Desmond Pucket and the Mountain Full of Monsters

Though I haven't read the first Desmond Pucket book, it didn't matter one bit as this second one alludes to the first but stands alone just fine. I like the main character, 6th grader Desmond, and he feels pretty realistic in his passion, borderline obsession, with all things macabre. The supporting cast of characters is familiar and somewhat formulaic - the bully, the best guy and gal pals, the irksome older sibling, an adult nemesis, and of course, a love interest - but each has a unique something that works to make this story interesting. And there are even a few surprises thrown in to offset the parts that are somewhat predictable.

The creative twist that Tatulli has done to the ever popular sketch-and-journal format of elementary/middle grade books, is that there are not only drawings as Desmond narrates his story, but there are actual photograph images of the lined notebook paper showing his drawings. It is as if Desmond has torn a page from his notebook, shoved it in his backpack, and then shown readers the crumpled paper, which is enough different to make this story stand out in a sea of the similarly styled chapter books.

Recommended for ages 7-12, and especially kids who love all things monster-y. There is minor violence and of course, lots of monsters, but they are all props so not too scary in context.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review -- the only kind I give!

Desmond Pucket loves monsters. I mean LOVES them with a capital L. And now his dream is about to come true...to go to Shell Pier and ride the best ride in the world! And he wants to convince Tina Schimsky to ride it with him. But he’ll have to outwit his mortal enemy Mr. Needles to make it happen! And he’ll have to save his favorite ride as well before it disappears! Can Desmond do it? Will Tina go on the ride with him? Will Ricky help him outwit Mr. Needles? Only time will tell, so buckle up for a ride with Desmond and the monsters!

I somehow missed out on the first Desmond book, but I’ve long been a fan of Mark Tatulli’s Lio and Heart of the City comics so I had no qualms about reading Desmond. Written in the style of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Mark brings his signature charm of Lio and Heart to a new audience, crafting a character that is...well basically Lio grown up a bit. It’s a different character to be sure, but the similarities are much the same. Either way, this is a fun and enjoyable ride of early middle school boys that are looking for a character that isn’t into sports and likes, well monsters and nerdom. This is the perfect book for that crowd and is well worth worth picking up if you know someone that age that likes monsters. I give the book 3.5 out of 5 stars