Scarlett Hart: Monster Hunter

March 5, 2018
Scarlett Hart is a first-rate hunter of monsters, even if she is technically under the legal age to work for the local monster-hunting academy. With the help of her deceased parents’ staff—the ever-dapper and car-loving Napoleon, and the kind and doting Mrs. White—Scarlett races from scene to scene, protecting the city and capturing evidence of monsters for her employers. But the Count, the family’s lifelong nemesis, has it in for her, thwarting her efforts until Scarlett isn’t sure who is a bigger threat—him or the growing number of monsters that plague early-20th-century London. Sedgwick and Taylor’s story unfolds in lively action sequences, and the banter between Scarlett and Napoleon provides humorous interludes. Sedgwick, in his first middle grade offering, presents obstacles both monstrous and mundane: Scarlett doesn’t just hunt monsters for the thrill of it—her livelihood depends upon it. Taylor’s energetic artwork captures the time and place through the use of metallic grays and browns, while integrating an array of gothic and steampunk motifs. Ages 10–14.

February 1, 2018

Gr 4-7-Sedgwick displays his mastery of the macabre-though with a humorous flourish-in his first middle grade graphic novel. Scarlett Hart, the orphan daughter of a pair of famous monster hunters, certainly has the bravery and gumption to follow in her parents' footsteps. Trouble is, she's still a few years shy of legal monster-hunting age-not to mention that her rival Count Stankovic is trying to tip off the Watch (the local police) so they'll catch Scarlett in the act and arrest her. The good news: Scarlett and her butler, Napoleon, have set up an expert system in which he reports her monster kills to the Royal Academy for the Pursuit and Eradication of Zoological Eccentricities (T.R.A.P.E.Z.E.) on her behalf. The bad news: Count Stankovic is definitely up to something behind the scenes, and when Scarlett and Napoleon begin to pry, more than just Scarlett's monster-hunting future is at stake. From ghosts to gargoyles to mummies, there's no shortage of cryptids in this rapid-fire romp. In fact, so much happens that the characters consequently fall a bit flat. The action sequences can be difficult to follow at times, but Taylor's muted full-color art is deliciously dark and eerie. The weapons, gadgets, catchphrases, and nondescript Victorian setting will appeal to fans of the steampunk genre. VERDICT While the story isn't especially inventive, the title-and its possible sequels-will likely appeal to comic fans as a bridge between Scooby-Doo! and Paul Pope's "Battling Boy."-Alec Chunn, Eugene Public Library, OR

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2018
Following the path set by her renowned, deceased parents, young Scarlett Hart battles against monsters, ghouls, and all other kinds of dreadful things.As an underage hunter, Scarlett must keep her activities a secret from the Royal Academy for the Pursuit and Eradication of Zoological Eccentricities; she must also contend with the vile Count Stankovic, a rival hunter who holds a personal vendetta against Hart. Aided by her wry butler, Napoleon, Scarlett hunts spectral hounds and mummies to earn just enough money to keep her little operation running. To keep on hunting means risking it all, especially when her nemesis manages to get Hart in trouble with the Academy. Monster hunt after monster hunt keeps the story whizzing along nicely, with plot developments and revelations sprinkled throughout in a rollicking manner. Rough and scrappy, Taylor's illustrations convey ghoulish cool with subtle aplomb, even as moments of action get muddled at times from panel to panel. Muted colors and a London backdrop set an appropriate mood, casting the monsters and baddies in a particularly gruesome light. As more monsters pop up in Scarlett's world, and the Count grows into an even bigger menace, the young hunter uncovers secrets both great and small. Meanwhile, rumors swirl about a book called the Codex Monstrorum and its dangerous properties. This graphic novel features a cast of mostly but not exclusively light-skinned characters, with a plucky, pale-skinned heroine at its center.Fun for a spooky night, anchored by likable characters and a zippy story. (Graphic horror. 10-14)

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February 15, 2018
Grades 5-8 Grotesque creatures, murky atmosphere, long-buried secrets, and a tenacious tween with a nose for mystery combine in this spirited adventure from award-winning Sedgwick. Scarlett Hart is carrying on the tradition of her late monster-hunting parents, though she's officially too young, according to the academy overseeing monster hunting. Helped by her loyal, fretting butler, Napoleon White, Scarlett secretly roams the country in search of monsters, but lately there have been more than ever. Meanwhile, when the scheming Count Stankovic isn't busy swooping in and snagging her monsters, he's trying to ruin her reputation at the academy. Taylor's palette of saturated, dusky tones contributes to the eerie setting, his fine-lined cartoon figuresparticularly the Lovecraftian monstershave a great sense of movement and expression, and he deftly choreographs action in each dynamic panel layout. A cliff-hanger ending, along with a handful of secrets about Scarlett's parents left unexplained, hopefully means there's a sequel yet to come. This solid middle-grade caper is perfect for fans of Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller's Nightmares! series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)