📚 Spotlight on Bad Grains by Susanne Schmidt | BBNYA 2024 – 4th Place Winner | Spooky Middle-Grade Folklore Fantasy
🎃 Welcome to my Spotlight!
If eerie folklore, unsettling mysteries, and unforgettable heroines are your jam, you won’t want to miss you won’t want to miss this spine-tingling debut by Susanne Schmidt—a middle-grade dark fantasy that’s earned its spot as a BBNYA 2024 Finalist. This chilling middle-grade fantasy blends the chills of German legend with the heart of a sibling bond—and it's delighting readers everywhere.
📚 Quick Summary
“She haunts the fields, she takes the young, the Grain Devil thrives in brightest sun…”
When Jo’s brother vanishes on Halloween, everyone forgets he ever existed—except her. With only a turnip lantern and her brother’s obnoxious best friend to help, Jo uncovers a terrifying legend about the Grain Devil, a monster lurking beneath the rye fields. Bad Grains is a chilling middle-grade fantasy rooted in German folklore, perfect for spooky season or any time you're in the mood for a chilling tale.
📚Bad Grains Book Info
Bad Grains By Susanne Schmidt
Pages: 135
Eleven-year-old Jo loves Halloween and all things horror, but she doesn't believe anything bad could ever happen in Fels, her small German hometown. When Hektor, her annoying older brother, disappears on his way home from school, Jo assumes he is playing a prank on her. But then both her father and grandma forget Hektor's name, and his stuff mysteriously disappears from his room.
With the adults of no help whatsoever, Jo starts an investigation of her own, uncovering an old legend that has haunted the children of Fels for centuries. A monster lives in the rye fields, and draws children into its world under the roots. With two days until the gate between their worlds closes, and only Hektor's obnoxious best friend to help her, Jo must figure out a way to rescue her brother, or lose him forever.
🛒Purchase Links for Bad Grains
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About Susanne Schmidt
Susanne Schmidt grew up in Germany and fell in love with the English language reading Sabriel and the Earthsea Chronicles. She spent a year in New Zealand during high school and later studied in Spain and the US, eventually earning a B.A. in Journalism from Saint Louis University.
She created her first poems in fourth grade, and has been hooked on writing ever since. Currently, she is working on a epic fantasy vampire trilogy, a short and spooky Middle Grade series centered around Germany and German folklore, and a long, epic, genre-blending story about two immortals fighting each other in a brutal reality show.
When she isn't staring down a blank screen, she is learning how to set up a garden, takes care of two spoiled guinea pigs, and watches too much Netflix with her husband.
📌Don't forget to Pin this to your Spooky Reads board!
🙏 Final Thoughts
I’m thrilled to celebrate Bad Grains as the 4th place winner in BBNYA 2024—a richly atmospheric, emotionally layered tale that’s just as powerful as it is eerie. Susanne Schmidt is one to watch, and Jo’s story will linger long after the last page turns.
Huge thanks to The Write Reads and the amazing BBNYA team for inviting me into the rye fields—no lantern required (thank goodness!). This one gave me chills in the best way, and Susanne Schmidt totally earned that finalist badge. Here’s to spooky stories done right!
💬 More BBNYA 2024 Finalist Reviews
- 16. The Nameless by Stuart White
- 15. Curse of Souls by Niranjan
- 14. My Heart is Hurting by S.E. Reed
- 13. Yellow Tape and Coffee by Pat Luther
- 12. Undine’s Blessing by Tessa Hastjarjanto
- 11. The Half-Life Empire by Shami Stovall
- 10. The Last Lunar Witch by S.F. Henne
- 9. Skylark in the Fog by Helyna L. Clove
- 8. The Magdalenes by Jeanne Skartsiaris
- 7. Glunda The Veg Witch by Keith W. Dickinson
- 6. The Fall Is All There Is by C.M. Caplan
- 5. Madame Eldridge’s Wayward Home for Unruly Boys by Benjamin Ryan
- 4. Bad Grains by Susanne Schmidt
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About BBNYA
BBNYA is an annual competition where book bloggers from around the world read and score books written by indie authors, culminating in 15 finalists (16 in 2024) and one overall winner.
If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.
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