Always October

August 20, 2012
Sixth-grade best friends Jake and Lily (no relation to the headliners of Jerry Spinelli's recent Jake and Lily) narrate alternate chapters of this monster-filled adventure, chronicling their odyssey into a land they had mistakenly believed was a fictional creation of Jake's fantasy-writing grandfather. Sympathetic to each other's quirksâJake's obsessive-compulsive tapping and "problem with bridges," Lily's love of macabre songs ("Cannibal Bunnies Go to the Fair")âthey find refuge reading in their cemetery mausoleum hangout. When a baby appears on Jake's doorstep, and later transforms into a monster, the children, Lily's Grampa Gnarly, and others are forced to engage larger mysteries. Together they embark on a full-throttle race to save both the baby and the "Woven Worlds" from the Unravelers, who wish to sever ties between Humana and Always October, a place created from human imagination to "manifest and hold the fears that come with being alive." Coville (the My Teacher Is an Alien books) offers an entertaining, spine-tingling rollick as the group uncovers long-hidden secrets and discovers unknown strengths. Ages 8â12.

A full cast of voices brings this spooky, fun audiobook to life. The delight begins with the voices of the children who portray 12-year-old Jake and Lily, two friends who discover the world of "Always October," where monsters rule. Kids and adults will marvel at the excellent and refreshing performances of these two young narrators, as well as every other perfectly cast voice. There are many monster voices, some of them funny and others utterly frightening. As Lily and Jake try to escape from "Always October" and save the human world, their exciting adventures are enhanced by sound effects and fitting music. This is a perfectly entertaining thriller for anyone who loves a good scare. M.M.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine