| Title | : | The Wandering Hour (The Doomsday Archives, 1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1638930309 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781638930303 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 224 |
| Publication | : | Published January 30, 2024 |
Emrys Houtman knows something isn’t quite right in the town of New Rotterdam, although no one talks about it―certainly not the grown-ups. The sky is always overcast, and urban legends abound of mysterious disappearances, cursed objects, and strange creatures wandering the coastal fog.
While bonding with Hazel and Serena, his new neighbors and fellow horror fans, Emrys documents the town’s creepypastas, spooky legends, and cryptid sightings in a Wiki. It’s all in the spirit of good fun . . . until one day, the trio stumble upon the Doomsday Archives, a mysterious collection of relics that reveal something is very, very rotten in New Rotterdam.
To their horror, the kids discover that while they’ve been busy hunting for monsters, the monsters are now hunting them back. Emrys, Hazel, and Serena must stop the terrors plaguing their town, or risk losing their home―and possibly their lives.
The Wandering Hour (The Doomsday Archives, 1) Reviews
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What a great creepy middle grade story full of magic.
Emrys knows something isn’t quite right in the town of New Rotterdam. Together with his friends they will try to investigate all the urban legends and see if there is any truth to them.
The book has some mixed media elements and we get to see the entries in a wikipedia designed to track all the information related to the urban legends and the cases of missing people. Because in New Rotterdam people go missing all the time.
I truly loved the kids and to see their love for horror movies and how they commented on the fact that horror movies are not that scary considering how scary the real world is.
We also see parents that are supporting the kids and their weird club investigating all these legends. The kids were also smart and analyzed the situations before just jumping to do something stupid and that was refreshing.
The horror is also merged with magical elements that made the plot even more interesting and they set up a great ground story that opens up many interesting options for the next books in this new series.
A great fun fast paced read that will have you truly invested in the mysteries of the town. -
This was so so so good. You’re gonna want to buy tons of copies for your libraries and classrooms! Super scary and entirely unique with a killer set-up for future installments.
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Three friends, lots of supernatural stuff and urban legends, and oh yes, a secret society! I desperately need more of this series!
💖 I loved that this took place in New Rotterdam. I am a Dutch girl myself and I live near Rotterdam, so this was just oodles of fun!
💖 Plus, I loved seeing how this New Rotterdam was, because apparently there isn’t just spooky stuff happening, but also weird weather and lots of fog, and other strange things.
💖 I loved going through New Rotterdam and seeing all sorts of things. From the harbours to the school to other places.
💖 I loved that we didn’t just follow the main kids, but also got to see others who went through some really scary stuff when they find that hourglass filled with red sand. Those parts were terrifying though. GOSH, imagine just doing your laundry and suddenly there is a sweet old granny and time has stopped and oh FUCK she has fangs?
💖 I loved that we learned about all sorts of urban legends/cryptids/legends from the town. I am A BIG BIG fan of that stuff and so this made me squee that we got some spooky information on spooky things! YES! Oh, and the author sure did their best on writing it as scary as possible. That granny? Nightmares. Thanks.
💖 I loved how it went from two (and well three if Serena was also up for things) friends searching for urban legends, updating that wiki, trying to find spooky stuff to a secret society with lots of danger, assassins, scary stuff, and more. It just upped the ante and I just adore every bit of it. The secret society was such a fun thing + I loved that the kids could choose a weapon or item of their choose to help defend themselves/fight the evil things that stalked earth (like the granny, NOPE).
💖 I loved seeing them try to plan out things in regards to the hourglass, find out what happened in the past (because this isn’t the first time that the hourglass and hungry granny has appeared, and then also prepare for it. Things really got hairy and scary and I was 100% in there. Rooting for the kids to make it out.
💖 I also liked that we got some chats between Emrys and Serena, because they are not really the best friends, Hazel is the one connecting them, and that leads to some tension. I am happy that things weren’t left to fester or that things would get dramatic.
💖 Reading about the other society who was trying to get world domination. I love the chess element as well.
💖 The talking book, or well, the person who is in there. While at times I wanted to go in the book and yeet that book, I still like the addition of it and it surely made for a fun addition. I wouldn’t mind a prequel series with this guy and the society in its better years.
💖 The illustrations. Thank you for the frights dear illustrator. Thanks for some NOPE nightmares.
🤔 Not sure how I felt about the revelation at the end
All in all, I need more! This is one series I will keep on buying, I am curious what is next for the kids and what terrors will be up this time! What new urban legends we learn + more.
