The Dusk Society

May 30, 2011
The eponymous society is a team of scientific and spiritual masters, formed in the early 20th century to combat a dark sorcerer conveniently named Pierceblood, just in case you forget he's the villain. Working with Pierceblood is a team of classic literary villains, including Frankenstein's monster and Dracula. The story takes place in the modern era at a smalltown high school and focuses on four students. Barbara, Nick, Ronnie, and Ishitaâa psychic, a hacker, a slacker, and a chemistry whiz, respectivelyâare chosen by a mysterious Dusk Society recruiter, Miss Raven, to fight against Pierceblood. Ishita is the only memorable one in the bunch thanks to her quirky personality; the rest feel like the sort of cookie-cutter teen personalities you see in educational videos. In fact, the story's tone has an air of middle school library fiction. What's worse is that the all-star cast is never used effectively, with Dracula and the monster barely getting any face time. On the bright side, Kumar's artwork is enjoyable, and the characters are likable in spite of their flatness. Tweens stuck on a long car ride may find this serviceable fare.

July 1, 2011

Gr 7 Up-A secret organization called The Dusk Society has been fighting evil for generations. More than half of the book is filled with the tale of how its newest recruits fight an army of monsters led by the evil Mr. Pierceblood in the small town of Pembleton. The mysterious and beautiful Miss Raven appears at the beginning and the end of the book as a kind of narrator ex machina. She addresses readers directly, explaining that they need to hear about the dangers of membership in The Dusk Society before signing a contract pledging their lives to the cause. She also appears as a teacher at Pembleton High and tells a group of students who show up for detention that they are the newest recruits. After they fend off an attack by Pierceblood's minions (including Dracula and Dr. Frankenstein), Miss Raven then tells the teens about the history of the society, and they learn about some of its more famous members. Kumar's colorful illustrations employ a creative use of frames, lines, and angles to give a unique perspective to the action. This stand-alone story will be most appreciated by teens who enjoy tales that are suspenseful but not terrifying.-Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.