A Misfortune of Lake Monsters

May 1, 2024
The town of Devil's Elbow, Pennsylvania, has its very own Loch Ness monster type of creature called Old Lucy. The legend of Old Lucy and the ongoing sightings are what have kept tourists visiting and the town thriving while neighboring towns have fallen onto hard times. Lemon's family has been secretly responsible for keeping the legend alive by impersonating Old Lucy for generations, and now it's her turn to take over the family business. Like any high school senior, Lemon has her plans, and sticking around to keep being a fake lake monster is not one of them. But everything Lemon thought she knew about monsters changes when Devil's Elbow experiences a freak earthquake. The following day, Lemon and her dogs have a terrifying encounter with a real-life monster in the lake. Unfortunately, unlike Old Lucy, this is no cute purple serpent. This behemoth is hungry and ready to eat its way through the population of Devil's Elbow. The first-person narration alternates between Lemon, who's coded white, and Troy Ramirez, her best friend and love interest, who's cued Latine. Though the setup is original and intriguing, the book doesn't hit its mark: The author juggles too much in too short a space. Some of the plot twists and secrets are easily identifiable, while others come completely out of left field. None of the characters feel fully complete, and the sense of urgency in the story arrives too late. An interesting premise that fails to deliver. (Horror. 13-18)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2024
Grades 9-12 Wolverton blends two tropes--myths of local monsters and friends working together to solve a mystery--in this fast-paced novel with a plot that will drag readers right in. Lemon Ziegler feels stuck in her small town of Devil's Elbow, Pennsylvania. She wants to leave for college, but she feels obligated to stay in Devil's Elbow in order to keep up the hoax of the town's lake monster, Old Lucy, which her family has been impersonating for generations. Old Lucy tourism brings curious adventurers to town, and it's an important part of their local economy. But when Lemon and her friends discover a real monster in the lake, they become invested in protecting their community and investigating why so much of their town's secretive history is connected to monster lore. Wolverton's knack for vivid descriptions, creepy settings, and snappy banter among the relatable characters keeps this entertaining horror novel moving at a fast pace. Perfect for teen monster-horror fans who like eerie quests with plenty of personal discoveries thrown in.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 11, 2024

Gr 9 Up-High school senior Lemon Ziegler is in a tough spot; she desperately wants to leave her small Pennsylvania town to go to college, but she can't because she's been chosen to continue her family's secret business of faking lake monster (Old Lucy) sightings. Loyal to cantankerous Pappap, and aware that the town's economy might collapse if Old Lucy ceases to appear, she resigns herself to a life of periodically donning the Old Lucy costume and appearing in Lake Lokakoma. When animals and people start going missing, Lemon knows for certain that it's not the work of Old Lucy and vows to find out what's really happening with the help of her best friends Troy and Darrin, and Amelia, a mysterious gossip who's new to Devil's Elbow. This is a perfect creature feature with a touching romance in the mix thanks to Troy and Lemon's slow realization that they are far more than friends. The characters are real and complicated and supremely likable, and the monster's threat to the town, its residents, and Lemon's friends and family keep the book moving quickly and tensely. Wolverton cleverly pulls the Jaws tactic of keeping the monster hidden until it must be revealed and that works well with the conspiracy theory theme that runs throughout the novel. This is a must-read for fans of cryptids, Roger Cormans, and Stranger Things. VERDICT A fantastic sci-fi creature thriller with a terrific cast of characters makes this an easy recommendation for those who can handle a little gore.-Sarah Maciejewski

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.