Orchard Books ISBN 9781408355480 £6.99
Alice MacAlister is a ‘pre transformation’ werewolf who has been nominated for The Bravest Monster award despite only recently receiving her welcome pack from the Ministry of Monsters. When celebrity monster vlogger Kiki grabs hold of her hands at a press conference Alice experiences a strange draining sensation. Soon after this her werewolf power of super smellability mysteriously disappears. There follows a strange sequence of events with Alice going from hero to zero as a doppelganger wreaks havoc in the city. How can Alice prove that she is innocent, and the crimes are being committed by someone else? Her friends help her unmask the malevolent shapeshifter in the nick of time.
This book is second in the series about Alice the young werewolf. Davies has created an amusing parallel world complete with a monster munch café, jobs4monsters and the Nessie awards ceremony enhanced by Geyer’s illustrations throughout. The story is fast paced with a mystery to solve and an evil villain to vanquish. In fact, astute young readers are likely to crack the mystery quicker than Alice and her pals do. This could make a successful group read in an upper KS2 class. The story may spark an interest in finding out more about mythical monsters, perhaps creating a monster dictionary; an incredible number are included in the story from the more well-known e.g. Vampires to the lesser known e.g. Sasquatch.
Sue McGonigle