An underwhelming, underpolished steppingstone on the way to…who knows what?
A preteen tries to unravel the mystery of his family’s beach house in this series’ second volume.
Dash, a 12-year-old White boy, has no memory of vacationing at Black Sand Beach last summer, but having found a diary with his handwriting from the summer before, he’s determined to figure out how this could be. Other things are strange too. In his diary, he used a different name; he’s starting to remember two ghostly girls he met in the woods last summer; his supernatural neighbor is providing offerings to a sea monster; and something is different about their neighbor’s bright green ram. It is clear that nothing is as it seems, but Dash, his two cousins (who are also White), and his friend (a girl of color) are ready to solve the mystery. Unfortunately, this sequel introduces even more questions to the mystery while making surprisingly little progress on those introduced in the opener, making for scant payoff and exacerbating other dissatisfying aspects of the story. Flat illustrations with a hodgepodge color palette, inconsistent lighting, and underwhelming use of space make for a jarring reading experience. The many flashback scenes are not made sufficiently visually distinct from current sequences to transition readers smoothly. Minimal context is provided to refresh readers’ memories, making this volume only for passionate readers of the first volume.
An underwhelming, underpolished steppingstone on the way to…who knows what? (Graphic suspense. 8-12)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-64595-004-2
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Pixel+Ink
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Will delight readers in search of a fast but freaky ghost story.
A girl must reckon with her sister’s angry ghost.
Chelsea’s twin, Angelica, still follows her around nearly constantly despite having met an untimely death several years ago. Though 12-year-old Chelsea loves her sister, the situation leaves her feeling isolated. To make matters worse, the twins’ former friend Riley has relentlessly bullied Chelsea ever since Chelsea told Riley about Angelica’s paranormal presence. Unbeknownst to Chelsea, when Chelsea pays attention to other people, Angelica is relegated to a scary, mold-ridden underworld; until now, Chelsea hasn’t had any friends to distract her. But when Chelsea befriends her classmate Janette, Angelica’s rage boils over, and for the first time since her death, she begins siphoning off Chelsea’s energy to gain the power to exert her own will on the world. In this existentially chilling and quickly paced tale, psychological fears are equally matched with physical danger as the guilt of moving on after the death of a loved one manifests in multiple ways for Chelsea. Alexander continues to hone a talent for particularly relatable characters with authentic emotions, drawing readers firmly into twisted, nightmarish circumstances. Physical descriptions are minimal.
Will delight readers in search of a fast but freaky ghost story. (Horror. 8-12)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781546116493
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025
Young goths will be all-in for the trippy mysteries.
There’s something suspicious about the summer vacation that the Sinister-Winterbottom siblings are expected to spend with their Aunt Saffronia.
The Sinister-Winterbottom twins, Theo and Alexander, along with adopted older sister Wil, are woken up in the middle of the night by their parents and whisked away—by candlelight, of all things! Now they’re with Aunt Saffronia, about whom they know nothing. She brings them to Fathoms of Fun Waterpark to accomplish a task. “Find what was lost,” is all she will tell them. Also, something about needing time….No churros to eat, no running allowed, and hardly anyone besides themselves at the park. It’s all very weird! In fact, the park is rather Victorian and features parasols instead of sunscreen and mausoleums instead of cabanas. Since the only thing, or person, that seems to be lost is Mr. Widow, co-manager of the park, the Sinister-Winterbottoms decide to find him. The creepy gothic setting, the relationships between the siblings, the cast of unusual characters, and the teasers that this episode is just one part of a much larger puzzle will keep readers hooked. The action moves at a strong clip as the siblings uncover a plot involving impersonation and greed. Aunt Saffronia, however, shows no interest in the intrigue as she announces their next stop: the Sanguine Spa in the Little Translyvanian Mountains. The twins are White; Wil has dark brown skin.
Young goths will be all-in for the trippy mysteries. (Mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: June 7, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-37904-2
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2022
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