Soul Feeder - Jennifer Killick - ★★.¾

AUTHOR: Jennifer Killick

GENRE: Middle-grade Horror

PUBLICATION DATE: June 4, 2026

RATING: 2.75 stars.

In a Nutshell: An illustrated middle-grade horror novel about two boys facing a nightmarish reality. Interesting story and illustrations, but needs work on the execution. I adore the cover art, and like the inside illustrations. The concept had great potential, but certain writing choices didn’t work well for me. It might go decently for the target age group.

Plot Preview:

Caiden’s dad runs a house-clearing business, and during the vacations, Caiden and his best friend Sam often help him out. Their latest assignment seems like a challenge for all the wrong reasons. The house is filled with bizarre wall displays, deadly weapons, and a strange vibe. It is clear that something went drastically wrong for its owner, though there is no visible evidence of any struggle.

When the boys are alone in the family business warehouse that night planning to sort through some of the things from the creepy house, they realise that they might have brought something unexpected in the van.

The story is written in Caiden’s first-person POV.

I am not an avid reader of horror novels, but middle-grade horror is more up to my levels of “chickenry”. 😁 When I saw that amazing cover art, I couldn’t resist this book. Sadly, while there are glimpses of that scary situation, a good chunk of the book doesn’t live up to the spooky promise, though it does contain plenty of atmosphere.

Bookish Yays:

👻 The idea of using a house-clearing business as the central catalyst. Clearing houses is never easy, and given how old a few houses and its residents are, the presence of supernatural entities is a tantalising possibility and the story capitalises on this excellently.

👻 The eerie nature of the house, established right from the first scene. This, combined with the gigantic warehouse, ensures that two really creepy locations are employed to enhance the fear factor. Great atmosphere as a result.

👻 The description of the passing of the late owner of the house. So chilling! I hope it doesn’t disturb kids too much!

👻 The bond between Caiden and Sam. Not just well-written but also well-used in the story.

👻 The fact that Caiden considers calling an adult for help instead of handling the trouble alone.

👻 The “soul feeder”. The perfect spooky entity for a horror story. I wish there had been more of it in the story. (Pro tip: Look up the meaning of its Japanese name when you are done with the book. It adds more depth to its personality.)

Bookish Okays:

🏠 The age of the two boys is never clarified. I like to know how old the characters are in children’s fiction so I can understand (a.k.a. judge) their behaviour accordingly.

🏠 The inside illustrations. There are several B&W illustrations that support the story well. In many places, the graphics help us visualise the unimaginable stuff described in the text. However, I didn’t like the characters’ expressions much. In many illustrations, they somehow appeared less emotionally involved than the situation warranted. (Well, considering that the boys didn’t even think of running out of the warehouse in the face of paranormal doom but stayed inside trying to make a plan, perhaps they were just weirdly ignorant of the actual scope of the danger. I would have run out screaming the minute I suspected some supernatural being was in the same location as I! 😬)

Bookish Nays:

☠ The title and the cover, though outstanding and really creative hooks, turn out to be major spoilers. The eponymous “soul feeder” isn't introduced till page 64 (in a book of 104 pages!) Until then, the identity of the entity is kept vague. But thanks to the title and cover, we already know who is coming and what he/it looks like and what he/it does. Long sigh…

☠ Usually, I am a fan of this publisher’s books for their Hi-Lo approach: age-appropriate plots in a simplified language to increase accessibility for reluctant readers. This time too, the Hi-Lo policy is maintained, but some of the content felt inappropriate to me. I am never a fan of the “Me and Sam” construction as the subject of the sentence; it teaches kids incorrect English. Then there are slang words such as “cos” for “because”, and worse, there are three instances of “bad-ass”. (All this might be how real-life teens speak but I don’t like such language used in books.) There is also one reference to Covid, which either kids will not understand or will make them recollect bad memories from the pandemic years.

☠ Based on the intense cover, I expected a more adventurous horror story. But most of the book is just about spooky vibes. Even when the finale comes, the actual action is over almost as soon as it begins. This feels a little anticlimactic.

☠ Some critical info (related to the capture & erasure & release of certain stuff) isn't clarified at all.

☠ The ending is slightly abrupt and insipid. I know these Hi-Lo novels are always capped at 104 pages, so perhaps some of the initial build-up could have been reduced to have some more detailing in the crucial scenes.

Overall, while there are some creepy sequences in the book, it is more of an atmospheric horror than an action-filled horror. Usually, I don’t mind atmospheric horror; in fact, I like it better than paranormal horror. But given the cover art, I expected some more confrontation and high-tension situations, which are very limited in the book.

This story is obviously not for all kids as there are some disturbing details. But for youngsters who enjoy horror stories, the book might satisfy their need for scares.

The cover mentions the phrase “Demon Hunters”, so I don’t know if this is planned as a series. (I saw this reference only after writing my entire review. And here I was being extra-careful not to use the word “demon” in my write-up as it’s a spoiler! 🤦🏻‍♀️) But just in case there are more books to come, I hope they will not have major spoilers in the title and will offer some more action than atmosphere alone.

Recommended to middle-graders who enjoy atmospheric horror.

My thanks to Barrington Stoke for providing the DRC of “Soul Feeder” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.