If you're about to skip this book because it's meant for kids - don't. Its stories are quite simple, granted, but one could hardly call them naive and evade being laughed at.

At the same time, I wouldn't call any of them in any way scary - except, maybe, the one about the monkey and the one about the settlers' journey, but 'sligtly unnerving' and 'not quite predictable' would be the better terms.

But it's worth reading for the simple fact that Chris Priestley is an amazing storyteller in all the ways that matter. Twelve times in a row he manages to quickly and smoothly draw you in, to intrigue, to create a certain mood, to entertain, to surprise (even when you're expecting to be surprised) and all that without once seeming shallow and without imposing some cheap boring moral on you. I've read it a while ago, but I'm still applauding inside. Or is it the heartbeat?

Also, I liked the lazily photoshopped version of the cover better :P