Teacher’s Pest by Charles Gilman

Premise: Robert Arthur has defeated Professor Gargoyle and The Slither Sisters in Crawford Tillinghast’s plot to take over the world: by bringing his strange monsters from the supposedly destroyed Tillinghast Mansion into the grounds of Lovecraft Middle School. With help from his friends Karina Ortiz, Glenn Torkells, and the two-headed rat named Pip and Squeak, Robert was able to defeat the Price sisters by winning the election for student council president. But Robert never wanted to be student council president, so he withdrew his bid and gave the position to the friendly Howard Mergler. The problem is that Howard is really a giant bug creature in disguise with the ability to control insects to do his bidding.

Howard’s new plot is to infest the school with massive swarms of insects all over Lovecraft Middle School. What a bad time for the janitorial staff to go on strike. As student council president, Howard is trusted by the adoring faculty and staff. There are few who know what he really is, and it is up to Robert, Karina, Glenn, and their pet rat to save the day yet again. Can they defeat a massive insect army led by a giant insect general intent on taking over the world?

Themes: The strength of friendship is put to the test in Teacher’s Pest. Pip and Squeak go missing and Robert will do whatever it takes to get them back. Glenn also grows distant after he is stung by a giant wasp, so Robert attempts to connect with his bully friend. But the reasons for Glenn putting off his friends might be the one thing that Robert can relate to, if only they could be forthcoming with each other. These friends are willing to put themselves in danger for each other.

Appearances are not a good way to judge people. On the outside, Howard Mergler is a well-dressed, polite, wonderful student. On the inside, he is a cruel bug-monster plotting to take over the world. On the flip-side, Robert is a loner with almost no friends, but after his previous fights and the bravery he displays in battling dark forces, he shows that great things can come from unexpected places.

Pros: Teacher’s Pest is full of action and a sense of real danger, more so even than the previous two books. There is some interpersonal conflict not found in the previous books that isn’t necessarily germane to the plot but adds a much deeper character development for the three main characters. Even with the intense action, I thought Teacher’s Pest was more appropriate for younger children than the other books, with less of a scary horror element and more of a gross out factor. Kids will love the bugs, rats, and eyeball monsters. As with the previous two books, the shapeshifting cover is awesome.

Cons: The main characters make some odd decisions that were out of character, excepting for the disjointed thought processes of middle school students. Both Robert and Glenn treat friends terribly at some point: Robert out of fear and Glenn out of embarrassment. The behavior is built up over a considerable time, especially in the case of Glenn, and then the explanation is almost too simplistic. There were also almost no references to the work of H.P. Lovecraft apart from an instance of chanting in another language, which is kind of a disappointment for Lovecraft fans seeking elements of homage to the horror great.

Recommendations: Make sure you read the first two books in the Lovecraft Middle School series to get a lot of setup information, some of which will be necessary to understand the plot, but most of which will just make the entire experience much better. This series has very high quality writing that is easy to read. It has horror elements that might be too intense for readers on the younger end of the middle grade spectrum, though Teacher’s Pest is more appropriate for younger middle grade than the first two books. It is packed full of bugs that are sure to gross kids out, in a good way. Robert and his friends show us that kids can do great things, especially when there are teachers and mentors who support them in their efforts.

Lovecraft Middle School website
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I received a copy from the publisher to write this honest review.

 

The Slither Sisters by Charles Gilman

Premise: The Slither Sisters picks up where Professor Gargoyle left off, with Robert Arthur at his new school trying to learn the mysteries of Lovecraft Middle School and the strange creatures that inhabit it. Robert soon discovers that there are gates leading from the school to an alternate dimension that is actually the old Tillinghast Mansion, where Crawford Tillinghast and his scientists were thought to have perished under questionable circumstances.

After coming back from their mysterious disappearance, Sylvia and Sarah Price run a campaign for class president. Robert and his friends Karina Ortiz and former bully Glenn Torkells will have to find a way to hinder this small step on the way to the Price sisters and the dark powers behind them taking over the school. As Robert uncovers these secrets it will be up to him and his friends to protect the students and teachers who are unaware of the sinister plots going on around them.

Nothing is as it seems and so many people are not who they appear, and learning who to trust will be important for the survival of Robert, his friends, and everyone else at Lovecraft Middle School.

Themes: Leadership and responsibility are traits that are bestowed on people, sometimes without a choice. With so many people at Lovecraft Middle School being clueless as to the dangers around them, Robert finds that it will be up to him to protect them.

