The Monster

Troubletwisters #2

by Garth Nix, Sean Williams

The spectacular new middle-grade fantasy series from bestselling authors Garth Nix and Sean Williams.

Are you a troubletwister?

Jaide and Jack Shield have a secret. When they're unexpectedly sent to live with their mysterious Grandma X, they're thrust into a world where cats talk and strange weather comes out of nowhere. There they learn that they're troubletwisters, with powers they must use to stop the Evil from taking over our world.

Before, they'd defeated the Evil through luck and intuition. Now though, Jaide and Jack will have to learn how to use their powers, and how to keep on their toes when evil forces return.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens, Middle Grade, Magic, Adventure

304 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2011

About the author

Garth Nix was born in 1963 in Melbourne, Australia, to the sound of the Salvation Army band outside playing 'Hail the Conquering Hero Comes' or possibly 'Roll Out the Barrel'. Garth left Melbourne at an early age for Canberra (the federal capital) and stayed there till he was nineteen, when he left to drive around the UK in a beat-up Austin with a boot full of books and a Silver-Reed typewriter.

Despite a wheel literally falling off the Austin, Garth survived to return to Australia and study at the University of Canberra. After finishing his degree in 1986 he worked in a bookshop, then as a book publicist, a publisher's sales representative, and editor. Along the way he was also a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve, serving in an Assault Pioneer platoon for four years. Garth left publishing to work as a public relations and marketing consultant from 1994-1997, till he became a full-time writer in 1998. He did that for a year before joining Curtis Brown Australia as a part-time literary agent in 1999. In January 2002 Garth went back to dedicated writer again, despite his belief that full-time writing explains the strange behaviour of many authors.

He now lives in Sydney with his wife, two sons and lots of books.

Reviews

[Interdimensionalbeing · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are only two reasons I read this after the first book being so bad:

1. Its partially by Garth Nix, and I have read so many amazing books by him in the past.

2. Troubletwisters was just suspenseful enough to make me wonder what would happen in the next book.

After reading The Monster and being let down again, I have no intention of reading The Mystery (the third book.) The Monster had all the same faults as Troubletwisters. It was cliched, predictable, and boring. The Evil is a very uninteresting villain. It is less like a character and more like an abstract idea of all that is not right. It has no personality or motivation, it is just "The Evil!" If the authors had given some back story on it and on who the Wardens really were, the book would have been much more interesting. Instead, they simply relied on the creepiness of the Evil and the drastically overused mystery factor to keep readers engaged in the story. And speaking of the drastically overused mystery factor, now I'm going to talk about the "character" who causes it: Grandma X. Grandma X is the most annoying and obstructive plot device that I have ever seen in a book. Notice that I used "plot device" instead of "character" to describe her. She isn't a character at all! She is a plot device explicitly designed to keep the readers in the dark about what is going long for an agonizingly long time. She keeps almost literally everything from the twins to "protect" them. Really, it is just completely illogical. A sense of mystery is great at the beginning of a book but Grandma X drags it out for sssssssssssooooooooooooooooooo looooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggggggggggggggggg that it is just annoying and blocks the flow of the story. Plus, she has no character of her own. My opinion: The series would have been a thousand times better without her. Anyway, I am just very glad Troubletwisters wasn't the first series I read by Garth Nix. If it had been I probably would never have read anything else by him. All of his other books are great. I recommend them most highly! Maybe Troubletwisters wasn't as good because he co-authored it with Sean Williams who may or may not be a good author. I don't know. I'm just sad that such an amazing author has (partially) written something this bad.

[Beagle Lover (Avid Reader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.50 stars

Slightly better than the first book of the series, with better rounded characters and plenty of action. (Mainly towards the conclusion, unfortunately.)

Jaiden, Jack and Grandma X return to take on a mysterious creature that only comes out at night. More secondary characters are brought in this book, with some being totally useless.

The twins have discovered their powers, but come to realize that when they use them, events go extremely sideways!

Has The Evil somehow managed to return to Portland? Or has something else made the small coastal town it's home?

