Step to It
Michael Andrade
Independently Published (2026)
ISBN: 979-8196530401
Reviewed by Lizzy Brannan for Reader Views (09/2026)
Growing up in the 80s and 90s, we thrived on the thrills of Stephen King while living in the world of Star Trek. Mix those two, and you have the universe of Michael Andrade.
Three boys spend their 80s summer exploring their California suburb with adventure and curiosity. There’s a mysterious man living across the street who watches the boys’ every move. And they can’t shake the feeling that something is amiss. When one of them goes missing, their summer of innocence turns dismal, haunted by a dark presence. This mysterious summer resurfaces hundreds of years later when a man is haunted by his mysterious past while on a crucial space journey. Unable to determine reality from nightmare, he will fight to find two identities – his and the one who haunts him.
Step to It completely captured me from the start with these three boys and their adventurous summer. Michael Andrade shines in his ability to create original worlds with his polished prose. His style of writing is witty, gripping, and immersive. In the first part of the book, the innocent suburban neighborhood vibe shifts in atmosphere to an eerie, ethereal wasteland when one of the characters dies. His fight/battle scenes are immersive and wonderfully descriptive, causing me to completely lose track of time.
There is no doubt about it. Andrade is a creative at heart. His characters and concepts are movie-worthy, and this book could realistically be a series. In fact, I found myself wanting so much more of these characters and their stories. Some of them felt rushed, with unclear motives and briefly mentioned backstories. The book is divided into four parts. And though some of the characters have full arcs, each part feels like a long TikTok video. There are a few characters with brief drops in the storyline that start with development and are never heard from again. I had so many questions in the end. It is a very fast-paced book, which is nice, but it felt like I was driving by the events instead of living in them. I truly feel each of these parts could easily be four different books.
Overall, I believe Step to It is a great story; it just feels a shade underdeveloped at this point. Michael Andrade is a skilled writer and creative whose work deserves attention.
At a Glance: A genre-blending science fiction horror novel connects three boys’ unsettling 1980s summer with a space mission centuries later. Childhood mystery, supernatural menace, fractured identity, and nightmarish uncertainty collide in a fast-paced story spanning vastly different eras.
Best for Readers Who Enjoy: science fiction horror, 1980s nostalgia, coming-of-age suspense, suburban horror, space adventure, psychological mystery, supernatural threats, identity mysteries, fast-paced speculative fiction