If You're Reading This, It's Too Late (The Secret Series)
Grade 4–6—This stand-alone sequel toThe Name of This Book Is Secret(Little, Brown, 2007) combines mystery, adventure, and fantasy. On their mission for the Terces Society, 11-year-old Cass and Max-Ernest must find the homunculus, a 500-year-old man born in a bottle, before Dr. L and Ms. Mauvais do. The evil duo plans to use him to uncover the secret of immortality. The use of an overbearing narrator to create a sense of danger works in the beginning, but grows tiresome toward the end. The numerous parenthetical comments and footnotes are often laugh-out-loud funny, but also draw readers out of the action. Bosch creates sufficiently quirky, well-rounded protagonists, while stereotypes suffice for the secondary characters, with the exception of the homunculus. Cynical humor shines through in the portrayal of the Skelton Sisters, an evil tween pop group in the employ of Dr. L and Ms. Mauvais. The dark illustrations, descending chapter numbers, and playful fonts will catch readers' attention. Fans of Lemony Snicket's "A Series of Unfortunate Events" (HarperCollins) will enjoy this slightly more fleshed-out read.—Kim Ventrella, Ralph Ellison Library, Oklahoma City, OKCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.