The Werewolf of Fever Swamp

The Werewolf of Fever Swamp is the fourteenth book in the original Goosebumps book series. It was first published in 1993.

The cover illustration features a wolf howling at night in a green fogging swamp while next to a torn shirt and a cap.

Blurb
What Big Teeth You Have!

There's something horrible happening in Fever Swamp. Something really horrible. It started with the strange howling at night. Then there was the rabbit, torn to shreds. Everyone thinks Grady's new dog is responsible. After all, he looks just like a wolf. And he seems a little on the wild side. But Grady knows his dog is just a regular old dog. And most dogs don't howl at the moon. Or disappear at midnight. Or change into terrifying creatures when the moon is full. Or do they?

Plot
Grady Tucker and his sister, Emily, were forced to move to Fever Swamp in Florida because of their father. Their father is a scientist who is attempting to study the effects of a Floridian swamp's environment on a group of deer, which he will be keeping in a pen outside of his family's new house. The siblings decide to explore the swamp, but they become lost. They find a shack, and they choose to see if there's anyone inside who can help them, but the kids are chased away by a crazy looking hermit who lives inside. The kids run home, and their father tells them that the old hermit was harmless. That night, while Grady is hanging out by the house, he is befriended by a local boy named Will Blake. As Grady learns from Will, the only other local kid close to their age is a strange girl, but Will doesn't elaborate on this. Will also tells Grady about how the swamp was named. According to him, many years ago, the residents of the swamp all came down with a terrible fever. The fever caused madness or death in everyone who had it.

Eventually, the boys part, and Grady goes back inside. At night, as Grady tries to sleep, he hears howling coming from somewhere outdoors. The following morning, he decides to go outside. A dog jumps out at him, but it appears to be friendly. Grady's father allows him to keep the dog, and Grady names it Wolf because it looks like it might be part wolf. The Tuckers decide that Wolf was probably the one causing the noises they heard last night. Later, Grady and Will explore the swamp, and Wolf follows. The kids find a dead heron, which they are puzzled by. Grady goes home. That night, Grady and his family is awoken by a crash from within the house. It turns out that Wolf was running about and bumping into things. The family doesn't really have any other choice aside from letting the dog outside, which they do.

The next day comes, and Grady goes outside. Wolf returns, but Grady is unhappy to also find a dead rabbit by their house. Grady defends Wolf, not believing that he was the culprit. Later in the day, Grady soon meets the a strange local named Cassie O'Rourke. Cassie tells Grady about the werewolf of Fever Swamp, explaining that the swamp hermit is a werewolf. Then, the children are approached by the hermit. Wolf growls at the man. The hermit's shirt is covered in blood, he's carrying a dead turkey, and he cries out, claiming to be the werewolf. The kids try to run away, but the man catches up to them. The hermit admits that he had been hunting and had wanted to play a joke on the kids. Before separating, the old man warns Grady about trusting Wolf.

That night, Grady hears something loud happening outside. As is discovered later, one of Dr. Tucker's deer was killed in its pen by an unknown creature. Dr. Tucker believes that Wolf is the problem, and thinks he should be dealt with. When Dr. Tucker reveals his plans of taking Wolf to the pound, Grady sets the dog free into the woods. Grady doesn't see Wolf again until that night, when he sees the dog roaming nearby the house, so he goes to investigate. Grady quietly sneaks outside. In the swamp, he discovers that Will is also sneaking about. Will says that was investigating some howling that he heard. Grady tries to stick with Will, but he loses track of the boy. Suddenly, a werewolf jumps out at Grady. As the creature attacks, Grady recognizes the distorted, monstrous face. He can tell that the werewolf is Will. The monster bites Grady, but Wolf appears and attacks Will, scaring him off. Grady falls unconscious.

When Grady regains consciousness, he's back home. As he learns, the swamp hermit carried him back to safety. Grady tells his father about what happened in the swamp, so Dr. Tucker decides to check up on Will. When he goes to the house where Will is supposed to live, he finds the house unoccupied.

A month passes, and Grady is staring up at a full moon. When Will bit him, Grady became a werewolf. Now, whenever there is a full moon, Grady goes hunting in the swamp. The book ends with Grady running side-by-side with Wolf into the swamp.

Differences

 * In France, this is the thirteenth book in the series.
 * In Portugal, this is the sixth book in the original Goosebumps series.

TV series
The Werewolf of Fever Swamp was adapted into a two-part episode of the Goosebumps TV series. It is the eighteenth (part one) and nineteenth (part two) episode of season one.

Goosebumps Graphix
The Werewolf of Fever Swamp was adapted into a Goosebumps Graphix story in September 2006 by Gabriel Hernandez, as the first story in Creepy Creatures.

Trivia

 * Night in Werewolf Woods references this book in the form of a question for the reader. However, unlike other Give Yourself Goosebumps books, the question only exists for the reader, and not for his/her character.
 * Grady and Emily's father was mentioned by name in the book: Michael F. Tucker.
 * The front and back taglines are both references to famous fairy tales.
 * The front tagline is a reference to Little Red Riding Hood.
 * The back tagline is a reference to The Three Little Pigs.

References in other Goosebumps media

 * Will Blake (in his werewolf form) appears an antagonist in the Goosebumps film. The title of the book is mentioned by R.L. Stine when referring to Will Blake. The original cover art is also featured in the end credits animation.