Appearances are deceiving, especially at Lovecraft Middle School. Anybody could have their bodies taken over by creatures from another dimension, while others might be on Robert’s side without him even knowing it. Knowing who to trust is a challenge, but the truth can be discovered through dangerous research and perseverance.

Pros: Just like the first book, the cover is really cool, with a transforming lenticular image changing from the seemingly innocent sisters to their snake-like alter egos. This cover will not be as off-putting as the Professor Gargoyle cover as it isn’t as scary or demonic. The Slither Sisters includes some H.P. Lovecraft tidbits, such as tiny Cthulus infesting our world under the guise as hermit crabs. We get the same fast-paced book as the first, with a little bit of extra character development. The conflict is better fleshed out than book one, I thought the twist ending actually helped make The Slither Sisters even better than the first book.

Cons: Again, the cover is a spoiler for the antagonists of this story, though we got some hints at it from the first book in what the goal of the enemy is. The only character I wish we would have gotten some more fleshing out with was Karina. Hers is the most mysterious of the main characters and we still don’t know much about her.

Recommendations: The Slither Sisters is the second book in the Lovecraft Middle School series. It picks up where Professor Gargoyle ended and takes the story to new depths. Thankfully, these are just the right length for middle grade readers, though adults will probably enjoy Lovecraft Middle School just as much, especially H.P. Lovecraft fans. Kids should have some parental guidance, but this book was not nearly as scary or creepy as Professor Gargoyle. The Slither Sisters is even better than its predecessor, but readers will want to read Professor Gargoyle first in order to get a foundation of characters and plot.

Lovecraft Middle School website
The Slither Sisters
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I received a copy from the publisher to write this honest review.

 

Professor Gargoyle by Charles Gilman

Premise: Robert Arthur is at a new school, Lovecraft Middle School, where he struggles with the same things every middle school student does: new classes, homework, meeting new people, bullies, teachers, and…monsters.

As he makes friends with the most unlikely of characters, Robert soon learns that his new school holds some old secrets that might help explain some of the strange things that are happening to him. Some of his new friends might also have some secrets of their own to help reveal some of the school’s mysteries. What funereal things and monstrous creatures will Robert encounter at Lovecraft Middle School as he uncovers its secrets?

Themes: The problem of bullying is confronted right from the beginning as Robert enters his new school, yet still must deal with Glenn Torkells, the kid who has been bullying him for years. But when they both encounter the same strange occurrence together, their relationship might end up changing because of it.

Making new friends is always difficult, but seemingly more difficult when kids enter a new school. When another student goes out of their way to befriend another, it can be alarming, yet relieving in spite of their own quirks. Karina Ortiz does this for Robert as she talks to Robert when no one else does.

Living in a single-parent family can also be a struggle, especially when it is time for parent-teacher conferences and your mother works to support the family. When interactions between the parent and child are limited, those precious moments can mean a lot to both the parent and the child.

Pros: The cover has the cool factor of having a moving image showing the transformation of Professor Gargoyle. The story is fun and easy to read, especially as an introduction to the H.P. Lovecraft mythos, but also as a fast-paced action story for middle school kids. This first book manages to introduce some horror elements without being too scary. In fact, it is more humorous than anything, taking on common middle school problems with an element of peril. The action is pretty good and light enough for the intended younger audience. I think most H.P. Lovecraft fans will especially enjoy this more modern and lighthearted spin on his work. Did I mention the cover is cool?

Cons: Probably the most disturbing thing about Professor Gargoyle is the cover itself. While the cool moving image on the cover shows some depth to the namesake character, the demonic image will probably be a deterrent to parents letting their kids read this book, and for the younger end of the recommended age I think it is rightfully so. And on top of this, the cover is a terrible spoiler for the character. While the history behind the school is minimally explained in general terms, I assume more will be revealed in later books.

Recommendations: Professor Gargoyle is not only a good introduction to this series but also to the mythos created by H.P. Lovecraft. The neat cover alone was intriguing enough to pull me in, and what I found was a fun introduction of a mysterious new series where nothing is as it seems and danger can be averted through teamwork and ingenuity. With the demonic elements I would recommend that kids are a little older before reading Professor Gargoyle, and with some parental guidance. Don’t let the scary image on the cover keep you from giving it a shot, though I doubt that will be a problem for fans of the horror master. In this first book, just like Lovecraft Middle School itself, Gilman has created something new out of something old with Professor Gargoyle.

Lovecraft Middle School website
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I received a copy from the publisher to write this honest review.

