ANOTHER NASTYbook: THE CURSE OF THE TWEETIES
by Barry Yourgrau
Joanna Cotler Books/HarperCollins
ISBN-10: 0060579811
ISBN-13: 9780060579814
Ages 10-up
176 pages

• Read an Excerpt

If you listen to the stories, the end of the world will involve lots of nastiness: earthquakes, beasts, chaos, etc. And when the end of the world finally comes, we can only hope that Rollo, the young hero of Barry Yourgrau's ANOTHER NASTYbook: THE CURSE OF THE TWEETIES, is on hand to help us all.

In this follow-up to NASTYbook, where Yourgrau first introduced us to a bizarre world where nothing is quite as nice as we think or want it to be, we meet Rollo, whose mother is kidnapped by goblins while on a family picnic. And while his father and older sister seem perfectly content to let Mom stay in the custody of the rotten creatures, Rollo rolls up his sleeves to mount a rescue mission. Summoning all his knowledge of manga hero Sui-ichi Samurai Swordboy, and armed with an inexhaustible supply of NuttiNutz Bars, Rollo embarks on a quest that pits him against surreal villains, pseudo-allies, and talking dentures.

To say much more is to give away most of the book's fun. Yourgrau captures the cynicism and darkness readers have come to enjoy in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events while managing to keep his ideas original and his tone humorous. The book moves at a furious pace. The twists and turns that line every page will always keeps you guessing as to what bizarre situation Rollo will encounter next. The book is at its best when it caters to the unexpected: at one point, the narrative slips away and Rollo's adventure becomes the very manga comic he's so in love with.

ANOTHER NASTYbook: THE CURSE OF THE TWEETIES will please fans of NASTYbook and send those who haven't read the first book to the nearest bookshelf to find it (although, it should be noted, you do NOT have to read the first book --- which is a collection of short stories --- to appreciate the second).

   --- Reviewed by Brian Farrey (emohawk9000@gmail.com)

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