Readers will check in, but they won’t want to leave this doctor’s appointment.
A different kind of hospital, one with all-too-relatable problems, serves mythical creatures.
On any given day at Creature Clinic, green-skinned Dr. Kara Orc might deal with a unicorn with a broken horn, a basilisk with a fang ache, or a griffin with a wing transplant. The hospital for creatures of all stripes is thrown for a loop by the arrival of a brown-skinned, black-haired human, Mitch, who can’t get enough of the place despite the strict no-humans policy from the chief of medicine, Kara’s mom. Mitch’s knack for emotional support therapy allows him to make breakthroughs with patients that aren’t possible through medicine alone. Aung Than’s pacing and empathy for the cast shine through in every scene, such as during two-headed minotaur Nurse Bullcowski’s morning run, a sequence that shows off the setting and interactions among characters when they’re off the clock. Frequent doses of humor help the medicine go down, from sight gags around aiding an incapacitated giant to a subtle background poster of Sisyphus advertising help for exhaustion. Tension between Kara and her demanding mother grounds the story in an engaging, two-sided drama that forms a satisfying thread through the chapters. The supernatural cast members have diverse skin colors, and the lively, appealing art is colored in bright hues.
Readers will check in, but they won’t want to leave this doctor’s appointment. (author’s note, process notes) (Graphic fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9781250847591
Page Count: 224
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
Classic action-packed, monster-fighting fun
It’s been 42 days since the Monster Apocalypse began, and 13-year-old Jack Sullivan, a self-proclaimed “zombie-fighting, monster-slaying tornado of cool” is on a quest to find and rescue his not-so-secret crush, June Del Toro, whether she needs it, wants it, or not.
Jack cobbles together an unlikely but endearing crew, including his scientist best friend, Quint Baker; Dirk Savage, Parker Middle School’s biggest bully; and a pet monster named Rover, to help him save the damsel in distress and complete the “ULTIMATE Feat of Apocalyptic Success.” Middle-grade readers, particularly boys, will find Jack’s pitch-perfect mix of humor, bravado, and self-professed geekiness impossible to resist. His sidekicks are equally entertaining, and it doesn’t hurt that there are also plenty of oozing, drooling, sharp-toothed monsters and zombies and a host of gizmos and gadgets to hook readers and keep them cheering with every turn of the page. Holgate’s illustrations play an integral role in the novel’s success. They not only bring Brallier’s characters to life, but also add depth and detail to the story, making plain just exactly how big Rover is and giving the lie to Jack’s “killer driving.” The marriage of text and illustration serves as a perfect example of what an illustrated novel can and should be.
Classic action-packed, monster-fighting fun (. (Graphic/horror hybrid. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-670-01661-7
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: July 21, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Supernatural mystery meets generational drama with hopeful endings for all.
Eleven-year-old Frank must solve a supernatural mystery to save his new home.
As fifth grade comes to an end, Frank Fernández is looking forward to finally staying put in Alabama for a second year, as promised, after a childhood spent following his parents’ home renovation work all across the country. Frequent relocation has made Frank wary of forming friendships or making plans, but his hopes for more stability are temporarily dashed when his parents announce plans to renovate a lighthouse in the Florida Keys, near where his mother grew up and his father’s home country of Cuba. Papi promises this will be their last move, though: The lighthouse will be theirs. But from their first day on Spectacle Key, things seem to go wrong: Tensions rise between his parents, and Frank’s hopes of a forever home are under threat from seemingly supernatural forces. In order to put down roots, Frank and new ghostly friend Connie, a White girl with freckles, must discover what secrets the island is hiding, uncovering Frank’s own family roots along the way. Frank is a fan of horror—he names his new Great Dane puppy Mary Shelley. But though there is some mild peril to be found, rather than a ghostly thriller, this is an appealing, lightly spooky family drama with valuable lessons for those who would hide from a difficult past instead of confronting and healing generational trauma.
Supernatural mystery meets generational drama with hopeful endings for all. (Supernatural. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06-313481-2
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 12, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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