THREE AND A HALF STARS

In Hunter’s middle-gradehorror-mystery novel, young amateur sleuths investigate the link between a slew of child abductions and a restaurant that serves terrible food.

Amberand her cousin and best friend, Mira, have returned from vacation to find their town of Fairfieldmuch changed. There are posters with missing children everywhere—many of attended the girls’ school. After Mira’s mother cautions them to remain hypervigilant, the girls visit a new pizza joint in town called Hot and Slicey; the visit serves multiple purposes, as Amber wants to be a chef when she grows up and Mira aspires to be a food critic. However, they immediately sense that something’s off about the place: It’s sweltering hot, the lighting is too dim, the waiter seems twitchy, and the pizza that Mira orders is almost inedible. Later, Mira posts a scathing review online, and shortly afterward, she’s abducted from her home. Amber vows to find her, and her search leads her back to the weird restaurant and its connection to a corporation that’s rumored to be turning humans into zombies with contaminated food. As Amber investigates, Mira tries to escape her subterranean prison. Overall, Hunter’s narrative is briskly paced, action packed, and filled with fun scares. However, it isn’t without its flaws. For example, there’s a conspicuous lack of description, particularly regarding the main characters; readers don’t even know their ages, which has the effect of making them seem a bit cardboard. Also, the author hints at a science-fictional element with a mention of “extraterrestrial sauce,” but this potentially entertaining idea is never fully explored or explained.

Parents who grew up reading Goosebumps novels may enjoy reading this fun, if uneven, tale of food gone bad to their kids.