Read at Your Own Risk

Both over-the-top silly and genuinely scary, this graphic tale of a curse ending in a classic twist is preternaturally perfect for readers looking to play around with the horror genre.

An ominous yet irresistible story that will delight and distress in equal measure.

Seventh grader Hannah Lee finds herself cursed after sneaking out of an assembly to the school’s supposedly haunted attic with her friends. Constructed as Hannah’s illustrated sketch diary, which is filled with drawings by Lai (Ghost Book) rendered in b&w with blood-red accents, Hannah notes all the strange things that begin happening to her following the game. In biology class, a knife slips out of her hand and lands "smack-dab in the middle of my forehead," while further investigation of an itch in her gums reveals centipedes "scratching my jawbone tingly and torturous." When the sinister force at play starts communicating with her via her journal, Hannah must find a way to expunge the evil presence or face dire consequences. But even as Hannah investigates, the curse taunts her: "You ungrateful brat.... Without the villain, there would be no obstacles, no opportunities for the hero to become a hero." Lai’s fast-paced, body-horror-centric tale sets up an accessible and eerie mystery through which the protagonist grapples with spine-tingling terrors, uncovers previously hidden personal potential, and forms stronger connections. Character skin tones reflect the white of the page. Ages 8-12.

Copyright 2024 Publisher’s Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 3-5-Bugs crawling under skin and teeth falling out are the stuff of nightmares, making them perfect fodder for this heavily illustrated horror title. Readers follow Hannah after she is cursed by an ominous entity who lives in her school's abandoned library. She documents a series of freak accidents through increasingly frantic journal entries and as she attempts to rid herself of the hex, the entity begins to write back to her. Lai has already shown a talent for both humor and horror for middle graders, and this title is a natural fit for her talents. She strips down her usual warm and goofy illustrative style, as seen in Pawcasso and Pie in the Sky, for menacing doodles featuring vacant, black eyes, sharp teeth, and blood stains. Yet in both illustrations and text, she avoids tilting into overly scary territory, using comedic breaks and outlandish situations to maintain a balance for skittish readers. There are some logic jumps and missing details that might trip up the most observant, but the story's chaotic energy will inspire them to keep those pages turning. VERDICT For tweens seeking "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" meets Tim Burton, this is an enjoyable scare that may prompt readers to write their own.

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.