Falcon Quinn and the Crimson Vapor

April 15, 2011

Falcon Quinn returns to another exclamation mark–laden year at a school where nobody understands him, the poor little angel—literally. 

At the end of his last year at the Monster Academy, Falcon discovered his angelic nature as well as his true parentage: His father is the demonic Academy headmaster Crow; his mother, queen of the monster-killing guardians. None of this knowledge has made him any more popular. The other kids don't trust him anyway, and it doesn't help that he keeps finding himself in ridiculous scrapes. Did Falcon try to kill his friend Pearl, the famous Chupakabra of Peru? Did he stuff Quagmire, the puddle of bubbling glop, in his godzooka during band practice? When Falcon flees from monsters and finds himself among guardians, he discovers those monster-killers resemble his monster friends more closely than either side would like to admit. The silliness is consistently funny but not consistently age-appropriate; a pirate referring to the bottom of the sea as "Peter Tork's locker" is a groaner that will zoom right over the heads of middle-school readers. For the most part, however, egg-laying werechicken boys and Hamlet "as written in the original Frankenstein dialect" will keep giggles coming. The humor provides necessary counterpoint to the trowelled-on nobody-loves-me angst.

Goofy, overenthusiastic nonsense with just enough rambling plot to hold it all together. (Fantasy. 9-11)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

August 1, 2011

Gr 5-8-It's a new year for Falcon Quinn but things haven't changed much. Sure, he's an angel now, but being the only angel anyone can remember isn't that great when all you're trying to do is find where you fit in. Couple that with the fact that most everyone-monsters and guardians alike-thinks he is a traitor and it looks like another lonely year for him. In this sequel to Falcon Quinn and the Black Mirror (HarperCollins, 2010), readers are introduced to several new characters, some good, some bad, and some who are exactly the same as already existing characters. The new arrivals are interesting for the most part, but only add to an already convoluted population of peripheral people. The story, while mostly enjoyable, is occasionally uneven, especially when characterizations are contrived more to fit the action than the established personality. And while there are some interesting plot twists, Falcon spends most of the story pondering his loneliness or the importance of being true to oneself. That said, Crimson Vapor is a quick, high-energy read that should be met with some enthusiasm by fans of the first book.-Erick Knapp, Davis Library, Plano, TX

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2011
Grades 5-8 In Falcon Quinn and the Black Mirror (2010), Falcon, an angel, learned that he is the son of a monster and the queen of the monster-hunting Guardians. Deciding to live as neither a Guardian nor a monster, Falcon tries to enjoy a trip to the Monster Island amusement park and then a new year at the Academy of Monsters. However, suspicions swirl about the spring disappearance of two of Falcons friends, and Falcon vows to find them, solve the mystery of a vapor-emitting amulet, and discover where he belongs. Newcomers may be lost, but series fans will enjoy this installment.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)