 

Trucker Ghost Stories, edited by Annie Wilder

Premise: Late at night on the long haul, a trucker sees many things on the road. With the deep darkness and lights reflecting off windows, combined with a lack of sleep, strange happenings can become reality. The sounds of wind and things banging on the sides of parked truck sleepers can be investigated to be the mind playing tricks or things much more insidious. Who knows what might happen when ghosts, UFOs, and creatures lurk at night? When these haunted highways and menacing creatures come out at night, the trucker is sometimes the only person around to witness them.

Themes: Trucker Ghost Stories is a collection of tales recording actual events (supposedly) as reported by truckers on the road, usually late at night. Is it a lack of sleep and tricks of light or the real thing?

With so many stories there are a number of themes that could be drawn out of them, but the most common for the ghost stories include revenge or redemption of spirits. For the UFO stories, it is curiosity and experimentation. And for monsters, more evil intentions are apparent.

Pros: There was more than one story that I thought was actually pretty spooky, especially if you consider the belief of the trucker writer in its authenticity. If you are on board with the idea that these events might have occurred, you might catch yourself or someone you read this to jumping at the slightest sounds afterwards.

Cons: Keeping in mind that each story is written by a trucker, the writing for many of the stories isn’t very good, and more than a few is downright abysmal. Some of the stories weren’t really all that scary.

Recommendations: Trucker Ghost stories is a fun and quick read of supposed actual events gathered into one collection. While not every story was compelling or believable, and some were just poorly written, many of these tales were interesting. Some were downright creepy. If you are looking for a fun collection to pick and choose stories from to tell around a campfire or an overnight sleepover, you wouldn’t have to look very hard to find some good ones in this book. I think the stories are more fun if you try reading them out loud to others in the dark.

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Wide Open by Deborah Coates

Premise: Sergeant Hallie Michaels has come back home to South Dakota on leave from Afghanistan for her sister’s funeral. Everyone is telling her that Dell committed suicide, but Hallie knows better. Ever since Hallie died and was revived while on duty, she has been able to see ghosts. She knows there is more to the story because Dell’s ghost, and the ghosts of other women, are trying to tell her something about their mysterious deaths.

The new deputy sheriff, Boyd Davies, is willing to help her, but he has some secrets of his own that he learns only Hallie might understand. With only ten days of leave to figure out how Dell and these other women have died, Hallie is rushing to find answers, but with everyone in the small town supporting Martin Weber’s innovative new energy company, the truth is being hidden from view.

Before she knows it, Hallie is getting threatened, beaten up, fires are breaking out, and strange weather patterns are becoming more frequent. Hallie will need all the help she can get from her friends, Boyd, and the ghosts constantly following her in order to fight an enemy wielding a power she can’t hope to defeat.

Themes: Seeing ghosts the way Hallie does could be seen as a metaphor for experiencing death in real life. When Hallie interacts with Dell and the other ghosts, it speaks volumes about the way we manifest our feelings when someone close to us dies. We try to understand why things happen and like to believe the lost opportunities for unspoken things can be redeemed. We all cope with death in different ways, and Wide Open gives us glimpses into the ways different people do so.

Wide Open is also a story about coming home. When we are gone from a place where we grew up, people change, places change, and new people are thrown into the picture. Relationships with friends can sometimes pick up where they left off, but sometimes we are changed in ways while we are apart that can’t be undone and those relationships now contain a dissonance that was not there before.

Pros: The characters in Wide Open are spectacular. They speak realistically and interact with each other in a truly human way. The magic is interesting and powerful and perfectly vague, which means it is just enough explanation to be cool without attempting to over-explain things that wouldn’t have made any sense anyway. Every contact with the ghosts makes you feel like they are right there with you, wandering aimlessly and running cold chills up your arms, at least until they demand your attention with something they want to tell you.

Cons: Hallie curses more than any character I can think of. I don’t know if it was to make her seem like a stronger female character, but it only made me want to wash her mouth out with soap. You don’t have to swear in order to sound tough, and it kept me from fully enjoying the story. Also, it seemed to take too long to arrive at the climax. The last fifty pages or so contained so much preparation for battle that it didn’t seem like a realistic amount before the real action kicked in.

Recommendations: I went into reading Wide Open not knowing much about it and with few expectations, but I was greatly rewarded from the second I first cracked it open. If you are willing to look past how much the protagonist curses, Wide Open is a fun read that is a fresh take on urban fantasy with a little bit of romance and a lot of mystery, magic, and action. The freezing cold that comes with the ghosts surrounding Hallie will chill you with every contact. This is a solid first novel from Deborah Coats, whose future is wide with promise.

Deborah Coates’ website
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