  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 10/15/2016 Thanks to supernatural creatures thronging along a stretch of New Hampshire woods, an Outward Bound camping trip quickly turns “mad, messy, and monstrous” in this (marginally) less gruesome sequel to Max Helsing and the Thirteenth Curse (2015). Thirteen-year-old Max, last of his renowned clan of monster-hunters, discovers that local bigfoot legends are only the tip of the iceberg: several ominous disappearances lead to a series of encounters with vampires, dyre wolves, a huge troll, and finally the deadly, titular beast. The opening is certainly messy—it features Max garroting a malign selkie—but the main crunchy gorefest holds off until the climax. The delay allows Max to shine, both as a hero willing to rescue even a vicious class bully from a hideous death, and as a hunter who prefers befriending cryptids (where possible) rather than slaughtering them. Annotated leaves from Max’s monster bestiary supply portraits and background commentary for the host of creepy critters, and an epilogue promises further bouts and gouts. - Copyright 2016 Booklist. Loading...
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