Author: Sheila Grau
Genre: fantasy
Similar books: Fairy Tale Reform School series by Jen Calonita
Goblins by Philip Reeve
Rating:
 |
| Excellent Read |
Summary (provided by publisher): The second book in this hilarious, illustrated series cracks the imaginative world of minions wide open, and we meet the other schools and Evil Overlords that surround Dr. Critchlore's. Runt Higgins needs answers, fast. Someone cursed him to die on his sixteenth birthday, but no one seems to know who cursed him or why. Runt decides he must find the Great Library, where all true knowledge is hidden. Unfortunately, the only people who know the location of the Great Library are a covert network of librarian-spies who'd rather die than give up the Library's secrets. And when one of Runt's professors is attacked, it soon becomes clear that others are also out to find the Library at any cost. Meanwhile, Runt's not the only one whose days are numbered. To save the floundering school from an inevitable sale, Dr. Critchlore takes some desperate measures. His master plan to save the school: a fashion show.
My opinion: Sometimes the second book in a series flounders. That is certainly not the case here. This is a solid, entertaining read. There's a decent recap of the events in the last book, enough to serve as a reminder if it's been a while since you read it but not so much as to become an annoyance if it hasn't. This book focuses on it's own plot while also building on the larger series plot, that of Runt trying to identify his origins. Characters are solidly portrayed with a little development. The book is infused with enough humor to keep it from becoming overly bleak or melodramatic. While foreshadowing in this volume seems to be hinting at some developments that don't thrill me, as it stands now this is a series I'll continue to eagerly recommend.
Advance Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
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