Facing the Beast Within
Mark Cheverton
Gameknight Publishing
$9.99 Print/$3.99 ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Facing-Beast-Within-Anxiety-Cameron-ebook/dp/B0BY3BLBR5
Middle-grade fantasy readers who select Facing the Beast Within: The Anxiety of Cameron Poole will find this first book in the Order of the Stones series a compelling adventure filled with monsters, bullies, and a summer to remember.
Cameron Poole has enough problems between his anxiety and somehow being a draw for bullying, but when he discovers that mythical monsters are invading his camp, forcing him to try to stop them, even more trouble emerges. Cameron and a ragged band of resisters find themselves resisting Malphas, a demon who is bringing his monster army to the camp to open an invasion route, despite the fact that Cameron has his own inner monsters to battle.
Mark Cheverton builds a fascinating story that rests on fantasy monsters as well as struggles with inner anxieties. He flavors the gripping external fantasy scenario with insights into internal nightmares in a story of magical realism which contains many recognizable emotional ties that young readers can relate to from the start:
“Fear nibbled with sharp teeth on the edges of my soul as I scanned Camp Pontchartrain’s dining room hall, looking for the bully who would surely notice me.”
The lessons Cameron receives on taking control of fear, refusing to yield, and employing strengths that come from knowledge, certainty, and conviction are compelling. These come from a high school physics and math teacher/author who consulted with a large team of psychologists, social workers, and licensed mental health counselors to learn about anxiety and how it is treated. This expertise, combined with his son’s own struggles, tailor the experiences and insights that make Facing the Beast Within an exceptional read.
Middle graders and libraries catering to them who choose Facing the Beast Within for its magical realism and fantasy adventure premise will thus find plenty of fodder for group and book club discussion about the roots of anxiety and how it can be addressed, making Facing the Beast Within a top recommendation both for its entertainment value and for its educational prowess.