The Terribles #2: A Witch's Last Resort

The Terribles #2

by Travis Nichols

The Terribles might be monsters, but they're also kids just like you! Well, sort of. This hilarious peek into the world of vampires, mummies, swamp things, and bigfoots is perfect for fans of the Hotel Transylvania movies.

There’s a NEW WITCH in town . And everyone wants to be her friend! She lives at the local island resort and gets to enjoy all the perks. Dolphin acrobats! Enchanting spa! Portal to the Underworld!

Meanwhile, THE TERRIBLES hold a class election for the next Line Overlord (that’s like their student leader or whatever), and the results are TERRIFYING! Then Frankie (you know, the daughter of an INFAMOUS SCIENTIST) helps Quade the SASQUATCH build a greenhouse. Finally, YOU (as a wereskunk) go to a sleepover in an INVISIBLE HOUSE.

They may be TERRIBLE, but these kids make some pretty great pals!

Want to be a little more TERRIBLE? This series is told in alternating chapters, activities, charts, and crafts so you can read about monsters AND be just like one! Neat!

Genres: Middle Grade

224 pages, Paperback

Published July 4, 2023

About the author

About twice a month, I have a dream that I'm in my house and I discover a fish tank. It's dingy, overgrown with algae, and FULL of fish. They're swimming around and seem to be okay in the murky water, but I feel so horrible. I completely forgot that I had a fish tank. Those little guys must have been breeding like crazy just so they'd have something to eat.

Oh. Copy... PASTE. Travis Nichols is a writer illustrator in Brooklyn. He is the author and illustrator of a tidy heap of award-winning books and comics for kids and post-kids, including The Terribles (series), Betty's Burgled Bakery, Fowl Play, Matthew Meets the Man, and The Monster Doodle Book. He has played in more than a dozen bands you've probably never heard of (how's THAT for indie cred?!), and he enjoys meteorites and eating watermelon over the sink. Find him at iamtravisnichols.com.

Reviews

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starts off rather badly. Poorly written, dull, and what I perceive as a thinly-veiled rip-off from another fantasy franchise. Characters are numerous and easily mixed up by the reader.
Subsequent chapters are better but overall I like this volume of the series far less than the first one. The premise is solid but the execution is lacking. I had such high hopes

[Carolyn Bragg · Rating 4 out of 5]

NOTE: Zero scares! Topics include friendship, including everyone, feeling alone or new, etc. Characters may be jealous, but do not mock.

This is a collection of 16 unique short stories of different types, such as debates, "photos," anecdotes, and others, featuring the young residents of the island at Creep Cove; primarily but not limited to Elise, a young witch. These are ordinary monster-ish or mythical-magical children like you or me, who happened to be born (usually) with talents or abilities you might wish you had. But, as you will see, they have every-day problems too. (Although not always similar to human issues.)

Elise is a witch on her first visit to Creep Cove and Stubtoe Elementary school. She usually lives with her Dad in Belgium, but is spending time wiith her Mom for a couple of months.

One of my favorite stories is about two "monster" friends imagining a crisis in space with their toy figures. Terrible Choices is a "choose your adventure" story, which was unexpected near the end of the book. But it was fun.

4.4/5 Stars Fun and Entertaining Any Time! (October pending not required!)

Thanks to Random House Children's, Random House Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for the temporary digital preview; any review is voluntary and my own opinion.

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[Zuleika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having purchased and read The Terribles #1: Welcome to Stubtoe Elementary with my son, I was happy to see another book from the same author. This lighthearted series is perfect for fans of the Rowley Jefferson books by Jeff Kinney. The ragtag group of monsters and humans in The Terribles (part 1 and 2) are entertaining without being overly gory, scary, or relying on crude jokes to gain favor with readers in the 8-12 year-old age range.

[Erica Baxter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a lot of interesting creature-characters. And the interactive portions of the book were a pleasant distraction—particularly the choose-you-own-adventure chapter, which was a good bit of nostalgic fun.

This book will appeal to younger middle grade readers, with its simple language and concepts.

Particularly good for Halloween time, if readers are looking for a lighthearted story that features some traditional Halloween monsters, without the spooky factor.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

so fun! I want more