Review first posted at
https://twirlingbookprincess.com/ -
This was such a fun, spooky story, and one that I would have lapped up immediately if I had read this as a kid.
Emrys Houtman has recently moved to the town of New Rotterdam and he lives in the same apartment building as his best friend Hazel. Hazel's best friend Serena also lives in the same building. Emrys and Hazel attend the same school, while Serena attends the private school in town. Emrys and Hazel are big fans of paranormal, unusual occurrences and monsters, while the three love watching horror movies together.
Emrys knows that New Rotterdam has a strange reputation; odd and terrible things have happened here for years; it's always overcast, there have been disappearances, cursed objects are reputed to be in the town, and monstrous creatures appear at night. Or so the urban legends about the town state, and are captured in a wiki about New Rotterdam's weirdness.
After a bad storm one night, the trio check in on a mysterious resident of the apartment, Mr Alyx Van Stavern, and stumble upon an amazing, massive collection of relics, books and oddities. And they discover their mysterious neighbour is now transformed into a spellbook.
The trio dub the library the Doomsday Archives, and Van Stavern informs them that because they found the library they are now members of the secretive Order of the Azure Eye. And there's an opposing secret, evil group, the Yellow Court, hunting them.
If this wasn't shocking enough, they realize that there are new disappearances in town, and that a bizarre hourglass and frightening old woman are involved.
This was a lot of fun. There was terrific atmosphere, much creepiness, and some pretty scary situations featured, and I liked the introduction the two secret societies working in the shadows against each other. And all the monstrous apparitions and well-constructed in-story legends about them were well constructed and even a little horrifying.
The character dynamics are well handled, with Emrys and Serena having to deal with their fears and jealousies, while having to learn trust each other while evading pursuit. Hazel has a less prominent role, but I suspect we'll be seeing her do more in further books in the series. And I'm looking forward to how the three kids develop as they begin working together against the monsters and the Yellow Court.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Zando for this ARC in exchange for my review. -
This was so much fun in the creepiest way possible. It’s difficult enough moving to a new town and making new friends as a kid but then add in the fact that you’ve moved to a town that seems to be a portal for monsters to come through and kids are disappearing at an alarming rate and maybe this wasn’t the best place to move. Luck for New Rotterdam, Emrys is not easily spooked and is hunting for just this type of activity to update the Wiki. This story was creative with just the right touch of suspense and horror to keep you invested but not too much for younger readers who like this genre. I loved the way the tale unfolded and can’t wait to see what they face next.
I received a copy from #NetGalley and #Zandoprojects for an honest review. -
This is a hidden gem! I am so excited about this book, and I look forward to a whole series. The Doomsday Archives: The Wandering Hour has so much of what I love in a creepy, scary book. It's a middle grade book, but it's scary enough that I often was a bit surprised that it was for kids. Fans of classic horror, horror movies, urban legends, Wikipedia fanatics (who like to read weird articles and then get a creepy feeling in their gut), will love this book. I can't believe more people haven't read this book.
Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine.
http://affairedecoeur.com.
Advanced Review Copy provided by Netgalley courtesy of Zando Young Readers -
I really enjoyed reading this book because it was very fast-paced. Of course, middle grade books are always very focused on the core story, with a sprinkle of drama and growing-up pain issues. You have enough character development and background story to support the protagonist, but still mainly focus on the core story itself.
I adore Emrys, he is the new kid in the town of New Rotterdam. Emrys is into weird, creepy, mysterious things, and with his ADHD, his interest can sometimes cross the borderline of being a straight-up weirdo. But I honestly didn't think it was all that weird, in fact, I thought Emrys was an interesting part of who he is. Thankfully, he found another person who shares similar interests with him, Hazel. Emrys seems quite agitated and worried about many things, but oddly, he strives for all things creepy. He does not project confidence and fearlessness but is audacious when given the chance. He and Serena are the polar opposite, yet somehow they work well in the end.
In this book, Emrys and Hazel join and maintain an online Wiki forum site that updates on any creepy urban legneds and alleged true paranormal activity in the town of New Rotterdam. (Honestly, how cool is that!!!) I absolutely loved the small snippets of this site included throughout the book. The illustrations are an added bonus.
Hazel is supposed to be one of the three main protagonists of this book, but I honestly think she didn't quite stand out between Emrys and Serena, but maybe she will in the next series. Hazel is the middle bridge between Emrys and Serena, she connects the old friendship link with Serena and the paranormal enthusiast with Emrys. I had this feeling that Hazel is not as oblivious about the strained relationship between Emrys and Serena, I think she knows her friends well enough that she is certain they will eventually find common ground, (which did happen in the end).
