide and seek in the woods. they heard something in the bushes while they were playing. I think David was really brave when he saved Blake. Blake was also brave at the end of the book but not the beginning. John was smart when he said they should go home in the middle of the book

[Casten · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rate my book for stars because for one it's is a well written book. Two he actually makes me feel like I'm in the main character's shoes. Three he has great detail in the story. Four he sets up all the events to fit together in the end. Five he got me to relate to many events in the story.

[aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fiona found this book for very cheap at a sale and decided she wanted to pick it up for a bedtime read. It kinda reminds me of the Goosebumps series without being quite as good. That said it was a decent read and my daughter enjoyed it so that's a win in my book!

[Kenneth BLANCK · Rating 5 out of 5]

AWSOME! The first book i have read from him!

[Tawnee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick cute read. My first American Chiller book. If I was 8 or 9, I would have loved these.

[sami · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was my favorite book from childhood so of course i had to give it 5 stars

[Emily Ley · Rating 3 out of 5]

silly

[Collin Mcguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has tons of action. it has horror and it always has something scary or action like going on. I also like how its not scary it just has story's that can get scary. It has tons of transactions from one thing to another.

[Kenny Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️This was my favorite book as a kid, so 5 stars. Fun to reread as an adult.

[Dakota Oakley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book because it made you be a little afraid and nervous. There was also really a lot of mystery in this book. But there were these kids that were looking for werewolves and they were really brave. There was one character that I specifically liked liked because this character was a boy named Jeremy. I liked Jeremy because he was the one that was always wanting answers. The group of kids are also really good friends because one was getting attacked and they all turned around to help the one friend. They also think fast when they have a problem because they would always think and just do what they thought of and it worked.
I thought the author did a very good job with details and word choice. I really liked the details because they were very well described and I really liked that. The author also added a lot of very good twists in the text. Like you would be thinking one thing but then out of nowhere something else happened. I would recommend this book to people who like conflicts and mystery.

[Haylee Schafer · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this book "Wisconsin Werewolves" is a pretty decent book but reading it a second time a few years later does change opinion. For someone who has never read it, a brief summary would be: The book starts off in the woods with a game of hide and seek, the main character (Jeremy) is hiding in a pretty good place where no one should really find him, mistaking something near the place he is at for one of his friends he eventually steps out to be meet with a werewolf, him running off would lead to a chain of events in the book dealing with other characters and much more. Now back at the beginning I said this book did have a few options changed. One of the few reasons my opinion changed was writing style. Jonathan rand used to be one of my favorite book authors, but now that I am exposed a bit more and took a break from his series and when I came back, I saw the writing style completely different from the first time I read them. But overall, I still am I fan of these books, I just view them differentially.

[Leonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is a story that is filled with mystery. A story that opens children's imagination. A story about hiding a go seek but in a different way is what this story is all about. In Wisconsin, we are faced with that just that a legend but an unborn future. Each step of the way in this book you are wondering what is going to happen next. As you read the book you get to see what it's like with Jeremy, Tyle, and Cholette and how they must handle the werewolf situation in their town. They just use their brains and knowledge to help them every step of the way. This book can teach people the true meaning of scary adventure.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that this book is really good. It has lots and lots of suspense and it also leaves you wondering what will happen next. I did eventually find out the answer to my question: Was the librarian a werewolf? I don't want to give away what happens.

Towards the end of the book it wanted to keep reading but then I was finished and started book number eight. I never finished reading that one. Would I read the previous books if I had that choice throughout the entire year? Yes I would because they give you the reason to ask what’s going to happen if I keep reading?

Overall I thought that this book of one of the best books I've ever read. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes to read suspense and books that keep you interested!!!!

[Carl Pollard]

The book i am reading is American Chillers.And the author is Jonathan Rand.The setting is at night outside and it’s smokey.The main character is jeremy.The summary is this highschool boy turns into a werewolf and he is searching for a cure and kills anybody in his path and haunts people and gives people nightmares.I would give the book 5 stars. And i would recommend it to people who like scary things. The connection to unit theme is its scary b/c he gives people nightmares and turns into a werewolf.

[Alden]

i'm finished with this book. It was good like the others and I wonder how after Jeremy used the antidote on the librarian she didn't remember anything about being a werewolf. Also I wondered how the mysterious man who dropped the werewolf book became a werewolf hunter. My favorite part of the book is when Jeremy thought the teenagers who were pranking him was a werewolf. I would recommend this book to people who like horror books.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fun to read a book that takes place in Wisconsin! Don't let the "chiller" title fool you - this is more of a "fun, light-hearted scary" than an actual "I can't bear to turn the page, it might scare me" type of book.

And, kudos to Rand for ending the book with a set up for the next in the series, complete with a handful of chapters!

[Julie Goeldner · Rating 3 out of 5]

My students really enjoyed this book and at times didn't want to put it down. The way that Johnathan Rand writes his "chillers" he keeps readers interested and enticed to come back to the book later. This is a fast read but it still kept my attention.

[Mitch Nurenberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Wisconsin Werewolves" by Johnathan Rand. This is about some kids who find out about werewolves in their area. And they can't believe it that these creatures exist which is the problem they need to solve to find out what how to stop them. I recommend this book to younger kids.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick easy read. I read it to be able to recommend it (or not) to the kids I see at work. I think it's a fast, fun, scary but not too scary story. I gave it 3 stars because I can see it appealing to kids even if it's not really my cup of tea.

[Black Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Tis book because there are little cliff hangers everywere! and there is a big surprise at the end! But there is one Thing I don't like at all in this book.

[JacobT · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mildly Scary, some one comedic, had a pretty dumb ending plot twist

[Crazed Jaws · Rating 5 out of 5]

My ultimate fantisy comes true! This is a book that is a popular cryptid talking story that anyone would enjoy.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a scary, yet wonderful book. Jonathan Rand made this book really scary. It'll give you shivers!!