A weak plot, underdeveloped characters, and the hint of a next book sum up this not-so-deep series opener.
Four pop-culture–steeped middle schoolers discover a portal to…something off the Washington coast.
When Nico falls over a cliff into Still Cove, he surfaces in a cave that leads to an ancient houseboat. After his friends Tyler, Emma, and Opal come to rescue him, they investigate the elaborately furnished, abandoned boat and discover a spiral staircase down to a shadowy, whirling water portal the kids call the Darkdeep. When Emma experimentally touches the water, she is swallowed up, only to be regurgitated minutes later. This strange process releases familiar apparitions, or figments, seemingly plucked from their childhood memories, that all four kids can see. The foursome can’t seem to stop jumping through the Darkdeep to see what apparitions they can conjure up, including Smurfs, Godzilla, Minions, an extraterrestrial Visitor, and various other imaginary creatures. Inevitably, these beings take on more solid form, become violent, and, for an unknown reason, leave Still Cove and head for town. These shenanigans play out against a backdrop of the town’s economic distress after timber-industry layoffs; subplots include Opal’s needy desire for male attention, the enduring enmity of the school bully, and the upcoming radish festival. Too many storylines dilute any sense of intrigue. Characters are identified by salient features—Tyler’s dark skin, Opal’s long, black hair, Emma’s blue eyes—a device that does not disrupt the white default.
A weak plot, underdeveloped characters, and the hint of a next book sum up this not-so-deep series opener. (Paranormal suspense. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0046-5
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: June 10, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
While there are both better monster and better tech books out there, the fast pace and action focus will appeal to...
Monsters from a “Pokémon Go”–type game escape into the real world.
Bex, 12, is spending the summer before middle school catching virtual hybrid monsters in her favorite augmented-reality game/cellphone app, “Monsters Unleashed,” with nerdy best friend Charlie. But after they encounter a strange machine in Charlie’s grandfather’s attic, Bex’s Monster Lab is emptied. They realize it’s more than a glitch when one of the monsters attacks them on their way home. Only “Monsters Unleashed” players can see the escaped monsters (though the creatures interact with and affect the real world), and Bex and Charlie figure out that the phone game can be used to recapture the 10 missing monsters. The plot—can the monsters be trapped back in the game before they hurt anyone?—isn’t big on surprises, but it is big on action, and the chimera monsters are inventive. Stock side characters include the former best friend–turned–mean girl (and secret gamer) and the bully older brother; their subplots are as subtle as their characterizations. Although Bex and Charlie are white, their Massachusetts town is populated by characters with names that indicate diversity. Post-resolution, the company behind “Monsters Unleashed” releases a new game, which will inevitably cause trouble in the sequel, as will the distance starting the school year seems to place between Bex and Charlie.
While there are both better monster and better tech books out there, the fast pace and action focus will appeal to game-addicted readers. (Science fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4549-2612-2
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017
A fun heist is a reward for expository worldbuilding.
Following Children of the Fox (2021), Callan’s band of thieves plans a heist to save one of their own.
Lachlan—small even for his 10 years—is mortally wounded. Cal’s only hope is that the Dragon’s Eye (a powerful, less-than-trustworthy magical artifact that bonded with him) will lead them to Lachlan’s salvation. The Eye delivers, but their relief is short-lived, as the primeval magic that saved him leaves a stain on Lachlan’s soul—and will eventually consume him completely. Cal still owes the Eye his assistance in return for its previous help, and it guides them to a storyteller who gives him hope for Lachlan as they learn of long-lost relics, a pair of magical swords—one possessing the power to heal. In subsequent action, the band of thieves navigates through their world’s lost history and mythology on a quest that will take them diving to reach a shipwreck and ends with a major heist. The climax even delights in genre conventions, cutting from the action to flashbacks of the planning and scheming. The text offers frequent reminders of the characters’ wants and the plot’s stakes; the slowdown from the repetitive recapping will frustrate some readers but be helpful for those who need to read the lengthy book in shorter chunks. Overarching mysteries about side characters are added to, and the ending preps for the next installment. Characters default to White.
A fun heist is a reward for expository worldbuilding. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-32754-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2022
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