A simply smashing monster bash.
A locker in a middle school basement leads to world-ending trouble.
Sixth grade isn’t looking too good for friendless Pablo Ortiz, who still has no cell phone. Prepping for his sister’s quinceañera is no fun, either. “New year, new school, same crap.” Then Pablo pries open his locker to discover that Obie the Evil, a blobby, tadpolelike monster, resides inside. Obie wants Pablo’s help in unleashing “the world’s most loathsome monsters,” who will conquer and enslave all humans. After Pablo (who’d prefer to fly under the radar) refuses repeated requests, the persistent Obie tricks him into opening a portal to the realm of monsters, summoning Coatlicue. The vindictive Aztec Earth goddess releases frightening creatures in her wake that first attack Pablo’s school and then head out into Columbus, Ohio, transforming captured people into animals. Joined by his newfound friends and guided by his feisty, wise abuela, Pablo must step up to become an unexpected hero who saves the day in an unanticipated way. Centered on an amusing premise, this tale of ancient monsters and one very irate goddess serves up heaps of goofy humor thanks to its reluctant, pint-size Latine hero, comically antagonistic baddies, and frequent breaking of the fourth wall. A rich cast of culturally diverse characters, seamlessly inserted social commentary, and bustling, snappy artwork contribute greatly to a briskly paced adventure that teases a sequel.
A simply smashing monster bash. (visual Nahuatl glossary, character sketches) (Graphic adventure. 10-14)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781250749741
Page Count: 256
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
A heartily satisfying string of entertaining near-catastrophes, replete with narrow squeaks and spectral howls.
Three young ghost trappers take on deadly wraiths and solve an old murder case in the bargain to kick off Stroud’s new post-Bartimaeus series.
Narrator Lucy Carlyle hopes to put her unusual sensitivity to supernatural sounds to good use by joining Lockwood & Co.—one of several firms that have risen to cope with the serious ghost Problem that has afflicted England in recent years. As its third member, she teams with glib, ambitious Anthony Lockwood and slovenly-but-capable scholar George Cubbins to entrap malign spirits for hire. The work is fraught with peril, not only because a ghost’s merest touch is generally fatal, but also, as it turns out, as none of the three is particularly good at careful planning and preparation. All are, however, resourceful and quick on their feet, which stands them in good stead when they inadvertently set fire to a house while discovering a murder victim’s desiccated corpse. It comes in handy again when they later rashly agree to clear Combe Carey Hall, renowned for centuries of sudden deaths and regarded as one of England’s most haunted manors. Despite being well-stocked with scream-worthy ghastlies, this lively opener makes a light alternative for readers who find the likes of Joseph Delaney’s Last Apprentice series too grim and creepy for comfort.
A heartily satisfying string of entertaining near-catastrophes, replete with narrow squeaks and spectral howls. (Ghost adventure. 11-13)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4231-6491-3
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 28, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
A didactic blueprint disguised as a supernatural treasure map.
A girl who delights in the macabre harnesses her inherited supernatural ability.
It’s not just her stark white hair that makes 11-year-old Zee Puckett stand out in nowheresville Knobb’s Ferry. She’s a storyteller, a Mary Shelley fangirl, and is being raised by her 21-year-old high school dropout sister while their father looks for work upstate (cue the wayward glances from the affluent demography). Don’t pity her, because Zee doesn’t acquiesce to snobbery, bullying, or pretty much anything that confronts her. But a dog with bleeding eyes in a cemetery gives her pause—momentarily—because the beast is just the tip of the wicked that has this way come to town. Time to get some help from ghosts. The creepy supernatural current continues throughout, intermingled with very real forays into bullying (Zee won’t stand for it or for the notion that good girls need to act nice), body positivity, socio-economic status and social hierarchy, and mental health. This debut from a promising writer involves a navigation of caste systems, self-esteem, and villainy that exists in an interesting world with intriguing characters, but they receive a flat, two-dimensional treatment that ultimately makes the book feel like one is learning a ho-hum lesson in morality. Zee is presumably White (as is her rich-girl nemesis–cum-comrade, Nellie). Her best friend, Elijah, is cued as Black. Warning: this just might spur frenzied requests for Frankenstein.
A didactic blueprint disguised as a supernatural treasure map. (Supernatural. 10-12)Pub Date: Aug. 10, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-304460-9
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 10, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
