Grounded for all eternity

Book Cover
Average Rating
Publisher
Aladdin
Publication Date
2022.
Language
English

Description

A group of kids from hell come to Earth on one of the craziest nights of the year—Halloween—in this “entertaining, high-octane” (Kirkus Reviews) middle grade adventure about teamwork, friendship, shattering expectations, and understanding the world (or otherworld) around us.Malachi and his friends are just your regular average kids from hell. The suburbs that is, not the fiery pit part. But when Hell’s Bells ring out—signaling that a soul has escaped from one of the eternal circles, Mal and his friends can’t help but take the opportunity for a little adventure. Before they know it, they’ve somehow slipped through the veil and found themselves in the middle of Salem, Massachusetts, on Halloween night. And what’s even worse, they’ve managed to bring the escaped soul with them! As the essence of one of history’s greatest manipulators gains power by shifting the balance on Earth, Mal and his squad-mates—along with some new friends that they meet along the way—work desperately to trap the escapee, save the people of Earth from the forces of evil, and find the portal back to their own dimension. If they can’t manage it before their parents realize they’re gone, they’ll be grounded for an eternity. And an eternity in hell is a very, very long time.

More Details

ISBN
9781534483361

Discover More

Also in this Series

Checking series information...

Published Reviews

Publisher's Weekly Review

Dark fantasy collides with Dante-esque imagery in debut author Marks's nail-biting occult adventure, in which a fateful act of rebellion strands an adolescent group of literal hell's angels on Earth. In the infernal suburbs, black-winged middle schooler Malachi is on a school holiday before following in his parents' footsteps and becoming a "power"--a guardian of damned souls held in one of nine Dante-inspired circles. But vacation is rendered boring when an especially dangerous soul, puritan minister Samuel Parris--who acted as a ringleader during the Salem witch trials--escapes from hell's eighth circle (which houses manipulators), resulting in a lockdown. After stumbling through a thin interdimensional veil on Samhain, Mal, along with close friends and fellow fledgling powers Crowley and Lilith, become stuck in Salem, Mass., having unknowingly let another party--Parris--through the veil. Already simmering tensions heighten as the group test their training and friendship, desperate to return Parris to his prison and frantically navigating hell's bureaucracy in search of a way home. Though characterizations can be thinly rendered, a breakneck plot, rousing fight scenes, and light romance drive this action-forward fantasy with a unique premise. Characters read as white. Ages 8--12. Agent: Victoria Wells Arms, Wells Arms Literary/HG Literary. (July)

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Powered by Syndetics

Kirkus Book Review

Middle school can be hell. In this case, quite literally, as middle school fallen angels Malachi, Lilith, and Crowley find themselves transported through an opening in the veil from their suburb in Hell to present-day Salem, Massachusetts, on Halloween. The trio are excited for the adventure, as their weeklong break from classes has been woefully disappointing; Hell's been in lockdown since the soul of Samuel Parris--the Puritan minister who oversaw the Salem witch trials--escaped from the eighth circle. After the three fallen angels attempt to return home, they realize that Parris escaped with them, and Hell has a rule that's keeping them from returning home: The same number that leaves must return. In addition, Parris' evil soul is affecting the citizens of Salem, making it a dangerous place and rendering him more corporeal. The trio have to work with young locals Charity and Sean (a witch and psychic, respectively) and social worker seraph Cassandra before Heaven obliterates the town to stop it from becoming Hell on Earth. This is an entertaining, high-octane story that moves with the speed of a bat out of...you know where. The forward momentum will keep the attention of readers who appreciate plot-driven stories. Mal's fear of change as he and his friends get older feels realistic, and his attraction to both Lilith and Sean adds some nuance, but other characters are more two-dimensional. All characters are presumed White. Fast-paced and amusing. (Adventure. 9-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Powered by Syndetics

PW Annex Reviews

Dark fantasy collides with Dante-esque imagery in debut author Marks's nail-biting occult adventure, in which a fateful act of rebellion strands an adolescent group of literal hell's angels on Earth. In the infernal suburbs, black-winged middle schooler Malachi is on a school holiday before following in his parents' footsteps and becoming a "power"—a guardian of damned souls held in one of nine Dante-inspired circles. But vacation is rendered boring when an especially dangerous soul, puritan minister Samuel Parris—who acted as a ringleader during the Salem witch trials—escapes from hell's eighth circle (which houses manipulators), resulting in a lockdown. After stumbling through a thin interdimensional veil on Samhain, Mal, along with close friends and fellow fledgling powers Crowley and Lilith, become stuck in Salem, Mass., having unknowingly let another party—Parris—through the veil. Already simmering tensions heighten as the group test their training and friendship, desperate to return Parris to his prison and frantically navigating hell's bureaucracy in search of a way home. Though characterizations can be thinly rendered, a breakneck plot, rousing fight scenes, and light romance drive this action-forward fantasy with a unique premise. Characters read as white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Victoria Wells Arms, Wells Arms Literary/HG Literary. (July)

Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly Annex.

Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly Annex.
Powered by Content Cafe

Reviews from GoodReads

Loading GoodReads Reviews.

Staff View

Loading Staff View.