- an almost-10-year-old suffers from fear of the dark & monsters
- his therapist turns out to be an actual monster, turning him into a possum and planning her next meal (him)
- page-turning adventure with much humor woven throughout
- convo: magic, potions, cigars mentioned
- language: x8 golly, x1 gosh, x5 heck, x1 “thank G*d”, “you’re full of shrew,” “holy night crawlers,” “holy mud-wrestlin’ Moses”
Type: chapter book
Ages: 8-12
Author: Ethan Nicolle
This book surprised me! I really had no idea what to expect, but definitely enjoyed it overall. The author is extremely enthusiastic about his similes–they are almost constant and, though usually funny, become almost a distraction at times. Not a huge complaint though.
Other reviewers have mentioned the illustrations are fantastic if not a little creepy for their youngest listeners, but I listened to the audiobook of this one and can’t say my opinion. Regarding the audio, the author reads it himself and has quite the skill of creepy old hag voices as well as other sound effects. Ha!
Proceed with caution if your child is on the young end of the age range. It might not quite be suitable for some 8-year-olds. And avoid reading it at bedtime if you aren’t sure.
The story ultimately leads to the boy finding his courage, making deep friendships and healing relationally with his dad. It’s a solid story.