The Monster

May 1, 2012
Beginning where Troubletwisters (2011) left off, twins Jaide and Jack Shield struggle to harness their magical powers while tracking a rat-regurgitating monster and battling dark forces. Staying with Grandma X, the twins have joined the Wardens, a worldwide group of guardians against The Evil, and are studying ways to control and understand their magic. Their powers are unwieldy and continue to flummox Jack and Jaide. The twins forge a new friendship with Tara as the town begins to buzz with rumors of a roaming monster. Grandma X has started acting strangely, and something foul is afoot at the old sawmill. The twins are determined to find this monster, but there are so many intricately tangled secrets that they often become sidetracked. Pace rules, as event piles on event. The intensity and bizarreness ramp up when insects flock to Jack and a clowder of cats becomes possessed. The climax involves an awesome spectacle of powerful forces, as The Evil, preying on the twins' still-malleable souls, strives to take advantage of their self-doubts and possess their gifts. As good and wicked battle, Jack and Jaide come to understand that knowing themselves is their wellspring of power, wisdom that will no doubt come in handy in the next installment. This gripping fantasy for the middle-grade set delivers magic and delightful dollops of ick. (Urban fantasy. 8-12)

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June 1, 2012

Gr 4-6-Twins Jack and Jaide have magical gifts that they will someday put to use to keep The Evil from creeping into the world. In this installment in the series, they attempt to learn how to develop and govern their talents. Many mishaps occur along the way, which is the reason the siblings are called "troubletwisters." Against their grandmother's wishes, they continue to investigate whether The Evil is once again walking around their small town. Having been caught by it in the last book, Jack is particularly sensitive and fears being consumed by it. The best part of the book is the description of how The Evil manifests itself. Swarms of insects and possessed humans with white eyeballs add to the fear factor. There is more of the same in The Monster, with moths that blanket themselves over the main characters and larger-than-life worms tormenting the town. Readers who like Brandon Mull's "Fablehaven" tales (Shadow Mountain), Suzanne Collins's "Gregor the Overlander" series (Scholastic), and Joseph Delaney's "Last Apprentice" books (HarperCollins) will enjoy this series.-Kathleen Meulen Ellison, Sakai Intermediate School, Bainbridge Island, WA

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2012
A week after battling The Evil in [cf2]Troubletwisters[cf1], Jaide and Jack continue their training as Wardens. The twins try to convince Grandma X that The Evil has survived, but because of their inability to control their powers, along with their tendency to jump to irrational conclusions, their attempts to help become tedious. Except for the entertaining conclusion, an unremarkable second series entry.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)