Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Book Review: The Luck Uglies by Paul Durham

The Luck Uglies
9780062271501

"Rye O'Chanter has seen a lot of strange things happen in Village Drowning. She and her friends have grown up on Drowning's treacherous streets—its twisted rooftops and forgotten cemeteries are their playground.Now a terrifying encounter on the night of the Black Moon has Rye convinced that the monstrous, supposedly extinct Bog Noblins have returned from the forest Beyond the Shale. There's nobody left who can protect the village. There was once—an exiled secret society so notorious that its name can't be spoken out loud.The Luck Uglies.As Rye dives into Drowning's maze of secrets, rules, and lies, she begins to question everything she's been told about the village's legend of outlaws and beasts . . . and what she'll discover is that it may take a villain to save them from the monsters."

A quite satisfying adventure, with vivid imagery, wonderful character development, and a perfect mix of excitement and humor. Adults may cringe at elements such as the Bog Noblins' habit of wearing their victims' feet around their necks, but really the book is never too dark for the intended middle grade audience, while just enough so to keep them absorbed until the very last page. While this title can easily stand alone, I was happy to see it is part of an expected trilogy, and I already have an order card filled out for part 2 (not due until March, sadly!) Quite an impressive debut!

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