As the youngest in the family, Roman had always heard his Grandfather Henry talk about the Toe Beast, but he figured that it was just an old story meant to scare children. When his grandfather passes, Roman spends his summer days cleaning out the old man’s house. There Roman begins to find evidence that the Toe Beast story was but a small part of a much bigger family mystery that will go deeper than Roman ever could have imagined.
3 out of 5 stars for me. You Are Now Old Enough To Hear This sustained narrative momentum through perhaps 3/4 of the story. I appreciated the spooky beginning of the book and also enjoyed the sharp turn towards mystery as Roman uncovered more information about his family. At some point, however, after enough twisty back-and-forths, I became less enamored with it all. Intergenerational timelines and characters multiplied and I begin to feel the author apply a heavy hand to make it all fit together. By the end I found myself not caring about the fate of the different family members – Starmer had done little to introduce them to the reader.
Still, there is a strangeness to this book that will appeal to some readers. Starmer keeps you guessing through most of the story and resists a straightforward narrative. Recommend this to someone looking for a mystery with a little spookiness.
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