Terror in Shadow Canyon (Monsterious, Book 3)

by Matt McMann

Overview

This series of terrifying standalone tales that combine monsters + mysteries is perfect for fans of Goosebumps.

“Spine-chilling and creepy!” —Max Brallier, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Last Kids on Earth, on Escape From Grimstone Manor (Monsterious, Book 1)

Twelve-year-old Tegan and his friends are excited to set out on a weeklong backpacking trip through the wilderness in Shadow Canyon, known for its vast forests and jaw-droppingly deep canyon. But after the group sets off on a little-used trail to visit a remote waterfall, they soon discover that the path markers they’ve been following have mysteriously disappeared, leaving them hopelessly lost.

As Tegan and his friends try to find their way back to civilization, they begin to notice strange things in the woods: small, oblong stones dotting the landscape in unexpected formations, tree roots that seem to be moving on their own, and creepy glowing eyes peering out of the shadows at night. Before long, they discover that something sinister stalks the forest—a creature with a hunger for human flesh. Can they make it out of Shadow Canyon alive?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593530757
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	08/22/2023
Series:	Monsterious , #3
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	1,084,616
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.06(h) x 0.83(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

As a professional musician, Matt McMann played an NFL stadium, a cruise ship, and the International Twins Convention. Now he writes the kind of spooky mystery adventure books he loved as a kid. He’s hiked the Pacific Northwest, cruised Loch Ness, and chased a ghost on a mountain. While he missed Bigfoot and Nessie, he caught the ghost. He enjoys brainstorming new books with his wife, New York Times bestselling author Lisa McMann, viewing his son Kilian McMann’s artwork, and watching his daughter, actor Kennedy McMann, on television. Visit him online at mattmcmann.com, and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @matt_mcmann.

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER 1
 
"Search team, Bob here," the forest ranger said into his radio. "I've got something. Stand by."
 
He pushed back the brim of his hat as he knelt over a well-worn backpack. Propping it against a towering pine tree, he searched the various compartments. Compass. Swiss army knife. Wool socks. First aid kit.
 
Tugging open a zipper on the inner lining, Bob removed a beat-up leather wallet. After examining the driver's license inside, he ran a rough hand over his stubbled beard, then stood and walked to a nearby cliff edge. A rapidly flowing river filled the canyon twenty-five feet below. With a deep sigh, he pulled the radio from his belt.
 
"Search team, Bob again. I found a backpack in sector four near the canyon edge. ID matches the missing hiker. Looks like we've got another cliff jumper."
 
"Roger that," crackled a voice from the radio. "Any sign of a body?"
 
"Negative," Bob said. "The rapids would have swept him downstream."
 
"Copy that. We'll send a team to check the area at first light. Good work, Bob. Come on back to base."
 
"Roger that. Bob out."
 
He hoisted the pack onto his shoulder with a shake of his head. This was the third hiker to go missing in his section of Shadow Canyon this year. Why couldn't these thrill seekers get their kicks somewhere else? While logic told him they were all tragic accidents, it was hard to forget the rumors that this forest was haunted.
 
The sun slid behind a nearby mountain peak, spreading shadows through the deepening twilight. As he did a final visual sweep of the area, Bob noticed an unusual root structure on the exposed base of a fallen oak. The vertical roots spread wide in an oddly symmetrical pattern, like the limbs of a giant crab. He shivered in the gloom.
 
"Get a grip," Bob muttered, trying to shove the spooky stories from his mind. "You're a forest ranger, for goodness' sake."
 
He turned and walked quickly through the trees toward base camp.
 
As he hurried away, one of the strangely shaped roots began to move, waving eerily in the gathering night.
 
CHAPTER 2
 
"I've never seen so many different ways to die," Tegan said.
 
He stood beside his best friends Marcus and Ning at the edge of the parking lot near the Shadow Canyon trailhead. Ning's mom had planned this hiking trip to celebrate their sixth grade graduation. Tegan's mom was supposed to be here, but at the last minute she had to work, and his dad came instead. She said it would be a good bonding experience for them. Tegan wasn't so sure. He eyed his dad warily, waiting for him to do something embarrassing. Again.
 
The three friends, along with Tegan's dad and Ning's mom, stared at a large warning sign covered with graphics of stick figures in distress.
 
