Review: The Slither Sisters

The Slither Sisters by Charles Gilman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Book Info: Genre: Urban Fantasy
Reading Level: Middle Grade (10 on up)
Recommended for: fans of MG adventure series with Lovecraftian overtones.
Trigger Warnings: Snakes

Disclosure: I bought this book for myself because I so enjoyed Professor Gargoyle, the first book in the series. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: Seventh-grader Robert Arthur has discovered that two of his classmates are actually sinister snake-women in disguise. Even worse, his new middle school is full of “gates” to a terrifying alternate dimension–a haunted mansion full of strange spirits and monstrous beasts.  For Robert to protect his teachers and classmates, he'll need to return to this haunted dimension with his best friends Glenn and Karina.  Can they uncover the secrets of Lovecraft Middle School before it's too late?

My Thoughts: I just finished re-reading the first book in this fun series, Professor Gargoyle (review linked here where formatting allowed). These are very quick reads, since they’re illustrated and large print on small pages.

Things are becoming weirder at Lovecraft Middle School. Robert is learning a few people he can trust, but there is always treachery lurking where it is least expected. Just brilliant and a lot of fun.

I was a little annoyed by an illustration of a snake with rattles on its tail and fangs when the text was talking about a boa. Boas do not have fangs, and only rattlesnakes have rattles on their tails. That was just sloppy on the part of the illustrator, trying to make the snake look more menacing. Other than that the illustrations were fun; I especially liked the first one in the book, of the principal’s office, with a huge, worried portrait of H.P. Lovecraft himself behind the secretary’s desk. Mr. Loomis, however, looks like just a taller student rather than a teacher in the one toward the back where he is featured. At first I was confused and thought it was Howard Mergler.

If you enjoy a fun adventure with Lovecraftian overtones, you can’t go wrong with this enjoyable middle-grade adventure series. I know I’m eager for the third book in the series, Teacher’s Pest, due out in May 2013! This time I’ll try to be patient to see if it comes out through Vine before I buy it for myself; if I had waited one week, I could have had this one free through Vine, but no, I had to be impatient and buy it myself...



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