Small Town Monsters

July 15, 2021
When sinister influences threaten to take over, two teens stand in the way of evil destruction. Vera Martinez is a regular, introverted high school junior. She has a part-time job, struggles to fit in, and dreams of escaping her small town after graduation. Not-so-typical, however, is the fact that her parents fight demons on behalf of the Catholic Church and keep a catalog of possessed relics in their off-limits basement. Vera's family has a reputation for being creepy, and being the daughter of demon hunters hasn't done much for her social standing. When popular athlete Maxwell Oliver appeals for her help in ridding his mom of a strange new affliction, Vera isn't sure she shares her parents' supernatural gifts and doubts that she can be of much help. The pair begin to notice that their small town has had much more than its fair share of tragedy in the years since a gas explosion killed 18 community members. Is this horrible accident connected to the subsequent rash of suicides and casualties? Vera and Max must confront the evil forces closing in on their community while navigating their own feelings of grief and self-doubt. Themes of religious faith, personal identity, and perseverance are woven throughout. The strong writing, ghoulish details, and brisk plot give this work reader appeal. Vera is Irish and Puerto Rican, and Max has Jamaican, Dominican, and European ancestry. An eerie thriller emphasizing the power of inner strength. (author's note, sources) (Paranormal. 12-18)

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September 15, 2021
Grades 7-10 This eerie paranormal mystery features Vera Martinez, a high-school junior who keeps mostly to herself and dreams of leaving her small town after graduating. Her parents are far less typical, seeing as they fight demons for the Catholic Church. Her parents' reputation leads popular athlete Maxwell Oliver to ask Vera for help when his mother starts displaying some very creepy behavior. Though Vera doesn't believe she has any supernatural gifts herself, she and Maxwell team up and realize they have a mystery on their hands that's connected to a cult and a deadly gas explosion that previously rocked their community. Wallach folds in multicultural details tied to Vera's Irish and Puerto Rican heritage and Max's Jamaican, Dominican, and European ancestry, and she further enhances the plot through themes of grief and confronting inner demons as the duo deals with personal growth and issues--all while residing in a very strange town. Filled with great storytelling and surprises, this book will grab readers from page one.

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October 1, 2021

Gr 7-10-The occult abounds in Roaring Creek, including strange deaths, a local religious cult, and demonic possession. Vera Martinez's parents have cornered the market on exorcising demons and storing them in their basement, which happens to be in the creepy haunted house where local kids dare each other to go up on the porch on a dark night. Vera is Puerto Rican and Irish (and cued as Catholic) and is thought to be a witch. She dresses the part, including dark hair, black nail polish, and dark-colored hospital scrubs. Meanwhile, Max's mom has fallen into addiction since the death of her husband and seems less and less like herself-including speaking in creepy, gravely voices invoking the beyond. Jamaican-Italian Max has been raising his younger sister for the past seven years, but more and more it seems it is his own mother who presents the biggest threat. Of course, Vera's parents are "away on business" in Barcelona and can't return on short notice to deal with Max's mom's possession. Vera's been having clairvoyant dreams and thinks she may have some innate ability to handle the demon on her own. Of note is the fact that even the minor characters are assigned mixed race identities, but these don't seem to be significant other than in some food culture and implied Catholicism. VERDICT With a potential movie reboot of the original in the works, this might serve as a taste of The Exorcist condensed into a bite-size morsel.-Leah Krippner, Harlem H.S., Machesney Park, IL

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