The Monsters of Rookhaven, odd, a little evil and great for ages 9 and up

A great heel makes the difference in stories that entertain, vs. those that flounder. It’s especially true in wrestling, as well as, literature. If the heel isn’t a strong one then the audience can be hopeful that it moves along quickly; with the vestiges of said plot point withering away due to its lack of spandex or words. The Monsters of Rookhaven is mglit that runs from the first page. It’s brilliantly weird, fun to read and feels familiar enough to bring in reluctant readers, while being different enough to satisfy those who need something new.

First off, the major element of a functional family of monsters and weirdoes will make some readers immediately think this is homage to The Addams Family. It’s not. They’re both a family, but Mirabelle’s family has more depth, love, secrets, and horror. We’re fans of any mglit book that can introduce horror to those ages.

We’re reading The Thief of Always to a group of fifth-graders in class now. Some of the students were jokingly asking if it’s appropriate that age group after hearing the description of Rictus. I interjected that this was a fable that is 100% on point for these ages. I further blew their minds by telling them that the book was originally published in 1992. My point to them, that I hope that they understood, is that it’s OK, it’s fun, healthy and entertaining for upper elementary readers to have darker elements in their fiction or fantasy.

The Monsters of Rookhaven starts out with Mirabelle chatting with uncle Bertram, and Enoch as they celebrate the news of someone new coming to their home. They look out the window while their tree-sized-Venus Fly Trap-esque plants move their jaws to and fro in search of bones, food or other sustenance. The trio is also concerned about humans, they always seem to bring chaos to their kind whenever they appear.

That chapter ends cold, and the next one starts with Jem and her brother, Tom in the car at night. He’s a bit of a grifter and they’ve been going from town to town when she sees a glimmer of something in the forest. It looks like a ripped curtain, with the exposed area showing a gothic home that’s unlike anything where they are now. It still resembles a curtain when the two approach the wavy fabric, with its edges illuminated from the light on the other side. Even though Tom’s a bit under the weather, he fearlessly steps through the hole and the two of their worlds turn upside down.

Unfortunately for Tom, he’s really sick and spends a lot of the story either in bed or recovering. The driver of The Monsters of Brookhaven is the friendship between Jem and Mirabelle. They shouldn’t even be near one another, much less be friends, but they’re around the same age so they make the best of it. It’s the how Jem and Tom were able to step through the hole that becomes the issue. You see, Mirabelle’s family has a pact with the local town. It’s a two-way agreement that both parties have kept it copasetic, until now. This mystery, the mistrust that’s been brewing between the family and the humans, not to mention the fact that the monsters have something major happening in their family all add up to a beautiful story.

It’s ripe with allegory and metaphors that readers will insert certain stories here or there. However, the book is its own and has a mean streak, the heel that readers won’t see coming. It’s especially great because the curve could’ve come in a predictable and clichéd manner.

Instead, The Monsters of Rookhaven takes its time. We see the friendship play out in an organic fashion. Mirabelle discovers some things about her family that she didn’t know. Jem realizes that some humans might deserve more trust, or suspicion than she immediately gave them. The book establishes a great sense of age-appropriate dread, that’s laced with friendship and then interjected with monsters and a dash of family. Ultimately though, this is mglit that’s oddly refreshing. It’s unpredictable, odd fashion and characters add up to something that ages nine and up will be able to read, in addition to hanging on every curious and dreadful word.

The Monsters of Rookhaven is by Padraig Kenny, with illustrations by Edward Bettison and available on Henry Holt and Company, an imprint of Macmillan Publishing.

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