MONSTER OF THE WEEK

Werewolves, manticores, and mermaids? Nothing compared to a bitter blonde TV host, a bigoted dad, and the pressures of prom sex.

By nature, Bridger Whitt is anxious and awkward. By choice, he’s assistant to an intermediary between humans and cryptids. NBD. Having acclimated to his after-school job, he’s also happier in his skin as the bisexual boyfriend to the hottest boy in school, Leo. But all the magical activity within his small Michigan town has been a magnet for telejournalist Summer Lore. She descends, ready to pick, poke, and prod until she gets what she wants: a breaking story for the supernatural-themed show she hates hosting. As Bridger strains to keep her from stumbling across ghosts, creatures, and unicorn poop, he walks the line between dedicated employee and liability. Lore isn’t the only challenge: Bridger’s toxically masculine, homophobic, deadbeat dad is ready to reconnect. Plus there’s the whole awkward expectation of prom night delights with Leo. It’s enough to give a boy more buckets of anxiety than he already has. Sexual orientation and gender identity are layered freely within the narrative. Bridger is open about his commitment to his boyfriend and his attraction to women. An interesting parallel to Bridger’s openness is the closeted existence the magical community has to lead as a matter of self-preservation. By and large the cast is white; Leo is Puerto Rican and white.

A light read with all the magic and monsters.