MONSTER CLUB

Eric “Doodles” King thinks the magic ink that brings monsters to life has been destroyed, but a powerful CEO is planning to use it to flood lower Manhattan and make a new Atlantis.

The exciting events of the 2022 series opener are months past; Eric’s new worry is beginning seventh grade at Tinsdale, a Manhattan private school, instead of returning to his old gifted and talented school with his friends. At Tinsdale, Eric is dubbed “Sketch” for his art skills and adopted by three popular kids. When he returns to Brooklyn and his dad’s house on weekends, he has trouble transitioning between worlds. At an age in which friends and identity are closely linked, Eric isn’t sure whether he’s “Doodles” or “Sketch,” and he makes some mistakes with his old friends. But when a serious new threat arises, Monster Club assembles again to fight King Neptune. Most chapters are told from Eric’s perspective, but some are about Neptune, and the epilogue focuses on Eric’s new friend Pete, with an ending that sets the stage for a third entry. New readers are given enough background information to follow along, but this work is best appreciated by those who’ve read the first book. The fight scenes with the monsters are joyous, and one especially dramatic, high-stakes action scene is perfectly paced. While Brickman, Eric’s monster creation, is heroic, Eric’s words are even more powerful. Eric is Jewish; secondary characters’ names signal ethnic diversity. Final art not seen.

Exciting, inventive, and emotionally intelligent.