Another winner.
Spreadsheet-wielding spectral protector Midnight Reynolds is back in the sophomore installment of this paranormal-mystery series.
Since her last ghostly escapade (Midnight Reynolds and the Spectral Transformer, 2017), Midnight has joined the Agency of Spectral Protection, the secret organization that oversees those whose job it is to guide spectral energy into the Afterglow (in other words, to help souls of the dead go into the proverbial light). When a priceless chunk of gold goes missing from the local history museum, it’s obvious to Midnight that spectral energy is involved. Other thefts soon follow. Who has the motive, means, and opportunity to harness the power of spectral energy to steal valuable items? Midnight enlists her best friend and ASP colleague, Tabitha, who can’t see spectral energy but is valued for her stellar research skills, to help. Midnight’s crush, Sherlock Holmes fanboy Logan, is conducting his own investigation, but because of ASP’s No. 1 rule, Midnight can’t collaborate with civilians. Holt keeps 12-year-old Midnight believable—she doesn’t want Logan to know she is “different”—even as she spins an outsized adventure around her. Secondary plots include preparations for Midnight’s mother’s Viking-themed wedding and watching the new girl, Hawaiian transplant Malie, struggle to fit in with the popular girls, an endeavor Midnight recalls all too well. Midnight and Tabitha are white, while Malie has dark skin and Logan has an “olive” complexion.
Another winner. (Supernatural mystery. 9-13)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-8075-5128-8
Page Count: 264
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: May 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
A heartily satisfying string of entertaining near-catastrophes, replete with narrow squeaks and spectral howls.
Three young ghost trappers take on deadly wraiths and solve an old murder case in the bargain to kick off Stroud’s new post-Bartimaeus series.
Narrator Lucy Carlyle hopes to put her unusual sensitivity to supernatural sounds to good use by joining Lockwood & Co.—one of several firms that have risen to cope with the serious ghost Problem that has afflicted England in recent years. As its third member, she teams with glib, ambitious Anthony Lockwood and slovenly-but-capable scholar George Cubbins to entrap malign spirits for hire. The work is fraught with peril, not only because a ghost’s merest touch is generally fatal, but also, as it turns out, as none of the three is particularly good at careful planning and preparation. All are, however, resourceful and quick on their feet, which stands them in good stead when they inadvertently set fire to a house while discovering a murder victim’s desiccated corpse. It comes in handy again when they later rashly agree to clear Combe Carey Hall, renowned for centuries of sudden deaths and regarded as one of England’s most haunted manors. Despite being well-stocked with scream-worthy ghastlies, this lively opener makes a light alternative for readers who find the likes of Joseph Delaney’s Last Apprentice series too grim and creepy for comfort.
A heartily satisfying string of entertaining near-catastrophes, replete with narrow squeaks and spectral howls. (Ghost adventure. 11-13)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4231-6491-3
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 28, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
More escapades are promised in this improbable but satisfying series starter
A smart kid foils big-time thieves in the nation’s capital—and joins the FBI.
Using a method he invented called the Theory of All Small Things, white seventh-grader Florian Bates solves mysteries by piecing together seemingly trivial clues in this engaging, humorous, but not always logical caper. When Florian easily helps the FBI recover three masterpieces stolen from the National Gallery of Art, the dazzled feds supply him with an alias and train him at Quantico. Collaborating with his African-American best friend, superbright, athletic Margaret, Florian finds that even with TOAST, sleuthing gets dangerous when the pair, working undercover, come up against a European crime syndicate—and another spectacular art heist in the form of a forgery substituted for an iconic Monet. Exciting adventures ensue, and clues accumulate until the culprit is revealed and the genuine painting located. Missteps intrude, though: a few lapses in logic may leave readers puzzled; some clues seem contrived; and a subplot involving Florian’s discovery of the startling identity of adopted Margaret’s biological father falls flat. The solution is also a letdown: the thief is a minor figure, and the means by which the painting was stolen and the forgery set in its place aren’t explained. The real draws here are the two resourceful leads’ solid, realistic friendship, bolstered by snappy dialogue, brisk pacing, and well-crafted ancillary characters—not to mention behind-the-scenes glimpses of the FBI.
More escapades are promised in this improbable but satisfying series starter . (Mystery. 9-12)Pub Date: Aug. 23, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-3630-4
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
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