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THE CHRONICLES OF VIKTOR VALENTINE

An appealing choice for fans of spooky stories.

The start of seventh grade might be the worst thing to happen to Viktor Valentine, and that’s saying something.

The town of Nowhere is as exciting as it sounds. Honestly, Viktor doesn’t have much going for him, even by Nowhere standards, except for Damon, his sole, tried-and-true friend, who joins him for junk-food binges and virtual vampire killings. When school starts, Viktor meets a few new faces, including the girl from the family that just moved in across the street, who’s actually nice to him. Viktor is excited to maybe have a new friend, but he’s distracted by the weird way his dad’s been acting lately…like coming home late at night, with blood on his face and shirt (the sight of blood makes Viktor faint). His assigned reading of Dracula for English class gets him wondering about some less-than-savory possibilities. This tale walks the line between casual and actual horror—it combines plenty of dad jokes and talk about garlic with on-page blood and serious discussions of taking lives—and Brewer manages to balance it all well. Viktor spends a lot of time with new people at school, but these connections aren’t developed enough later in the story to make the interactions feel relevant. Still, the story clearly sets readers up for sequels, and perhaps these relationships will get more payoff in future entries. Characters are cued white.

An appealing choice for fans of spooky stories. (Paranormal. 8-13)

Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024

ISBN: 9780063245723

Page Count: 272

Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024

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NARWHAL I'M AROUND

From the Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter series , Vol. 2

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

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THE LAST KIDS ON EARTH

From the Last Kids on Earth series , Vol. 1

Classic action-packed, monster-fighting fun

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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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