HOLLY'S SECRET

Puma shapeshifter Carag’s best friend faces guardianship issues that threaten her presence at the school in this fantasy set in Wyoming and translated from German.

Following the events of A Dangerous Friendship (2023), Carag is still dwelling on the nonspecific threats from the human-hating chief villain, Andrew Milling. Carag quickly (and too conveniently) learns that after his refusal to help Milling, the villain has found a new spy in the school. One-dimensional wolf bully Jeff starts making cryptic comments that undercut any mystery as to who the villain’s helper is this time. At one point, the book even acknowledges that a situation is a repeat from a previous installment. Meanwhile, in the ostensible main plot, the arrival of a mean human at the school—a man claiming he’s orphan Holly’s new guardian—throws the kids into turmoil, as he wants to pull Holly out of the boarding school. His motives, like those of most characters in the book, are never justified. With Principal Clearwater conveniently out of town, leaving nasty teacher Mr. Ellwood in charge, Holly feels vulnerable enough to run away and hide, with help from Carag and friends. (The bullying culture in the book also includes a played-for-laughs subplot about vandalizing a teacher’s art.) A final storyline—aside from Milling’s still-nebulous plots—involves a bank robbery that the kids decide to try to solve. The ending restores the status quo. Carls’ black-and-white spot art showing expressive, naturalistic animals are a highlight. Most characters are cued white; there is some racial diversity in the supporting cast.

Implausible plotlines rely on flat characterization.