[Veronica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to say this book was promising. I haven't read the 1st book and I don't plan to. This book is not something you remember.
The writing is so preachy. I don't think it's intentional. Jaide and Jack are annoying. They always seem to think they have the right choices, never occurring to them their grandmother might actually be right. They have no main flaws and aren't memorable.
And, seriously, don't throw the excuse "they're just kids" at me. Trust me, kids are pretty smart.
I've got experience.
Nothing important happens in the book until the end. And the end has killer cats, a cliched evil one-sided villain, a memory wiping granny and so much more!
"The Evil?" Original, much?
2.5 stars.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I said in my review for Troubletwisters, the potential is definitely there for something great and I felt that this did deliver a bit more than the last. The cover was amazing - who can resist devil cats with glowing eyes on the front and a saber tooth tiger on the back - WHAT CHILD CAN RESIST? There was a lot higher ratio of action to morally-questioning-yourself-and-all-things-evil (which anyone will admit got boring very quickly in #1), Tara was fab and Garth and Sean successfully led me down the garden path of false clues. These are all things that have been improved upon. Keep working on it guys, it's definitely getting there.

[PJforaDay · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a children's book it was good, and the lack of teenage angst was very appreciated.Names could be a lot more creative because really The Evil doesn't inspire fear.More like hysterical laughter.Some nice character developement and the supportive characters were starting to be fleshed out.The powers continued to be nice and original .

The main issue I had with it was the fact most of the book was spent withJack and Jaide going"we saw the Evil and it ran us over ,yablahblah we can be trusted...Awkward situation in which grandma saves them but doesn't answer questions."
Repeat
Repeat again
Now repeat it more
Now you know 50% percent of the bOok.

[Willow · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series is pulp fiction for the tween crowd. It's ok, it's not up to the story telling of the author's Abhorsen series, which was very creative and I genuinely enjoyed. This series is the light sort of thing you read if it happens to be lying around, but I wouldn't recommend buying it.

I think that Garth Nix is a genuinely talented and creative writer, even if his series do tend to be hit and miss. Despite this series being mostly a miss, I still finished the books, and am likely to pick up more novels in the future, in hopes of another hit.

There is a fine line between writing novels for kids and dumbing things down for kids. As a kid reading Ender's Game, I remember the thrill of a book that didn't treat me as less intelligent because I was a child. As an adult, I enjoy a lot of fiction meant for younger readers because there's beauty in a good story.

[Cai · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a hard time finishing this book. Once again, most of the events that happened seemed to happen so sluggishly that it became uninteresting.

Like Jack and Jaide, I became frustrated by all of the "mystery" and "secrecy" going on. Like Ari and Kleo, I became annoyed with how many times Jack and Jaide tried to take things into their own hands.

I found myself rushing through the last part where the only interesting happened.

I really thought Tara would be the living ward. I liked her character a lot. I would have wanted her to have a bigger role. But no...

I still have the next one but it may be a long time before I decide to pick it up.

[Nada · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was very slow to progress to its climax. It was a good sequel to #1 despite this. Figuring out what was ahead was also challenging as ultimately the outcome was unexpected. For example, I'd have thought that Rennie was out of the picture and mention of her just a reference to the previous story. I'd like to think that young adult readers will not be too horrified but the descriptions.

[Shauna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m still enjoying this series. It is not the same old Wizards, Werewolves, Vampires, etc. that have taken up so much of the YA middle grade fantasy of late. I look forward to trying other Garth Nix titles.

[Maxine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tell me why this is book 2.
Clearly my 12/13 year old self did not care about book order (I do not own book 1, or any of the other ones for that matter).
BUT I remember loving this so that's great 😃 3.75 - 4

[Lizzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Good! and v. scary, loved the really horrible attack at the lighthouse, OMG.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in the Troubletwisters series finds the small seaside town of Portland threatened by a fragment of The Evil that menaced it in Book 1. At least, so the Shield twins suspect. Jack and Jaide are still a bit jumpy after their narrow victory in their first adventure. The wards are all intact, protecting Portland, and the world, from the all-consuming hunger that lurks outside our universe. But Jack can never forget how it felt to have The Evil invading his mind, tempting him to join it. And neither Jack nor Jaide finds it easy to take Grandma X at her word, since she hardly ever gives their questions a straight answer. "Mind your own business" simply doesn't cut it with these curious kids, even though they know they have a lot to learn about controlling their gifts as future Wardens—and that it is these still unruly gifts that give them the name "troubletwisters."

Jack's gift has to do with shadows and darkness. He can see in the dark. He can cloak himself in darkness, becoming all but invisible. And he can travel instantly along the length of any shadow. Jaide's gift, meanwhile, focuses on breezes and draws power from the sun. So she can move things with miniature tornadoes, and can float on the breeze. Controlling these gifts, however, demands precise control that the twins still do not have. Until they do, they will keep getting into accidents and mixing up each other's powers. For example, at times they swap gifts. At other times, one twin or the other will possess both gifts. Since they don't know what will happen when they use their gifts, they can end up doing serious damage even with the best intentions—and their judgment isn't always the best, either.

