Buddy is a teddy bear who wakes up in a garbage dump and becomes immediately self-aware. He knows that he is a teddy bear, and he knows that he used to be in a store. He also knows that something must have gone terribly wrong, otherwise he would not be in a garbage dump right now. Thus his adventure begins: he must find out how to get back to the store so that he can find a child who loves him. Best-selling author Daniel Kraus writes his first middle-school-aged novel They Threw Us Away, with help from illustrator Rovina Cai, to start off the Teddies Saga. 

Having read, reviewed, and interviewed Kraus for his previous works, I knew that he leans towards horror-adjacent and morale-challenging themes. I was prepared for his writing style, but for some reason I thought he would tone it down for his intended audience of ages 10-14 for They Threw Us Away. He proved me wrong within the first few chapters of the book. The story, while adventure-filled, is still creepy and dark – a vibe that lingers long after you’ve finished the last page. Imagine if Buzz, Woody and the gang from Toy Story weren’t so lucky to narrowly escape with their lives throughout their adventures.

Buddy finds other teddies and helps free them out of their boxes. Sunny is a fearless go-getter who never backs down from a challenge(r). Horace is a highly cautious (or even cowardly) teddy who is in survival mode 24/7. And finally, a sweet, mentally-challenged teddy named Sugar has a brain injury evidenced by her severely-dented head and simple/optimistic personality. They also join up with Reginald, a wise and experienced teddy who has been out of his box and living in the dump for a longer period of time than the others. The five of them begin their adventure to find a way out of the dump and back to the Store. 

The Teddies encounter plenty of challenges from the get-go – dumpster-diving gulls, smelly rats, and scary raccoons – and that’s before they even find a way outside of the dump. They also encounter clues along their journey – some helpful, yet others just confusing (although the reader trusts that these mysteries will reveal themselves at some point). Despite the scary and bewildering encounters, Buddy has accepted his role as the brave leader who repeatedly overcomes his fear to protect his companions. 

Once again, Kraus delivers a beautifully-written story with thoughtful characters who must make tough decisions to survive and overcome conflict from their environment and amongst themselves. I didn’t realize that teddy bears could be relatable, but Kraus made it so in They Threw Us Away. Readers will root for the group as they make their way through the scary unknown, in addition to the existential crisis they face. What happened to them? What did they do to deserve it? How can they make it right? 

Readers who are familiar with Kraus’s published works, including Cantina-covered Bent Heavens and The Living Dead, will encounter the same descriptive and disturbing imagery in They Threw Us Away. Illustrator Rovina Cai brings meaningful scenes to life with a style that seems all too fitting for the novel’s eerie theme. If you’ve ever thought that teddy bears could never be creepy, simply pick up this book to see just how creepy they can be. 

Daniel Kraus agreed to come on The Nerd Cantina podcast for a third Cantina Conversation to talk about this novel, what it was like writing for a younger audience and how it compares to his previous experiences. Readers and listeners can check out the interview in an upcoming episode.