It looks like a pizza exploded on Nick Barry's face. But bad skin is the least of his problems. His bones feel like living ice. A strange rash?like scratches?seems to be some sort of ancient code. And then there's the anger...
Something evil is living under Nick's skin. Where did it come from? What does it want? With the help of a dead kid's diary, a nun, and a local professor, Nick slowly finds out what's wrong with him. But there's still one question that Nick must face alone: How do you destroy an evil that's inside you?
"A high-interest, modern-day horror series. Each story features unusual teen problems that occur in a small New England town. In Skin, Nick Barry's face starts to break out in a rash while his bones feel like living ice. An extreme anger starts to pulsate within him. With the help of friends, he slowly discovers an ancient evil possessor hiding within him. In Thaw, strange and awful things start to happen as the teens start to lose their grip on reality. After Dani's best friend, Jake, is kidnapped by an infamous thawed-out cult leader, they both enter an alternate, yet dangerous reality that might cost them their lives. In The Protectors, Luke's angry stepfather works as a mortician, while his mother conducts séances. Living in a funeral home that has its own secrets starts to take its toll on Luke when his mother dies in a car accident. Sounds of screams and rattling chains plague his dreams. Is his mother really dead? He soon discovers a secret as terrifying as he once imagined. Each short book delivers an entertaining horrific tale, leaving appreciative readers gasping for breath." --School Library Journal
--Journal
"Is it a bad case of acne or is Nick's burning skin an act of demon possession linked to a nearby well? Nick isn't the first person this has happened to, but he's determined to solve the mystery before ending up dead like the others before him. A breezy hundred-page read for supernatural horror fans who might balk at more substantial books." --The Horn Book Guide
--Journal
"These short horror stories are set in the town of Bridgewater, where things are never quite what they seem. The stories are uniformly creepy and full of spirits and demons, as good rises up to fight evil. One title is about a boy who works in a funeral home and receives messages from the dead; another about a girl who travels to a dream world to rescue her best friend; and the third is about a boy who is possessed by a demon. Younger fans of horror might enjoy these stories, but I found them more vaguely unpleasant than truly scary." --Library Media Connection
--Journal
"At first, Nick Barry's troubles, although still traumatic to a teenage boy, seem like nothing out of the ordinary: acne, a rise in anger, feelings of isolation and abandonment. However, Nick's case is too severe for anyone to ignore; something 'other' is clearly involved. When Nick is suspected of committing acts of violence and murder, he decides to investigate the outside forces that have set their sights on him. This novel, reminiscent of (and referential to) Steven King, couples a thrilling horror story with a message important to early adolescents: No one is alone. Unlike King's work, however, the protagonist is not a tragic hero, but a victorious hero who resists evil. Accessible to adolescent readers, the story moves quickly (although at times a little too quickly), and the shortness of each chapter paired with the size and arrangement of print helps the novel's exciting page." --The ALAN Review
--Journal
