A heartfelt twist on tales of monsters and bad guys.
Three young monsters leave their hiding place after it’s no longer safe, seeking shelter and community.
Poe, a horned, green-skinned monster, was almost captured as a child by the centuries-old monster-hunting society the Knights of the Night. But a compassionate Knight helped her escape, and she was later found by Stoker, a young adult monster, who taught her how to survive in the shadows of the human world. He also shared a “silly urban legend” about a place “deep downtown, where monsters could live in peace.” Ever since Stoker’s sudden disappearance, Poe has been living with two young monsters named Rice (who has blue skin) and Shelley (who has pink skin, orange hair, and sharp fangs). When neighborhood gentrification means the empty house they’re squatting in will be destroyed, they venture out on Halloween—which provides the perfect cover for their unusual appearances—in search of the rumored haven. But their quest is far from easy, and they encounter danger along the way. Found family and good human allies (diverse in skin tone) who offer support in the face of the actions of corrupt, greedy people lie at the core of the story, offering parallels to the experiences of marginalized groups who must fly under the radar to live safely. The illustrations, which are full of emotion, feature muted colors and loose linework.
A heartfelt twist on tales of monsters and bad guys. (Graphic fantasy. 9-13)Pub Date: July 29, 2025
ISBN: 9781524886455
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Review Posted Online: April 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2025
A pleasing premise for book lovers.
A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.
When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)
A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780316448222
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
Rich and strange (and kitted out with an eye-catching cover), but stronger in the set pieces than the internal logic.
Chainani works an elaborate sea change akin to Gregory Maguire’s Wicked (1995), though he leaves the waters muddied.
Every four years, two children, one regarded as particularly nice and the other particularly nasty, are snatched from the village of Gavaldon by the shadowy School Master to attend the divided titular school. Those who survive to graduate become major or minor characters in fairy tales. When it happens to sweet, Disney princess–like Sophie and her friend Agatha, plain of features, sour of disposition and low of self-esteem, they are both horrified to discover that they’ve been dropped not where they expect but at Evil and at Good respectively. Gradually—too gradually, as the author strings out hundreds of pages of Hogwarts-style pranks, classroom mishaps and competitions both academic and romantic—it becomes clear that the placement wasn’t a mistake at all. Growing into their true natures amid revelations and marked physical changes, the two spark escalating rivalry between the wings of the school. This leads up to a vicious climactic fight that sees Good and Evil repeatedly switching sides. At this point, readers are likely to feel suddenly left behind, as, thanks to summary deus ex machina resolutions, everything turns out swell(ish).
Rich and strange (and kitted out with an eye-catching cover), but stronger in the set pieces than the internal logic. (Fantasy. 11-13)Pub Date: May 14, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-06-210489-2
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2013
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