ITCHIWAN

A supernatural novel—set in Massachusetts—focuses on a cruel band of mythical warriors.

Pukwudgees, “small Indians of ancient legend,” may be about the height of a child, yet they are far from harmless. After some Pukwudgees venture through a magical hole in the ground, they wind up in the year 1992. The place is New Seabury, a coastal community on Cape Cod. It is a town for summer getaways for some and full time living for others. But with Pukwudgees on the loose with weapons, it is a horrible place to be. Anyone in their path is wounded. Negotiation is not an option. Never mind what these monsters will do once a person has been felled. Back in 1968, a group of boys from different backgrounds discovered the hole as a “doorway through time.” Their curiosity allowed them to visit with a supposed witch from the 1700s named Sarah Screecham. This event also unleashed the Pukwudgees on the unsuspecting people of the future. Can the boys go back in time and prevent this catastrophe from occurring? They’ll have a lot of work to do before August 1992. Cunis’ bloody, bizarre story is at its best (and most brutal) when it concentrates on the Pukwudgees. These evil creatures follow a kill-now, ask-questions-later policy. Yet they still have a humorous bent. As warriors, they are forever on the warpath. They see the vehicles of 1992 as beasts with “crystal eyes.” The fact that these beings are not very big in stature adds to the dark comedy. Somewhat less enthralling are the time-traveling boys. Readers will learn much about their backstories, though the details are not particularly imaginative. For instance, Timmy O’Rielly is from Boston and his brother has connections to the mob. The gangsters say bland things like “Pay back’s a bitch.” This type of information pales in comparison to the thrills and chills of mythical marauders terrorizing everyone in their path.

A violent and funny, if uneven, adventure that leaves no one safe.