Such are the handicaps of two growing young heroes as they try to investigate the remnant, or "excision," that The Evil left behind. Who could The Evil be controlling this time? Maybe it's the sleazy real estate developer, whose daughter is their best friend at school. Maybe it's the rival of their feline friend Kleo, whose challenge to her leadership portends a sort of gang rumble, only with fur and claws. Or perhaps it's the Monster of Portland, a creature that nobody has personally seen, though everybody knows somebody who has seen it. Could the Monster be the cause of the horrible groaning sounds in the night, the drag marks in the dirt, the giant snakeskin left on a construction site? Is one of these sinister creatures hoping to take down one of the wards again, so that The Evil can reunite its separated essence?

As in their first outing, Jack and Jaide make a lot of wrong guesses. They blunder into bad situations, making them worse through everything from bad timing to simple tactlessness. And, of course, they are eventually on the spot when the bad thing comes down, so that all depends on them putting it up again. It's a lot of responsibility for two kids. But they're learning a lot fast—and among the things they are learning is to know themselves better. Facing their doubts and fears, protecting their friends, giving their enemies a second chance, they continue to grow towards an awesome (and perhaps terrible) potential.

With some reluctance, I'm sticking a mild "occult content advisory" on this book, and the series as a whole. Parents who guide their children's reading selections according to strict criteria of what types of magic are and are not acceptable, may find the troubletwisters' gifts wobbling on the not-very-fine line between the two. The theory of Warden gifts, as Grandma X and her colleagues explain it, might have a touch of New Age mysticism about it. It's all in how you interpret it. On the other hand, the story portrays a very definite distinction between good and evil, and the ongoing secret battle between the two whose outcome is meant to have cosmic significance—all of which runs crosswise to some notions of New Age thought. Judging it gently, I prefer to think that its philosophy of magic is simply the storytelling engine that allows a kid-friendly, magical adventure to move along its own unique course.

[Shaheen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this series is improving: the action is better in this instalment, and the story flows more smoothly. The main premise behind The Monster is intriguing, and it's definitely executed better than Troubletwisters, but I would have liked to see a discussion of the nature of The Evil and why the Wardens need to exist. I think the authors are still underestimating their audience, because the book is filled with simple dialogue and endless repetition of the simplest of concepts (although it could be argued that the protagonists need it, because of their brashness).

There are several things that disturb me about the protagonists. For one, they are convinced that they know better than everyone around them. I know kids are usually like that, but in this case, there are no repercussions for their constant disobedience and general bad behaviour, and they never really get into trouble for deliberately circumventing their grandmother's instructions and warnings. Jaide, in particular, makes some bad decisions in this book - first accusing an innocent person of being evil and refusing to pursue other theories even when it became clear that she was wrong, and then sticking her nose into Kleo's business even though her help was neither wanted nor necessary. Jaide starts worrying that how all she wants to do is help, but no one lets her, and it quickly descends into whining.

None of those things are helped by the tendency of the adults, especially Grandma X, to keep things from the kids even though it was obvious that they knew something was wrong. All it did was prompt them to investigate on their own, and led to a bigger mess for the adults to clean up. Surely, if all younger generations of Wardens are so trouble-prone they're called troubletwisters, someone would have figured out that it might be better to tell them some things.

It also perplexes me that, for all their insatiable curiosity and tendency to dig up secrets, the twins still haven't thought about throw-away comments like "Wardens are always born as twins", and "one will always fall". Especially when no other seemingly idle comment escapes their attention, and they have wild theories about everything else. It just seems a bit silly that they are ignoring what's staring them right in the face.

While definitely more enjoyable and finessed than the previous book, The Monster is still plagued by flat characters and a predictable plot. Nix and Williams seem almost hesitant with this series, as if they can't write it the way they want to, so it comes across as stunted and unsatisfying. I'm really hoping the next books picks the series up, although I don't have the highest hopes.

You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

The protagonists, especially Jaide were kinda annoying in that they came off as rather stupid to me. I've been told before about other people who have annoyed me that "they're just kids" as if that's an excuse. I still find it annoying.