"I like the cliff jumper," Ning said, resting her chin on her walking stick. "I give him a nine for style."
 
"They do look entertaining," Yanay said, peering around her daughter's shoulder. "But it's no joke. People have died messing around in this canyon."
 
"And people have died on merry-go-rounds," said Ed, Tegan's dad. "Sheesh, lighten up, Yanay. We're here to have fun, remember?"
 
Tegan looked at his hiking boots, his face flushed. He wished his dad had just stayed home with Milo, his favorite son. Ever since Tegan's little brother was born seven years ago, Ed had given Milo most of his attention. Tegan felt like he'd been replaced.
 
Yanay took a calming breath. "Learning the dangers before going into rugged terrain helps things stay fun. Besides, did you notice the venomous spiders warning?" She couldn't quite hide her smirk as she pointed to the sign's photos of a black widow and a yellow sac spider.
 
Ed's pale skin grew a shade lighter. "I hate spiders."
 
Marcus pushed up his glasses and inched his stocky frame closer to the sign. "Hidden rocks, undertow, hydraulic suction . . . I'm surprised there's not a shark warning."
 
"Mountain river sharks," Ning said, squinting in the bright morning sun. "Definitely have to watch out for those."
 
Tegan picked up his pack with a groan. Ning, an experienced hiker, had helped her mom organize their supplies and distribute the weight based on each person's size. With her tall frame and muscular build, Ning was carrying more than Tegan, but his pack still felt heavy, and they hadn't even started hiking yet. How am I going to lug this through the wilderness for a week? he thought gloomily.
 
Noticing his expression, Yanay smiled. "Hang in there, Tegan. You'll get stronger as we go, and your pack will lighten as we eat the food."
 
Marcus snugged his baseball cap over his box braids and looked eagerly down the trail. This outing was one big field trip to him. He planned on collecting nature samples for their seventh grade science fair that fall.
 
Tegan rubbed sunscreen on his pale nose and joined Ning at the trailhead.
 
"Here's hoping we don't die," she said, her dark eyes flashing beneath her straight black bangs.
 
Tegan laughed nervously. Hiking wasn't really his thing. He stared at the brooding forest, trying to convince himself there was nothing to be afraid of.
 
He couldn't shake the feeling that something was staring back.
 
CHAPTER 3
 
They hiked along a meandering trail through tall evergreens. Sunbeams painted golden splotches on the ground. Birds chirped, squirrels scampered from tree to tree, and everything was lush and green. The air felt crisp and smelled of pine needles. Surprising himself, Tegan was glad he'd let Ning talk him into the trip.
 
Then he saw the suspension bridge over the ravine.
 
Marcus ran up to the yawning chasm and looked down. "Whoa, check this out!"
 
"Not too close to the edge," Yanay warned. "Welcome to Shadow Canyon."
 
At the bottom of the ravine ran a fast-moving river dotted with rapids. Rocky outcroppings on the canyon walls threw dark shadows over the water. The only way across was a narrow suspension bridge, swaying slightly in the wind.
 
"I am not going on that thing," Tegan said.
 
"Oh, come on, T, it's fine," his dad said. "Watch." Ed walked to the middle of the bridge and jumped up and down, tugging at the waist-high cables on either side. The bridge bucked and swayed ominously.
 
"Cut it out, Dad," Tegan said. "I get the point."
 
Ed laughed and walked to the far side.
 
Marcus examined the end of the bridge. "These cables are wound for extra strength and anchored in the rock." He flashed Tegan a reassuring smile. "Nothing to worry about."
 
Ning nudged Tegan. "Besides, if you do fall, you won't have long to think about it."
 
"Thanks, I feel much better now," he said as his friends headed onto the bridge.
 
Yanay came up beside him. "A bridge like this can be a little freaky when you're not used to it. Why don't we cross together? I'll stay right behind you."
 
Tegan nodded reluctantly and edged out onto the wooden planks. The bridge swayed slightly, and he could feel the vibration of Ning's footsteps. He glanced down at the river, and his head swam.
 
"Take deep breaths and keep your eyes on the far side," Yanay said in a calm voice. "You've got this."
 