Serena, I think, had the most character development and background story compared to Hazel. I know she did come off as strong and difficult in this book, but Serena points out very valid points, and she didn't want to get involved in something that sounded so life-threatening. Although Serena does come off as confident and fearless, she is actually quite a panic-stricken girl in reality. Serena hides behind the image of a popular and confident mask because she is actually afraid that if she shows her fears, people will take advantage of them and hurt her and the people she loves. I understood Serena's denial and refusal to simply take on the responsibility that seemed so daunting and life-threatening simply because she "stumbled" into it.
I think both Emrys and Serena share the fear of losing friendship with Hazel that they both go out of their comfort zone to ensure they are not alone or forgotten. I doubt Hazel would abandon any of them, but it kind of worked out in the end. I liked that they weren't just holding grudges at each other and trying to break friendship with each other—kind of the opposite, actually :)
I thought this book was quite creepy, especially when the unfortunate victims ended up trapped in the "wandering hour" timeline. The fact that an unassuming old lady is a demon of some sort is wicked!!! I also liked that this town is desperately trying to maintain "normality" while sweeping all unexplained and unsolved mysteries under the rug. This town is the X-files show, LOL!!. I admire the secret society takes on this paranormal world, it seems that perhaps all these things we read in Wiki snippets might actually be true events!. I cannot wait to learn more about this secret society and their nemesis, the Yellow Court!
I think Emrys's choice in selecting the Atlas was his true calling. He might just have found his life purpose, he seems to be able to wield the ability within himself without using some fancy language spells.
I can't wait to read the next book :) -
4.5 stars.
I genuinely did not expect this first installment of the new middle grade horror series The Doomsday Archives to be quite as accomplished as it is but dang, what an impressive series debut!
New Rotterdam is one of those creepy coastal New England towns that definitely inspired H. P. Lovecraft's Innsmouth (OH! I wonder if Emrys' name was chosen in tribute to one of the contemporary authors working hard to reframe the Cthulhu mythos without Lovecraft's rampant racism and biases. That would be really neat!) The sun rarely shines in this foggy, perpetually overcast place, and people seem to go missing with a regularity alarming to outsiders. Folktales and legends abound, almost all of the creepy kind.
Befitting the 21st century, a wiki has sprung up to help keep track of all these stories, making them feel less hallowed and distant, and more creepypasta and -- as a result -- disturbingly immediate. Called The New Rotterdam Wiki Project, the wiki is written and administered mostly anonymously. Emrys Houtman is one of the contributors to this project, along with his best friend Hazel. The two met at summer camp, and Emrys was super thrilled when his mom got a job that relocated them to Hazel's town. New Rotterdam is filthy with cryptids and other weirdness, both of which he and Hazel are obsessed with finding and recording. It helps, too, that they live in the same apartment building, along with Hazel's other best friend, Serena.
Serena is less into the supernatural, but does have a healthy appreciation for horror films, an interest all three share. She and Emrys have a wary relationship, as often happens when two people share a bestie. But when a blackout occurs in their building, and they go to check on the enigmatic inhabitant of the top floor, they're all plunged into an adventure straight out of one of their favorite movies. The only problem is, not everyone in those movies survives...
I grew up reading schlocky horror written for young people, and while this has all the same creepy thrills, it is genuinely a cut above the generic prose that often felt churned out for mass production (if you were an avid reader in the 90s like I was, you know exactly what I'm talking about.) The writing here is excellent, with original new horrors blending seamlessly with classic tales. Even more importantly, the authors are unafraid to go deep into the worries and fears of the average kid. The representation here is amazing but readers also learn so much about the complex and very human reasons that motivate our trio of young heroes. The kids feel so realistic that there isn't a single false moment in a book that treads heavily on the fantastic. There are plenty of great jokes for us olds, as well, some of which I promise I'll quote when this book comes up in my
Instagram queue.
I also need to compliment the quality of the physical book. The pages feel almost creamy to the fingertips, which is a sensory delight. I loved everything about this book so much, including the excellent illustrations. This is the perfect light horror novel, and hopefully only the first of a long-running, blockbuster series.
The Wandering Hour by Zack Loran Clark & Nick Eliopulos was published January 30 2024 by Zando Young Readers and is available from all good booksellers, including
Bookshop!
This review was originally posted at
TheFrumiousConsortium.net. -
Thank you so much to Zando Young Readers and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.