Anyway, the most annoying part of the book was how full of confirmation bias it was. Jaide basically develops a theory pretty early on, and then just REFUSES to give up on it despite evidence to the contrary. She doesn't even really ~try~ to come up with other possibilities. Another super annoying part was when both the kids ~refused~ to listen to the cats, who clearly didn't want them meddling in their affairs and it made things worse, and then later on Jaide has the gall to demand that Cleo apologize to her. That's so freaking entitled. Jaide was clearly in the wrong. Sure, she was trying to help, but she made things worse and needed to own up to that and she never did.

I feel like this is another symptom of the twins' main flaw: they seem to think they know better than everyone else. They consistently assume their choices are the correct ones and tend to ignore what their grandmother says. It doesn't seem to even occur to them that maybe she actually really knows what she's talking about and whatever it is that they don't want to do -- practice, drop a stupid theory, stop investigating certain things -- might actually be important and the best choice.

The reveals in the book were also rather disappointing. Mostly because when they actually hit on a correct theory, it semi-felt like it came out of no where. Yes, I suppose there was kinda evidence for it, but they were clearly jumping to conclusions all over the place. It really seems pretty much like chance when they get anything right.

One good thing that I like though is the foreshadowing in the book. Mainly that there's something special about twins. Although admittedly, I already kind of think I know what it will be. And I actually first came up with my current theory back in the first book. Which will make me a bit sad if I'm actually right because it just means that it was kinda flimsy. I mean, admittedly, I don't know details and have a better idea of details after this book, but I've had the same basic idea for a while. I guess I'll get to see if my prediction is correct sometime in the future.

[Lynette ~ Talia's Tomes ~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I wasn't sure how it would go, seeing as it had been April when I read the first book, but Garth and Sean explained just enough to bring back the rest of the book, without people who had just read the first book to get bored.

At the beginning, it was sort of reminiscent of the hundreds of other books I've read in this genre, however, that delusion didn't last long.
Every time you thought you had it all figured out, something else came along and *bam* you were back to square one. Though this can sometime result in boredom, Sean and Garth handled it perfectly, going really in-depth with the characters, making you go through the same doubts and confusions as them, making the hero-kids NOT the perfect kids with perfect super-powers. Love!

I only thing I DIDN'T really like about this book, was the pace of the series so far. The first book happened in a week, the second in two. For a grand total of covering about 3 weeks. In some ways, just having that timeline there, in the back of your head, it makes the story seem rushed.

Without spoiling anything, they added a few new characters that I REALLY enjoyed, and hope to see in the third book, also!

Well-written, in-depth, with lots of twists and turns, it was a nice, fun, read.

I'm 15, and I recommend this book.

[Matt Randall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Writing younger young adult novels can be difficult. Some authors have a tendency to completely underestimate their audience and talk down to them. I don't think that's what Nix and Williams are doing, exactly, but it is clear that they tend to make their writing a little more simplistic in the Troubletwisters series.


This book, the second in the series, follows Jaide and Jack as they continue to learn about their Gifts. This book (and maybe the series overall) seems to be playing up the "we're kids with powers but the adults won't tell us anything and IT'S NOT FAIR!" And, of course, by keeping things secret the kids end up right in the middle of it. It's a plot device a lot of YA books seem to employ, and it usually makes the characters seem whiny. While The Monster didn't quite get to that point, Jack was getting annoying by the end.

The actual plot itself isn't bad, but it does seem to drag in places. Overall, this isn't a bad novel or series, but it's not on the same level as Nix's Abhorsen or Keys to the Kingdom series or Williams Star Wars novels.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Monster. In this one, we find Jack and Jaide learning more about their gifts and trying desperately to find out more about a monster that is haunting Portland, much to the chagrin of their kind but stern Grandma X. The twins also must attend school, where they are soon befriended by a lonely girl called Tara. The next twist? Tara's dad may just be working for the Evil ...

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one, particularly as the final showdown incorporated two of my favourite things, cats (the very awesome Kleo is somewhat vital to the plot this time,) and old trains. It was also interesting to see how the twins coped with their new powers and discovered that developing them was not always going to be easy. I'm very much looking forward to the next book in the series, which will be released soon.

[Yvonne Boag · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jaide and Jack are trouble twisters, wardens in training who are too young to control their powers. In the last book they defeated The Evil but they are no longer sure they did so, there are signs it is back. Trying to get their grandmother, a warden, to believe them in another matter. And something is happening with the cats in the area. Jaide and Jack have to figure out what is happening and looks like there is going to be more then one fight on their hands.

I had some big issues with this book and the previous one which is surprising since the authors are so talented. The book read more like a junior fiction then a young adult, with the dialogue clunky and sometimes repetitive. The pace and plot had major issues as well.

