Hearts & other body parts: a novel

The influence of classic gothic horror novels is clear in this modern-day first novel, which gathers three witch sisters, a Frankenstein's monster, and vampires in an American high-school setting. Witch sisters Esmeralda, Veronica, and Katy befriend gentle, ugly giant Norman, whose Frankensteinian origins are definitely weird and a wonder of modern science and medicine. Complicating their simple, everyday lives is the arrival of vampire Zack, caretaker for the mysterious Ancient One. The undead boy stirs up unrest between the sisters, who begin using their powers for the first time in many years, hexing and spelling themselves and one another in various wild ways. Even worse is the enmity between Norman and Zack, who find themselves immediately at odds. This is Monster High for the YA set: the fun kind of scary with a little bit of romance and a healthy dose of humor mixed in. It may not sound like it should work, but it does and is sure to hook readers with ease.--Comfort, Stacey Copyright 2017 Booklist

Debut novelist Bloom combines classic monster story tropes and characters with a modern high school setting in this clever if uneven comedy. Esme, Katy, and Ronnie Silver hail from a long line of witches, but their sisterly bond is broken when two very different boys enter their lives. The first is Franklin Norman Stein (yes, Frank N. Stein), who goes by Norm; a highly intelligent boy with acromegaly and various cancers, Norm has been reassembled in true Frankensteinian fashion after being cryogenically frozen by his genius father. The second boy is Zack Kallas, a vampire in search of new blood. All three Silver sisters fall for Zack, jealousy overtakes them, and they set about sabotaging each other's chances with him via hexes and spells. Little do they realize that winning Zack's heart means becoming lunch for Zack and his master, the Ancient One. Though the setup in this monster mashup is as slow as Norm's shuffling gait, the story picks up as tongue-in-cheek humor and sharp-edged dialogue create spiky interactions among Bloom's supernatural teenage cast. Ages 14-up. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Gr 8 Up-Esmeralda "Esme" Silver has a pretty good life. She has two great younger sisters named Katy and Veronica, is on track to attend Stanford when she graduates, and is a practicing witch. Esme becomes fascinated when a monstrous boy named Norman moves to town. She is challenged by his intellect and wit, and the two become fast friends. That is, until Zach Kallas moves to town. He catches the eye of both Katy and Veronica, and Esme falls prey to his charms as well. The only problem? Zach is a vampire with a habit of killing girls who develop feelings for him. Norm struggles to bring Esme to her senses, but will he be too late? This debut novel attempts to modernize and update characters such as Frankenstein and Dracula by changing their names, turning them into teenagers, and placing them in a high school setting. Unfortunately, the dialogue is confusing, with many attempts at humor that fall short. Even more confounding is the inclusion of Esme's "demon cat," Kasha, her "familiar" who speaks English aloud and has served the Silver family for generations. As the story progresses, Kasha's speech and intent are never truly made clear. The cat is obviously an attempt at comic relief that just doesn't land on its feet. VERDICT A supplemental purchase for collections that need additional horror titles.-Ryan P. Donovan, Southborough Public Library, MA © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

The influence of classic gothic horror novels is clear in this modern-day first novel, which gathers three witch sisters, a Frankenstein's monster, and vampires in an American high-school setting. Witch sisters Esmeralda, Veronica, and Katy befriend gentle, ugly giant Norman, whose Frankensteinian origins are definitely weird and a wonder of modern science and medicine. Complicating their simple, everyday lives is the arrival of vampire Zack, caretaker for the mysterious Ancient One. The undead boy stirs up unrest between the sisters, who begin using their powers for the first time in many years, hexing and spelling themselves and one another in various wild ways. Even worse is the enmity between Norman and Zack, who find themselves immediately at odds. This is Monster High for the YA set: the fun kind of scary with a little bit of romance and a healthy dose of humor mixed in. It may not sound like it should work, but it does and is sure to hook readers with ease. Copyright 2017 Booklist Reviews.

Debut novelist Bloom combines classic monster story tropes and characters with a modern high school setting in this clever if uneven comedy. Esme, Katy, and Ronnie Silver hail from a long line of witches, but their sisterly bond is broken when two very different boys enter their lives. The first is Franklin Norman Stein (yes, Frank N. Stein), who goes by Norm; a highly intelligent boy with acromegaly and various cancers, Norm has been reassembled in true Frankensteinian fashion after being cryogenically frozen by his genius father. The second boy is Zack Kallas, a vampire in search of new blood. All three Silver sisters fall for Zack, jealousy overtakes them, and they set about sabotaging each other's chances with him via hexes and spells. Little do they realize that winning Zack's heart means becoming lunch for Zack and his master, the Ancient One. Though the setup in this monster mashup is as slow as Norm's shuffling gait, the story picks up as tongue-in-cheek humor and sharp-edged dialogue create spiky interactions among Bloom's supernatural teenage cast. Ages 14–up. (Mar.)

Gr 8 Up—Esmeralda "Esme" Silver has a pretty good life. She has two great younger sisters named Katy and Veronica, is on track to attend Stanford when she graduates, and is a practicing witch. Esme becomes fascinated when a monstrous boy named Norman moves to town. She is challenged by his intellect and wit, and the two become fast friends. That is, until Zach Kallas moves to town. He catches the eye of both Katy and Veronica, and Esme falls prey to his charms as well. The only problem? Zach is a vampire with a habit of killing girls who develop feelings for him. Norm struggles to bring Esme to her senses, but will he be too late? This debut novel attempts to modernize and update characters such as Frankenstein and Dracula by changing their names, turning them into teenagers, and placing them in a high school setting. Unfortunately, the dialogue is confusing, with many attempts at humor that fall short. Even more confounding is the inclusion of Esme's "demon cat," Kasha, her "familiar" who speaks English aloud and has served the Silver family for generations. As the story progresses, Kasha's speech and intent are never truly made clear. The cat is obviously an attempt at comic relief that just doesn't land on its feet. VERDICT A supplemental purchase for collections that need additional horror titles.—Ryan P. Donovan, Southborough Public Library, MA