Clutching the main cables tightly with both hands, Tegan inched his way across. He clenched his jaws and moved toward Marcus and Ning, who called out encouragements from the far side. Already across, Ed continued along the trail and disappeared. Watching him go, Tegan's heart dropped. His mom would never do that.
 
Finally, Tegan stepped onto wonderfully solid ground as his friends and Yanay cheered.
 
"Good job," Ning said. "Now you've got a whole week until you have to do it again."
 
CHAPTER 4
 
Secluded far from the hated sunshine, the creature shifted her massive bulk and gazed over her sleeping children. Her joints ached from the weight of many years. As she stretched one long leg, her claws brushed the remnants of her last meal, sending a hiking boot tumbling from her rocky throne.
 
With a wheezing sigh, she blinked her many eyes and settled down to wait. Hopefully, the hunt would be successful tonight.
 
She was hungry again.

Editorial Reviews

2023-05-24
A group of intrepid young backpackers stumble into a living nightmare when their trail markers disappear.

Twelve-year-old Tegan’s mother was meant to help supervise his and his friends Marcus and Ning’s backpacking trip. He tries to make the best of things when she has to work and his hapless, disengaged father steps in, but it isn’t long until his dad’s immaturity causes problems. Though athletic Ning and her mom, Yanay, are experienced hikers, they all lose their way in the unforgiving wilderness when the markers along their trail disappear. Strange stonelike objects, moving tree roots, and too many glowing eyes begin to coalesce into a terrifying adversary no one could have imagined, and it looks like the kids may have to save the adults. A strength of the series and this title in particular is the tight focus on plotting while characters also work through complex problems. Tegan learns to speak up about how his father’s haphazard parenting and inattention make him feel, and his father makes clear efforts to discuss and correct his mistakes. McMann strikes a balance between suspenseful storytelling and strong characterization in another quick-moving, action-packed story with plenty of gore and terror. Tegan and Ed are cued White, while Marcus presents Black. Ning is cued as Chinese, while Yanay is described as tan-skinned.

A creepy camping catastrophe that will give even the most stoic readers the shivers. (Fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Terror in Shadow Canyon (Monsterious, Book 3):

"A strength of the series and this title in particular is the tight focus on plotting while characters also work through complex problems . . . McMann strikes a balance between suspenseful storytelling and strong characterization in another quick-moving, action-packed story with plenty of gore and terror . . . A creepy camping catastrophe that will give even the most stoic readers the shivers." —Kirkus Reviews

Praise for The Snatcher of Raven Hollow (Monsterious, Book 2):

“Thoroughly entertaining . . . Striving middle school readers interested in mysteries or creepy horror will be particularly enthralled.” —Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Escape from Grimstone Manor (Monsterious, Book One):

“Deftly explores themes such as courage and the challenges of being vulnerable with friends. There are no dull moments in this rapidly paced tale that’s loaded with action . . . Frighteningly fun.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Adventure with Goosebumps vibes . . . A horror-tinged thriller that’s more rollicking than revolting.” —Publishers Weekly

“Spine-chilling twists and turns and a creepy mystery to unravel. Grab a flashlight—this will have you up reading way too late!”—Max Brallier, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Last Kids on Earth series
 
“A roller coaster of jolts, twists, thrills, and nightmarish creatures creeping out from the shadows. What a wild ride! —Margaret Peterson Haddix, New York Times bestselling author of the Shadow Children sequence
 
“A fast-paced thrill ride of a book, crawling with haunts and horrors at every turn. Enter if you dare! —Marissa Meyer, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lunar Chronicles
 
“Take my advice and read Monsterious. It’s fun and terrifying!” —James Riley, New York Times bestselling author of Story Thieves

“Delicious, creepy, scary fun!” —Adam Gidwitz, Newbery Honor author of A Tale Dark and Grimm

“Scream. Laugh. Repeat.” —James Ponti, New York Times bestselling author of the City Spies series

“Filled with humor, heart, and creeps galore. An absolute delight from beginning to end!” —Alyson Noël, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Immortals series
 
"Irresistibly fun, monstrously clever, and laced with heart. I couldn’t put it down!" —Lindsay Currie, author of Scritch Scratch
 
“Goosebumps with a splash of From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. A perfect blend of horror and humor.” —Lorien Lawrence, author of the Fright Watch series

From the Publisher