Readers ages 10 and up who love the idea of vampires, mummies, and all things Halloween will shiver with delight over James Crowley’s latest novel, “Monsterland” (G.P. Putnam’s Sons).
It’s the story of fifth grader Charlie Cooper, who is haunted by dreams of his cousin Billy, who had gone missing the previous year while attempting to swim across a cold river. On All Hallow’s Eve, Charlie thinks he sees his cousin and begins following the caped figure. But he wasn’t trailing Billy disguised as a vampire; he followed an actual vampire, who is revealed to be the Prime Minister of Monsterland, a reservation formed by the government to corral “the strange and unusual, the gruesome, the different, and the feared.” The land is teaming with unruly supernatural residents, and Charlie has to decide whether he’s going to flee or search this valley of creepiness for his dear cousin.
Crowley’s charming characters are a sweet Halloween treat.
“Monsterland” book by James Crowley, $16.99, www.Amazo
