Embassy of the Dead (Embassy of the Dead #1)

by Will Mabbitt (Author) Taryn Knight (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

Jake Green is dead. Or he might as well be when he mistakenly accepts a package from the Embassy of the Dead in this hilarious adventure of the afterlife, the first in a series.

When Jake Green opens a mysterious box containing a severed finger, he accidentally summons a grim reaper intent on dragging him to the Eternal Void (yes, it's as fatal as it sounds). Now Jake is running for his life. Luckily, he has a knack for talking to ghosts, which just might help him survive long enough to reach the Embassy of the Dead and plead his case. With the help of a prankster poltergeist and a dead undertaker, Jake dodges fearsome undead creatures, discovers his own ghostly abilities, and gets excused from the school field trip due to a terrible (and made-up) bout of diarrhea. But the Embassy has its own problems, and Jake must be very careful where he places his trust--in both the living and the dead. With a plot that zips and a colorful cast of characters, this delightful new series delivers laughs and shivers in equal measure.

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Kirkus

This series opener is delightfully spooky, complemented by scratchy black-and-white illustrations...A creepy romp.

None

The story is earnest, spooky, and cheerfully bleak. Those with a taste for dark tales will certainly enjoy following Jake on his gothic adventure.

School Library Journal

Gr 4-7--When the world of the dead is coming for you, what do you do? Twelve-year-old Jake thought he had a lot on his shoulders dealing with his parents' divorce. But one afternoon, Jake is mistaken for the wrong living human by ghostly undertaker Stiffkey, who hands him a mysterious box and vanishes. Naturally curious Jake opens the box, which holds the severed finger of a dangerous Reaper, and brings down a terrible fate upon both himself and Stiffkey--banishment to the Eternal Void. Jake, Stiffkey, an assortment of unlikely ghosts, and their human allies set off on an adventure to secure the finger, save themselves, and stave off the power-thirsty Reaper seeking to be reunited with his finger to enable world (and afterworld) domination. While clearly replete with ghouls and ghasts of all stripes, this British import is creepy but never too scary, and packed with laughs. Occasional excerpts from ghostly guide The Book of the Dead catalog different types of spirits, and enticingly expand the world of this series-starter for curious readers. VERDICT Recommend for readers looking for a quick-paced, just-spooky-enough romp.--Darla Salva Cruz, Suffolk Cooperative Lib. Syst., Bellport, NY

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

Knight's interspersed illustrations provide flavor and occasional spooks (her illustration of the terrifying bonewulf is particularly chilling), but her red-nosed, round-cheeked characters add whimsy and a fairy-tale flair that keep this macabre tale from creeping into too-scary territory. Perfect for fans of The Graveyard Book (BCCB 10/08) looking for slightly sillier fare, this is sure to be a Halloween hit, with ghouls and boys eagerly awaiting the rest of the promised series.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 

Will Mabbitt
Will Mabbitt is the author of The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones, illustrated by Ross Collins. His overactive imagination used to get him in trouble but now helps him do his job. He enjoys loitering in graveyards looking for ideas. Will Mabbitt lives with his family on the south coast of England.

Taryn Knight is a self-taught illustrator who grew up homeschooled in the eastern grasslands of Colorado. She lives in Colorado with her friends Delilah and Rosie (a terrier and tabby cat, respectively).
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781536225822
Lexile Measure
690
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Walker Books Us
Publication date
July 05, 2022
Series
Embassy of the Dead
BISAC categories
JUV001000 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure
JUV058000 - Juvenile Fiction | Paranormal, Occult & Supernatural
JUV018000 - Juvenile Fiction | Horror
JUV069000 - Juvenile Fiction | Ghost Stories
Library of Congress categories
Death
Horror stories
Horror tales
Mistaken identity
Mediums
Grim Reaper (Symbolic character)
Embassy buildings
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 09/01/20

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