Creepshow

July 1, 2020
Cooper delivers two original novellas inspired by the popular Creepshow films and television series. In The Taker, after her family moves to a new town, eighth grader Bea enters a middle school where she's thrilled to join the dance team, even if her fellow dancers aren't the nicest girls at school. When Bea meets the ghost of a seemingly friendly teen girl named Kimmie--who has a penchant for swiping small items and who is haunting her room--she welcomes the company. However, as Bea bends under the toxic influence of her new friends, she discovers that her friendly ghost may not be so friendly after all. In Pretty Polly, 13-year-old animal lover Casey, who lives with his struggling single mom, is thrilled when he's allowed to adopt his dream pet, an African grey parrot. Dorian Grey was advertised as free to a good home, and Casey quickly realizes that Dorian is preternaturally smart but has a dangerously wicked streak. Utilizing neat twists to emphasize well-known cautionary tales are a trademark of the Creepshow franchise, as is its particular brand of twisted humor. Cooper somewhat successfully pulls off the former but not the latter, and the straightforward, rather simplistic prose doesn't allow for much nuance. However, in another nod to the source material, the comic-book panels in the preface are a nice touch. All characters seem to be white. Teens seeking intense scares, or really, any scares at all, should look elsewhere. (Horror. 12-14)

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September 18, 2020

Gr 7 Up-This book includes two stories. Bea doesn't quite feel comfortable in her new home and before long, strange things begin happening. One night Bea awakens to a girl standing in her bedroom. This girl, Kimmie, is the ghost of a girl who used to live in this room; the two girls decide to be friends. However, Kimmie soon grows jealous of Bea and the friends she makes at school. After a frightening incident, Bea decides she needs to get rid of Kimmie. In the second story, Casey is a teenage boy who loves animals. He lives with his mom since his parents divorced, and while Casey is happy, he wishes he could have more pets, specifically an African grey parrot. Casey soon stumbles upon an ad in which someone is giving away his dream pet. African greys are smart, but Dodie seems almost human inam his ability to converse with Casey and his mom. It becomes apparent that there is something different about Dodie. Both stories have a Twilight Zone feel, and while Bea's story takes time to build, Casey's is compulsively readable. Both include some dark scenes that are surprising, given the lighthearted feel throughout the preceding text, but this aids in increasing the scare factor. The writing is simplistic and straightforward, and the characters are mostly believable. The race of the characters is not mentioned, except one of Bea's friends is described as having light brown skin. VERDICT Purchase where creepy fiction is popular.-Lisa Buffi, Sterling M.S., VA

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