BEACH PARTY SURF MONKEY

P.T. Wilkie’s adventures at the Wonderland Hotel continue following series opener Home Sweet Hotel (2016).

P.T. and his Latina best pal, Gloria Ortega, are still riding high on the fame and fortune earned by their entanglement with the Sneemer brothers. P.T.’s mom and grandfather are financially sound for now, but it isn’t long before the fancy hotel next door offers to buy the Wonderland in order to expand. The offer’s a good one, and while his mom mulls it over, P.T. takes it upon himself to lure pop star Aidan Tyler and Academy Award–winning teen actress Cassie McGinty (both white) to shoot their surf movie Beach Party Surf Monkey at the Wonderland. Complications arise, high jinks ensue, and laughs abound. While this adventure is a bit less chaotic than the first, it remains just as enjoyable and interesting. It’s compulsively readable, pulling readers in with smart characters, well-positioned dynamics, and a relentless pace. While the prior volume felt a bit episodic at times, this entry has a clear structure that builds and falls in all the right places. Plus, there’s a monkey. The secondary characters are fleshed out well this time around, and the bothersome teacher Mr. Frumpkes makes a minimal appearance.

A worthy sequel that improves upon the original and keeps the good times rolling.