[Liana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm glad that I decided to continue this series! I actually enjoyed The Monster more than I did the first book. It was easier to understand what was going on this time, and I LOVED the new mystery surrounding the town and the characters, even if it took awhile to unfold! :)

I'm so happy the cats Cleo and Ari contribute to the plot again too, as they are my favorite characters.~ My favorite scene was probably with the train at the end. Pretty scary stuff.

Troubletwisters is a great middle grade series for serious readers. I'm not entirely sure if an average reader will appreciate it as much, because of its length and slow moving plot. But I could be very wrong in my judgment too. :)

[aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book was pretty close to turning me off to the series for good and then the last 75ish pages hit. really it is a 2 star book until the last 75 pages when it becomes a 4 star book...thus the average as a 3 star book. i haven't loved this series but i'm still going to give it a chance because they proved to me that they can write a decent story about these warden children. if you're interested go for it...but if you haven't started i could give you tons of other series that are much better!

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Troubletwisters series. Twins Jack and Jaide who are troubletwisters - twins who will become wardens - supposedly - have now been in Portland for a week. After saving the East Ward, there is again trouble from The Evil. They suspect the father of the new girl Tara of being a possible agent of The Evil. Their grandmother won't tell them the whole story of what is going on because they have not yet gained control of their gifts. Despite all the trouble, they once again manage to save the day - and the town. This is a fun, well-written book.

[R · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another Warden adventure around Portland. The Shield twins bumble around the town, usually making things worse and yet manage to save the day, which might not have needed to be saved if they had left well enough alone. Throughout the whole story, I was bothered by the twins' refusal to show the least bit of sense, and their caretaker's failure to provide explanations just exacerbated the problem.

Nonetheless, it was a mostly enjoyable book, and I shall read the third in the hopes that everyone will stop being idiots.

[Eleni Konstantine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the second installment of The Trouble Twisters a little more than the first - probably because we are a little more settled in this world. The characters are tweens and continually ask questions (having a tween in my life this is believable) but do not get replies to their satisfaction or get none at all. The adults try to keep them safe as their Gifts are unpredictable at this age. The kids just want to heard and involved in the fight against The Evil and so will continue investigating despite what they say.

[St Stephen's C C]

After The Evil's assault on Portland, everything returns to relative normality - for the moment. The twins continue to work hard to control their Gifts, and at school they make a new friend, Tara. But then the instruments in Grandma X's antique store begin registering Evil activity, and Tara's dad turns out to be the suspicious big-city property developer working on the house next door. Matters turn from bad to worse when the twins discover that Grandma's cats are fighting an important battle of their own. Can the twins solve the mystery of the living Ward before it's too late?

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gotta be honest ... it was a stretch giving this one three stars.
I don't understand how Garth Nix could have been involved in this series. His other books are so good! And original!

I kep going hoping it would get better. The seeds of a good story are here. A monster lots of people have claimed to see but no real proof. An excision of an evil left behind after what the heroes think is a battle won. But WHY dies Grandma refuse to tell them anything?

[Julie Czerneda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my, #2 is even better!!! The cats! The CATS!!!! Garth Nix and Sean Williams have created a captivating, clever, and warm new fantasy world to explore. With lovely icky bits sure to charm even a reluctant reader. As for me, I'm officially a Troubletwister fan and will be preordering #3. Enjoy. But read #1 first. You don't have to -- they do a great job of bringing everything up to speed -- but you won't want to miss it.

[Katharine (Ventureadlaxre)]

Katharine is a judge for the Sara Douglass 'Book Series' Award. This entry is the personal opinion of Katharine herself, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of any judging panel, the judging coordinator or the Aurealis Awards management team.

I won't be recording my thoughts (if I choose to) here until after the AA are over.

[Sylvia McIvers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Twins make good magical protagonists. Adults who train kids in their magic are great - but sometimes they get hurt. Now what?

And why are all Troubletwisters twins? a bit more info on that important theme. BAD THINGS CAN HAPPEN WHEN THERE ARE TWINS AROUND. I'm getting worried.

This book is a bit too scary to be a popcorn-book. Nice.

[Melissa Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still wish the authors had a better name for the evil forces in this series than The Evil, but that said, this is stronger than the first in the series, more complex, with some inner searching going on between the twin siblings and a delightful new character, Tara.

[Ronmorris2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe not the most challenging reading for a 75 year old but -- Very enjoyable reading for anyone. They know how to write. Read it through twice. Looking forward to the next book. Sent it on to my grandson :-) .