League of Beastly Dreadfuls

Reviewed by: Kathy George - Gray Public Library, Gray, Me, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 13, 2015

Review

Anastasia, a relatively normal 11 year old is kidnapped from school by two very odd older women who claim to be her long lost great aunts. Told that her parents have died, she is taken to their home- a great Victorian house in the middle of nowhere, that wwas once an insane asylum. The reader is right there with Anastasia as she begins her new life. It is a strange one, filled with questions, locked doors, strange people and odd behavior. She meets a boy whose head is encased in a bird cage, and another who can turn into a shadow. Did I mention there is also guard poodles? Questions abound- who are these aunts and what do they want with Anastasia, who are these boys and why are they here, and after staying a while- the big question- how do they escape? Holly Grant has taken bits of crazy and strung them together to create this series for those readers who are looking for a fun, wacky story that keeps getting stranger page by page. Who knows what is in store for Anastasia in future books.

Overall Book Score: good