THE WEIRD IN THE WILDS

This follow-up to A Flicker of Courage (2020) features four kids who inhabit a fantastical, yet familiar, universe.

Henry, Apollo, Pirate Girl, and Jo now know they are spell breakers and can help fight narcissistic villain Vlad Luxor, the Horrible Ruler with Magic, who boasts of his plans to build a border wall. Luxor changes their bullying classmate Jason, who teases Jo about her mom’s relationship with a woman, into a smelly gerenuk, a species of gazelle, and with the help of Henry’s grandfather, they realize that despite their dislike of Jason, they must help him. This turns into a madcap quest through the terrifying forest known as the Wilds. The heavily message-driven presentation of a world in the throes of a battle between good and evil doesn’t always blend well with the goofy, lighthearted tone. Readers who enjoyed the first may appreciate this one, which ends with a setup for another installment, but it’s unlikely to win over new readers. References to songs by artists like The Talking Heads and Prince add to the question already raised by the knowingly quirky, often vintage-styled illustrations of who exactly the intended readers are. Most of the characters assume a White default; Jo is the descendent of a South American revolutionary.

This blend of hero quest and political allegory ultimately misses its mark.