New Rotterdam is a small town that has never ending mysterious things happen, with many missing people. Emrys, Serena and Hazel all find the town legends and myths fascinating and together start researching into them. Then one mystery leads them to a secret hidden relic room and they become part of the mysteries.
This storyline was so good it had so many mysteries and I loved all the myths and legends of the town and how so many strange things occurred within it. I loved learning so much from it. It was so haunting, eerie and mysterious but it will grip you right away. I really enjoyed diving into this story I really enjoyed the characters and the way the story went. The wiki style pages were so fun to read, I love the added touch especially as the characters in the book contribute information to it. I really enjoyed the Wiki entry Orchid of outer space as it resembled to me the little shop of horrors and I thought it was so fun.
I really loved the unique friendship, their personalities were interesting and how they were an odd triangle of friendship and that the three weren’t all instantly close and had to fight to form a friendship. I really liked that Serena wasn’t wanting to be part of the group after they’d uncovered it but that over time she found it wouldn’t leave her alone so she had to be. I really liked the natural progression of her and how she fit into the group. I loved that the kids were brave even though scared and that they were strong enough together to overcome it all.
The relics were fascinating and loved learning all about them and what they did how they protected them or held the bad inside it was so interesting learning more about them. I also loved that Alxy was spelled in the book, such a super creative addition and how he helped guide the kids.
The wandering hour witch was menacing and so eerie and creepy, the way she haunts and creeps and takes them was so fascinating. I really loved what Emrys did and how he was able to save Serena. Together they worked so well to defeat her and to figure out with the very little time they’d had learning to best her. It was so good.
The ending was a little odd but still interesting, I liked that it opened up to who the next story will focus on. This is a book that will be really enjoyed by many as it’s really creepy and has so many mysteries to solve, so many legends in the small town. I look forward to reading the next one.
Side note: I was sad that there were no illustrations within the copy I was provided with. I would have loved seeing them as they would have really added so much extra to the story. -
What if your favorite scary story was real? Thank you Zando Projects @zandoprojects, Natalie, Zando Young Readers, Zack Loran Clark and Nick Eliopulos for this free book.
“The Doomsday Archives: The Wandering Hour” (Doomsday Archives #1) by Zack Loran Clark and Nick Eliopulos ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Middle Grade Magic & Horror. Location: New Rotterdam on the Atlantic coast, USA. Time: Present. NOTE: Disability and LGBTQ+ inclusive.
THE SERIES: Middle schoolers Emrys, Hazel, and Serena live in an Eldridge Heights apartment building in foggy, creepy New Rotterdam. It’s a hotspot for urban legends, but no place for kids to grow up. Emrys documents his town’s urban legends and cryptid sightings with fellow horror fans Hazel (with her perfect recall), and spirited, skeptical Serena. It’s fun until they stumble across the Doomsday Archives, a collection of relics with dazzling powers and dangerous consequences.
THIS BOOK: Emrys, Hazel, and Serena are worried about the penthouse resident they call “The Sorcerer of 701”. Then a mysterious Whistling Stranger arrives, causing chaos. A dreadful red hourglass appears, and children are disappearing. After finding a winking, talking book, the kids join The Order of the Azure Eye to battle the evil Yellow Court. Instead of hunting urban legend monsters, they realize monsters are hunting them.
Authors Clark and Eliopulos have written a book about clever kids in frightening situations. It’s just scary enough-but not too much. They intersperse story chapters with “New Rotterdam Wiki” illustrated entries about local urban legends. They include easy-to-understand information on Emrys’ ADHD. (“Quiet moments were when his brain rebelled…He needed a puzzle to solve, a mystery to worry over, in order to feel truly calm.”) Accepting each other’s differences and quirks is an overall theme of the book. You’ll find ancient artifacts, monsters with way too many teeth-and kids bonding together. It’s 4 stars from me🌵📚💁🏼♀️ -
A fun, creepy, well-paced, well-built-up horror novel!
I liked the entire book, but I actually gasped out loud during the last 20% where everything started to come together. There are plenty of cool hints and strategies established early that pay off later, so the worldbuilding feels thorough even while the characters are still learning.
This book takes its readers seriously, and I like that in books aimed at younger readers. The vocabulary is pretty advanced, but I was a (and know plenty of!) middle-schooler who loved being challenged by well-written, complex sentences and "big words". So I think it's still age-appropriate while also being a good challenge in that way.
I think sometimes, if there's anything I wish was tweaked just a little, sometimes the dialogue feels a little bit "making sure the audience is caught up" and less "how people would naturally talk". But this is pretty nitpicky. Most of the time good appropriate weight is given to characters sorting through emotions and connecting as friends, so it's not like it's ever stilted or anything.
