A thoughtful anxiety story imperfectly dovetailed with a light horror romp.
What’s a chronic worrier to do when a meditation app brings one’s fears to life?
Seventh grader Lena Lennox worries so much that she literally pulls her hair out, but some of her worries are well founded. Her strong-minded best friend, Regina, has “gone pretty” and turned boy-crazy. Her brisk, problem-solving mother shows little sympathy or patience for Lena’s mental health struggles. And when Lena and other anxiety-prone students from Cranberry Bog Middle School are chosen to test the De-stress-o-rama! mindfulness meditation app prior to schoolwide implementation, they discover that the section on facing your fears actually brings those terrors to life. Surprising herself, Lena, who’s white, rallies the racially diverse, self-dubbed Worriers into action—but can they protect the entire school? This book features hilariously wry metaphors, observations, and dialogue. Its sensitive portrayal of Lena’s struggles with navigating anxiety and relationships rings true. However, overall, the story grapples with its identity: There’s a mismatch in tone between the perceptive mental health theme and the humorous horror of the inexplicably incarnated fears and the kids’ cartoonworthy attempts to dispel them. In addition, the initial lengthy focus on Lena’s worries may lose readers who are in search of horror thrills. While the secondary characters are quirky and fun, especially Lena’s father and brother, the six Worriers besides Lena are thinly developed, and readers may find tracking them challenging.
A thoughtful anxiety story imperfectly dovetailed with a light horror romp. (character guide, author's note) (Horror. 10-13)Pub Date: July 16, 2024
ISBN: 9781665950534
Page Count: 304
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: April 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
This hopeful adventure leaves an indelible mark.
A rare disorder elicits fear in a young Black artist with a unique sense of the world.
Seventh grader Etta’s Quiet Days are becoming more frequent and, frankly, irritating since her “maybe-diagnosis” of Ménière’s disease in both her ears. Her parents are monitoring her diet, vigilant about stressors, and learning ASL. In contrast to Etta’s Loud Days, not being able to hear sometimes makes it easier to focus on her comic book about Invincible Girl (the novel includes some enticing panels featuring Etta’s work). But, as peculiar weather patterns begin to overwhelm her Chicago neighborhood and exacerbate her allergies, the corresponding tinnitus and vertigo as well as the increased anxiety from everyone around her leave Etta feeling hopeless. Even meeting Eleazar, an artsy new Colombian friend with an adorable goldendoodle, leads to doubts about her abilities to communicate—Eleazar is also still learning English—and her future with Ménière’s. When Eleazar’s dog gets lost on a magical train that is linked to the weird weather, the two must traverse the train cars, solve mysteries, and overcome their fears to fix what’s broken and heal what can’t be fixed. Just like the magical challenges, their journey yields great emotional rewards. Even as Etta and Eleazar make new connections, losses—of family, hearing, and home—are somber reminders of life’s challenges. With snappy narration that’s rich in sensory detail and metaphor, readers progress through well-paced storytelling that is ethereal and artfully inclusive.
This hopeful adventure leaves an indelible mark. (Fiction. 10-13)Pub Date: July 12, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6837-5
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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