Unearthly Asylum

November 1, 2010

Gr 4-7-The tension between the residents of eccentric, dilapidated Spooking and those of upscale, soulless Darlington continues in this sequel to Fiendish Deeds (S & S, 2008). Joy Wells, having halted one attempt at Spooking's gentrification in her first adventure, hopes to have the town preserved as a historical site by proving that it was the residence of her favorite author, E. A. Peugeot. Meanwhile Mr. Phipps, the cynical, ambitious aide to the mayor of Darlington, pursues his aim of getting Spooking wiped off the map by trying to convert the town's mysterious, almost-deserted insane asylum into a modern spa and cosmetic-surgery clinic. The themes of confronting mortality and seeking eternal youth appear consistently (if, on occasion, obviously) through the book's numerous entwining threads, which include the secret behind the asylum's reclusive inhabitants, a legend of an undead army, a Gypsy curse, and a mysterious girl. Bracegirdle manages to weave these seemingly disparate ideas into a gripping climax while leaving a few compelling mysteries for the trilogy's conclusion. Joy's nonconformist attitude and bouts of self-doubt will speak to many readers, and Phipps makes for a complex antagonist. Give this series to fans of Alvin Schwartz's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (HarperCollins, 2010) or Neil Gaiman's Coraline (HarperCollins, 2002) read-alikes.-Christi Esterle, Parker Library, CO

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