Also: the art in this book is FANTASTIC. Holy cow, what a treat. The pictures are gross and scary and detailed and complex in all the best ways. I would have LOVED seeing that kind of stuff in my books when I was in middle school and it absolutely would have inspired me to draw my own creepy stuff.
Good stuff! Definitely recommend for readers who like creepy, more-challenging things, but I myself was absolutely, 100%, that 8th-grader. -
This book was such a blast! There was so much to love!
This book follows Emrys, a kid who loves the creepy stuff that pops up in his hometown, New Rotterdam. He and his friends work together to stop the urban legends come to life that threaten to take over their town. It's such a fun read and has mass appeal to many kids of middle grade/tween readers.
From a librarian or educator perspective, there is so much you can do with this book. You can use it to set off a unit about researching your own hometowns or how people make wiki pages for data collection. The Wikipedia-type entries in between each chapter lend some real depth to the narrative, making it feel more immersive. The characters were fun and realistic and the plot was engaging enough to keep kids reading. This is one of those great books that would work for a more advanced younger reader, or as an entry point for older reluctant readers. It's a short book with short chapters, creepy illustrations and varied narration throughout. This is a must for any library! -
The Wandering Hour” is the captivating first installment in the Doomsday Archives series. Set in the eerie town of New Rotterdam, where urban legends come to life, three friends—Emrys, Hazel, and Serena—stumble upon a world of magic and malevolence. As they delve into the Order of the Azure Eye, tasked with safeguarding occult relics, they uncover chilling secrets and face evil forces threatening their community
Clark and Eliopulos did an excellent job in mixing supernatural suspense with relatable characters. The wiki-style framing adds depth, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the town’s mysteries. The scary moments are balanced by the kids’ resourcefulness, making this a thrilling read also for older children.
I can't wait to read the next story in this series as this one is exciting and grippingHighly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine -
Solidly spooky and super action packed. Fell short on two things:
1. The ending felt super rushed and abrupt. I was surprised to find I only had about 15 pages left at a really crucial point in the climax. I wish some of the reveal at the end had been tied into the actual story, rather than summarized in the epilogue.
2. The climate change commentary was flimsy and clunkily (not a real word - I’m making it one) overt in the first chapter, never to resurface again in the rest of the book. The authors had a beautiful letter to the reader that accompanied the ARC, but had I not known their intentions, this theme would have come across as nonexistent or too randomly mentioned.
I loved the horror, I was very invested and hooked throughout, and would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for spooky magic, secret societies, and/or the importance and power of friendship. -
Described as Stranger Things meets Goosebumps for middle schoolers, The Wandering Hour definitely lives up to the hype! The characters were relatable and fun. The world building was well done, and I loved the inclusion of media such as the wiki pages to make it all seem more real. The plot was simultaneously scary and fun. This is already planned for a series and I can't wait to see where this goes. This will be a staple for children's horror like Percy Jackson is for children's fantasy!
Thank you to NetGalley and Zando Projects for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all views expressed are my own. -
It took me a minute to grasp the format of the book which is interspersed with wikipedia-esque articles from a spooky site. And I was also a bit lost at the transition from the first chapter with it's deliciously creepy supernatural event, into meeting our main character and how those related. Once I got on board, I found this to be a good horror option for younger middle school readers. It definitely has so seriously scary events and creatures, but still manages to stay middle grades, not YA.
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Perfectly spooky, and and excellent upper middle school book. Definitely for fans of urban legends…the wiki entries had some really creepy stories. Like, I had to stop listening to it at night before bed!
Really looking forward to more in this series! The bomb they dropped at the end was excellent and I’m genuinely bummed I may have to wait a while for the next book.
Solid recommend for kids who like scary, urban legends, stranger things, etc… -
I need the next book ASAP!
This middle-grade book has everything you could want in a fast-paced adventure / thriller:
- a New England town famous for monster-sightings
- three kids learning about an unseen world
- monster-hunting
- neurodivergent main character
- unlikely friendships
- magical relics
I can't wait to recommend this to kids who come into the library! -
Though this didn't feel to much like a horror but I did find it to be an interesting little adventure with three friends. I am curious to see what will happen next.
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Haunted, creepy things. Monsters and books with eyes. Ouiji board. Too many creepy, occult-ish stuff.
One of the main characters has 2 dads. -
3.5 ⭐️⏳
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4.5 ⭐️ rounded up
