A Massachusetts sixth grader reckons with malevolent forces when trouble returns to her hometown in the follow-up to The Peculiar Haunting of Thelma Bee (2016).
Science-minded Thelma previously learned that she was a Disiri, a descendant of a magical matrilineal lineage. Her own fire-starting power is connected to the heat of her emotions. Thelma and her friends from the Riverfish Valley Paranormal Society are investigating strange happenings around town, beginning with Mrs. Moses, who has detected a shadowy humanlike figure smelling like goats and stealing gasoline from her farm. Later, eighth grader Aimee Cho is accused by her brother, Bobby, of being a member of a coven disguised as the school’s a cappella group, Toil and Treble. Bobby crashes the next RVPS meeting, asking to join them and bearing evidence of witchcraft. That’s when twins Myst and Malfus, hosts of the provocative paranormal show Ghost Slayerz, roll into town. Skeptical about their abilities, Thelma keeps a close eye on their investigations in Riverfish. Meanwhile, Jenny Sullivan, the newest member of Toil and Treble, goes missing—and Thelma thinks that Aimee has a secret. This sequel is accessible to readers new to the series. Filled with many chilling and suspenseful moments, the text is also witty and humorous and addresses relationship issues, such as Thelma’s growth in navigating her feelings and her distress over her mother’s Disiri business travel. Main characters default to White; the Cho siblings’ surname cues them as East Asian American.
Fun supernatural thrills. (map) (Paranormal mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-952667-67-1
Page Count: 268
Publisher: Snowy Wings Publishing
Review Posted Online: June 7, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2022
Did you like this book?
BOOK REVIEW
Classic action-packed, monster-fighting fun
11
GET IT
It’s been 42 days since the Monster Apocalypse began, and 13-year-old Jack Sullivan, a self-proclaimed “zombie-fighting, monster-slaying tornado of cool” is on a quest to find and rescue his not-so-secret crush, June Del Toro, whether she needs it, wants it, or not.
Jack cobbles together an unlikely but endearing crew, including his scientist best friend, Quint Baker; Dirk Savage, Parker Middle School’s biggest bully; and a pet monster named Rover, to help him save the damsel in distress and complete the “ULTIMATE Feat of Apocalyptic Success.” Middle-grade readers, particularly boys, will find Jack’s pitch-perfect mix of humor, bravado, and self-professed geekiness impossible to resist. His sidekicks are equally entertaining, and it doesn’t hurt that there are also plenty of oozing, drooling, sharp-toothed monsters and zombies and a host of gizmos and gadgets to hook readers and keep them cheering with every turn of the page. Holgate’s illustrations play an integral role in the novel’s success. They not only bring Brallier’s characters to life, but also add depth and detail to the story, making plain just exactly how big Rover is and giving the lie to Jack’s “killer driving.” The marriage of text and illustration serves as a perfect example of what an illustrated novel can and should be.
Classic action-packed, monster-fighting fun (. (Graphic/horror hybrid. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-670-01661-7
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: July 21, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2015
Did you like this book?
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An animal ghost seeks closure after enduring aquatic atrocities.
In this sequel to The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter (2020), sixth grader Rex is determined to once again use his ability to communicate with dead animals for the greater good. A ghost narwhal’s visit gives Rex his next opportunity in the form of the clue “bad water.” Rex enlists Darvish—his Pakistani American human best friend—and Drumstick—his “faithful (dead) chicken”—to help crack the case. But the mystery is only one of Rex’s many roadblocks. For starters, Sami Mulpepper hugged him at a dance, and now she’s his “accidental girlfriend.” Even worse, Darvish develops one of what Rex calls “Game Preoccupation Disorders” over role-playing game Monsters & Mayhem that may well threaten the pair’s friendship. Will Rex become “a Sherlock without a Watson,” or can the two make amends in time to solve the mystery? This second outing effectively carries the “ghost-mist” torch from its predecessor without feeling too much like a formulaic carbon copy. Spouting terms like plausible deniability and in flagrante delicto, Rex makes for a hilariously bombastic (if unlikable) first-person narrator. The over-the-top style is contagious, and black-and-white illustrations throughout add cartoony punchlines to various scenes. Unfortunately, scenes in which humor comes at the expense of those with less status are downright cringeworthy, as when Rex, who reads as White, riffs on the impossibility of his ever pronouncing Darvish’s surname or he plays dumb by staring into space and drooling.
Funny delivery, but some jokes really miss the mark. (Paranormal mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5523-5
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2021
Did you like this book?
© Copyright 2023 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
