A satisfying video game sequel for fans of this action-hero series.
Purbaugh (Combat Boy and the Monster Token, 2014) returns to the saga of Tom Hock and his adventures with the Monster Realm in this middle-grade novel.
Mere hours after becoming the Multidimensional Game Master and saving his soul (and his brother’s) from getting trapped in the Monster Realm, Tom, aka Combat Boy, just wants to relax. Unfortunately, his brother Joey is still addicted to the nectar of flowers from the Monster Realm, and it’s making him do crazy things. After paralyzing Tom with a poison dart from a fortuneteller spider, Joey assembles the Monster Tokens and restarts the Monster Realm game. The game spills over into their native San Diego, causing the streets of the city to fill with terrifying flying demons and vanilla-scented knockout fog. Once Tom regains muscle control, he quickly suits up as Combat Boy and heads out after his corrupt brother. He must gather the same players that he recently competed against in hopes that, by working together, they can beat the game and stop the Lord of the Monster Realm. Combat Boy has already defeated the game once, but this time the level is San Diego, and the boss is Tom’s own brother, and if he loses, all the places and people he knows will be sucked into the Monster Realm forever. The only question, as phrased by the game’s coordinating troll, is: “Combat Boy. Are you ready to get your game on?” Punchy and propulsive, Purbaugh’s prose sucks the reader through the plot of this sequel, which, as in the case of the first Combat Boy story, is structured to resemble a video game. Little time is given for setup or exposition, and when it’s offered, it’s usually while characters are already running straight into the action. As with most video-game sequels, this volume is a variation of the old formula as opposed to something completely new, but fans of the first book should be pleased by the continuity of story, characters, style, and tone. Breakneck pacing means the end comes quickly for Tom and company, but a cliffhanger indicates another volume in the series is in the works.
A satisfying video game sequel for fans of this action-hero series.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 978-1-5302-1210-1
Page Count: -
Publisher: Dog Ear Publisher
Review Posted Online: Sept. 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
A pleasing premise for book lovers.
A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.
When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)
A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780316448222
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
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