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Summary
Summary
He's young. He's hot. He's also evil. He's . . . the librarian.
When Cynthia Rothschild's best friend, Annie, falls head over heels for the new high-school librarian, Cyn can totally see why. He's really young and super cute and thinks Annie would make an excellent library monitor. But after meeting Mr. Gabriel, Cyn realizes something isn't quite right. Maybe it's the creepy look in the librarian's eyes, or the weird feeling Cyn gets whenever she's around him. Before long Cyn realizes that Mr. Gabriel is, in fact . . . a demon. Now, in addition to saving the school musical from technical disaster and trying not to make a fool of herself with her own hopeless crush, Cyn has to save her best friend from the clutches of the evil librarian, who also seems to be slowly sucking the life force out of the entire student body! From best-selling author Michelle Knudsen, here is the perfect novel for teens who like their horror served up with a bit of romance, plenty of humor, and some pretty hot guys (of both the good and evil variety).
Author Notes
Michelle Knudsen is the New York Times best-selling author of Library Lion , illustrated by Kevin Hawkes; Argus , illustrated by Andréa Wesson; Big Mean Mike , illustrated by Scott Magoon; and Marilyn's Monster , illustrated by Matt Phelan, as well as the Trelian middle-grade fantasy trilogy and the Evil Librarian YA horror-comedy trilogy. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, and is terrified of spiders.
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Knudsen (The Princess of Trelian) jumps from picture books and middle-grade fiction to YA with this self-aware supernatural dramedy, which sees an ordinary teenage girl caught up in a war between various evil factions, with the souls of her schoolmates at stake. It starts when Cyn Rothchild's best friend Annie inexplicably falls in love with the new school librarian, John Gabriel. Cyn's no stranger to unrequited love-she has a thing for the handsome Ryan Halsey, even if she's too awkward to talk to him-but Annie is acting downright weird. Before long, Cyn learns that Gabriel is a demon out to acquire the power needed to take the throne back home, and her immunity to his influence makes her a wild card. She teams up with Ryan to save Annie and everyone else from an infernal fate. The writing is clever, the tone wry, and the stakes high, with surprises that keep the plot unpredictable. Cyn's internal monologue provides plenty of amusement, especially when her hormones threaten to overpower her common sense. It's an entertaining tale with room for future installments. Ages 14-up. Agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Cynthia Rothschild is an ordinary sixteen-year-old having an ordinary junior year. She has a BFF, Annie; a head-over-heels crush on musical theater prodigy Ryan Halsey; and a dream job tech-directing the school's Sweeney Todd production. But ordinariness goes to hell -- literally -- when new librarian Mr. Gabriel seems to be mesmerizing Annie and other students. Then Cyn and Ryan catch Mr. G. unmasked, demonic wings and fangs in full force. What follows is a Buffy-esque blend of supernatural-baddie confrontation, school story, and dark comedy, with a sweet, if unsurprising, romance thrown in for good measure. Together Cyn and Ryan research demon-kind, recruit allies, prepare for a showdown with Mr. G. and co., and put on a damn fine musical production. Cyn's innate psychological resistance to demonic powers (the unexplained origin of this resistance, along with a few other loose ends, may hint at a sequel) certainly comes in handy; but, smart, problem-solving, and loyal, she makes an engaging heroine either way. The first-person narration ranges from self-deprecating wit to breathless, punctuation-free anxiety during suspenseful moments, emphasizing Cyn's terror -- and her determination to save those she loves despite her fear. An excellent choice for fans of Cynthia Leitich Smith's Tantalize series or Larbalestier and Brennan's Team Human (rev. 7/12). katie bircher (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
High school can feel like hell some days, especially when you see the new librarian's ritual summoning circle, or spot his giant wingspan unfurl during study hall. Initially, Cynthia and Annie have no idea that the fantastically hot Mr. Gabriel, their new high-school librarian, is actually a minor demon planning to soul-suck their school into submission to conquer a demon throne. When Annie is targeted by Mr. Gabriel to be his human consort, it's up to Cyn to save the day. Cyn must carve time for reconnaissance and research around her busy school schedule, and, at the same time, she struggles to stay focused around her own crush, a dreamy fellow thespian who is starring in their school production of Sweeney Todd. The only thing buying time for the teens before a fiery death is the musical, which, unsurprisingly, is a favorite among demons. There's plenty to like here: a budding will-they-won't-they romance, demonic possession, musical theater references, and more. Knudsen keeps the terror well-tempered with plenty of hilarious situational comedy and touches of the absurd.--Howerton, Erin Downey Copyright 2014 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up-If Louise Rennison and Christopher Moore had a bibliographic love child it would be this cheekily narrated supernatural offering. Cyn is initially thrilled when her teasing BFF Annie finally shows signs of infatuation, until she discovers the object of Annie's affections is the new school librarian. Mr. Gabriel's attention to Annie unsettles Cyn and readers alike. At first suspecting the creepy Gabriel is a manipulative and inappropriate authority figure (awful enough), Cyn learns that he's a horned and winged demon. He wants brainwashed Annie for his human consort, when he returns to his realm to fight for the throne with the life essence he's poached from her classmates. Musical theater crush, Ryan in tow, Cyn fights to save her best friend; enlisting help from the ill-fated, the duped, and the demonic, all while struggling to keep her hormones in check and trying to create a kick-ass barber chair for the school's production of Sweeney Todd. The protagonist is the most developed character, leaving the others sadly stock. But, her narrative voice and the novel's dialogue make it worth the read. Occasional swearing, a dash of romance, and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments round out Knudsen's enjoyable comedic tale, reminiscent of the original "Buffy" film.-Danielle Serra, Cliffside Park Public Library, NJ (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
The spirit of Buffy is alive and kicking in this bloody debut for teens from an author better known for her children's books (The Princess of Trelian, 2012, etc.). Cyn is a backstage genius with an unrequited crush of epic proportions on popular, talented Ryan, the sort of boy who seems to move "in slow motion like some stupid sequence in a bad summer movie." She's got a best friend, she enjoys a healthy relationship with her own carnal desires, and she's snarky and smart and generally the kind of heroine everyone wants. Which is handy, since the hot new librarian is a demon in search of souls to suck as well as a child brideand he's got his sights set on Cyn's best friend. Luckily, Cyn has a sort of natural demon immunity. And, it turns out, she's got support from Ryan, so she takes on the evil librarianand then the demonic new principal and a host of other demons, too. Bloodshed and creepy rituals abound, but the horror is always campy and carefully undercut by the entirely realistic, slightly silly nonprogression of Cyn and Ryan's romance (when they finally kiss, it's cathartic for all). Snappily narrated, tightly plotted and generally just right. Forget paranormal romance; this horror-humor-romance pastiche is where those in search of hot nonhumans should set their sights. (Humorous horror. 13 up) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
