Happy New Year! I’ve had to take a break from blogging and social media as life got completely in the way for a while. However, my reading mojo is back with a bang (or is that a bump in the night?) with this fabulously spooky middle grade debut novel by Nick Tomlinson.
Young historian Molly Thompson suspects that the creepy legends of Howlfair are starting to come true. But when her mother bans her from doing any further research, Molly and her friends become covert monster hunters in order to save their town. Someone is secretly trying to summon Howlfair’s mythical monsters, and with the election of a new mayor looming, everything – and everyone – is becoming increasingly suspicious.
This is an original, funny and entertaining story, which is packed full of intrigue and adventure. Nick uses lots of descriptive language (I now can’t look at the moon without thinking of crusty toenails ?) and writes in a really witty way. This has allowed him to cleverly balance the relatively scary plot with a sufficent level of humour to make this a fast-paced, atmospheric read – suspenseful but not too frightening – for children around 9 and upwards. With a good range of vocab, it’s a perfect book for readers who love stories that keep them on the edge of their seats and a fun read for adults too. I do hope that it’s the start of a series as I’ve a feeling that determined Molly and her hilarious side-kick Lowry have got lots more adventures up their sleeves. Brilliant stuff…
The Ghouls of Howlfair
Author: Nick Tomlinson
Cover Art: Kim Geyer
Publisher: Walker Books Ltd
ISBN: 9781406386684
Paperback: 336 pages