The lack of tied-up ends suggests a possible sequel; here's hoping it moves beyond concept into actual story.
A case of the Wednesdays could mean the end of life as Max knows it.
“Halfway up the steep slope of Mount Tibidabo was a very small village where very strange things happened…but only on Wednesdays.” Everyone in the village hides with curtains drawn and shutters closed on Wednesdays because that’s the day when appliances go on the fritz and bike tires mysteriously pop. Max is tired of hiding. On his birthday (a Wednesday), he peeks out, watches tourists run afoul of the “Wednesdays,” and accidentally lets the Wednesdays in. In a fit of pique, his mother sends him out where he meets Ninety-eight, an actual Wednesday. Like all of them, Ninety-eight is egg-shaped with a square head and long arms, and he can make things break from a distance. Shortly thereafter, Max finds he has a Wednesdaylike effect on his surroundings. His fear that he’s turning into one of them is confirmed by sinister Two. Can Max, his best friend Noah, his parapsychologist and the cute editor of the school paper keep Max human? Bourbeau’s debut never achieves humor or fright. There’s not much original beyond the basic, inventive premise of the novel, which never gets a proper fleshing-out. The pacing is languid, the characters dull and the finale a fizzle.
The lack of tied-up ends suggests a possible sequel; here's hoping it moves beyond concept into actual story. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Aug. 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-375-96890-7
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: June 5, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2012
Funny delivery, but some jokes really miss the mark.
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
Classic action-packed, monster-fighting fun
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
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