Saturday, March 20, 2010

Book Review: The Darkling Curse: Something Wickedly Weird v. 4 by C. Mould

✰✰✰✰ Stanley Buggles returns for more adventure and excitement in the 4th installment of the Something Wickedly Weird series. Having just recovered the much sought after silver casket, Stanley is looking forward to making Candlestick Hall his permanent home. With his best friend Daisy Grouse and caretakers Mr. & Mrs. Carelli, Stanley settles in to uncover the meaning behind the recently discovered map pieces. However, one piece of the puzzle is missing.

Before they can get to the bottom of it, the peace and quiet of every day life is interrupted by the arrival of thousands of crows. The invasion foretells the arrival of the Darkling family who challenge Stanley's claim to Candlestick Hall. The Darklings move in with their morbid decorations, a coffin, and medicine bottles galore forcing Stanley to divide the house is divided into two sections. Despite the Darkling family's nocturnal habits, Stanley and Daisy race against time uncover the Darkling family's evil plot.

The Bottom Line: The Something Wickedly Weird series is filled with adventure and camaraderie; The Darkling Curse is no exception. Filled with fantastically dark black and white illustrations throughout, this book is just so much fun. Highly recommended for kids in upper grade school and middle school. It's enjoyable reading for girls and boys alike, and I, for one, am looking forward to the next installment.

Details: The Darkling Curse: Something Wickedly Weird v. 4 by Chris Mould. Published by Roaring Brook Press in 2009. 175 p. ISBN: 978-1-59643-387-8

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