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In this hauntingly delightful, highly illustrated first book in a new series, eleven-year-old Otto and his mom move to Monsterton, a gorgeous island on the border of the Belcarra forest and a mysterious place called The Dark. Monsterton is picturesque and beautiful; it's an idyllic place for monsters to be themselves. There's Hamish and his brother Ben, who have been created and sewn together by their pirate father; the royal vampires, Red and Rose, who are followed around by their dutiful guards; Remi, a ghost girl who can appear and disappear at will; Darby, a quiet girl made entirely of slime; and Luck, a zombie who always she thinks she's right. In Monsterton, each monster can be themselves. They are free to be as scaly, slimy, or scary as nature intended.
There's only one teeny, tiny problem. Otto and his mom aren't monsters.
As a human, Otto feels that he has to prove himself. After all, as Remi the ghost girl reminds him, he's so fragile. Along with Otto's new friends Hamish, Darby, and Luck, the group sets out to find the legendary White Pine Beach—a beach so mysterious, it's rumored to jump locations, never staying in the same place for too long. But what the ragtag team of monsters (and one human) discovers is far more mysterious than a location-jumping beach. And when one of their number doesn't return home with them . . . rumors swirl.
Can Otto find his new friend, fit in with the monsters, and stay true to himself? And what does a lost strix, a bird-girl living as an outcast in Belcarra, know?
This spooky, delightful, and charming full-color, highly illustrated novel with graphic novel inserts is perfect for fans of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and Five Nights at Freddy's. Debut author Danielle McKechnie weaves compelling lore and storytelling with delightful characters brought to life by illustrator Simón Estrada.
"McKechnie capably balances the characters' humorous antics with steadily rising stakes while Estrada's animated illustrations expertly utilize light and shadow to deepen the atmosphere of this promising series opener, a dual debut." - Publisher's Weekly
"Rich illustrations amp up the delightful eeriness with deeply saturated colors and a playfully rendered cast of ragtag characters who will leave readers eager for the next installment." - Kirkus
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Creators
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Series
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Publisher
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Release date
August 27, 2024 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9781524897468
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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June 17, 2024
For 11-year-old Otto, moving with his mother to Monsterton—an island off the coast of Oregon—is both a nightmare and a dream. Monsterton boasts scary yet fantastical items, creatures, and mysteries, including boney dry winger sandwiches, ghost classmates, and missing sirens. It’s a paradise for monsters—but Otto and his mother are human. Otto does his best to fit in with his new paranormal pals, befriending zombie Luck, “Frankensteinian funnyman” Hamish, and slime
monster Darby. When Hamish claims to have ventured into the ominous nearby
Belcarra forest and found the illusive White Pine Beach, a mythological shore located deep inside the woods, Otto and company are doubtful. Nevertheless, the gang follows Hamish into Belcarra in search of said beach. Upon their arrival, Darby falls into the water and vanishes, sending the friends on a quest to find her, all the while unearthing the treacherous secrets of the wilderness. McKechnie capably balances the characters’ humorous antics with steadily rising stakes while Estrada’s animated illustrations expertly utilize light and shadow to deepen the atmosphere of this promising series opener, a dual debut. Otto reads as white; monster characters are described as having varying skin tones, some fanciful. Ages 8–12. -
July 1, 2024
Monsters and humans find common ground in order to save their friends from dark forces on a magical island. Born in a snowstorm in California on the same day his father tragically died, 11-year-old Otto Normal leads a life that's always seemed destined to be anything but normal. Otto and his mom, Cherry, were just scraping by until a mysterious man came to the diner where Cherry was a waitress, offering her a job as a newspaper reporter on the island of Monsterton. Much to Otto's shock, she accepted, and the two packed up their meager belongings and set sail from the Oregon coast. But upon their arrival, Otto and Cherry quickly realize that they're outsiders in Monsterton: They seem to be the only humans and are surrounded by vampires, zombies, ghosts, and other creatures. Otto, who never had any human friends, goes to school determined to fit in. A trip to detention leads to an invitation to join a motley crew of classmates on an adventure to find the possibly mythical White Pine Beach, which jumps around within the foreboding Belcarra forest. The story unfolds through multiple viewpoints, and readers may become overwhelmed by the complicated worldbuilding and by plot intricacies that aren't always sufficiently explained. But the rich illustrations amp up the delightful eeriness with deeply saturated colors and a playfully rendered cast of ragtag characters who will leave readers eager for the next installment. Otto appears white. Wonderfully weird. (Paranormal. 8-12)COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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