I read this book when I was younger and it stuck with me for years, this image of a boy eating everything on the table and dashing into the night at the whim of some higher power, calling to him. As other children slowly leave their comfortable homes and find their way to him, you are given a glimpse of the sound of roaring, a distant beast coming to claim our world. McNish builds suspense slowly and carefully, setting the stage for what is sure to be a furious battle to come.