The Drum, the Doll, and the Zombie

Rating:
Summary: One of the scariest Bellairs/Bellairsesque novels ever!
Review: Good grief, this was amazingly, shriekingly good!

Johnny and Professor Childermass take a detour into the darkest side of voodoo, known as voudon. When, at a get-together with one of the professor's friends, Fergie begins playing and singing ("Babaloo") a tiny leather drum, the lights unexpectedly go out.

Soon the friend is ill, raving and finally falling into a coma. A creepy old woman and a mysterious man are lurking nearby. Some of the most affecting scenes is where the professor finds the hideous creature growing in a pillow, and when he battles the horrifying snakelike demon.

But taking the prize is the zombie mentioned in the title. Holy cow.

This is a genuinely scary book-for heaven's sake, don't read it at night.

Rating:
Summary: Harry Potter -- move over!!
Review: I got interested in John Bellairs books after I read a reader review of a Harry Potter book which talked about these books as even better than HP -- and you know, he was right! These are really well-written books. I've read about 6 Bellairs books with my kids (ages 10 and 11) and this was by far the scariest. This one seemed to have more: more humor, more fright, more heart, as well as the usual excellent character development. (oh yeah, my kids really enjoyed the book too.) The scary scenes are really vivid, but ideal for my boys' age group. They just love this stuff.

Rating:
Summary: Harry Potter -- move over!!
Review: I got interested in John Bellairs books after I read a reader review of a Harry Potter book which talked about these books as even better than HP -- and you know, he was right! These are really well-written books. I've read about 6 Bellairs books with my kids (ages 10 and 11) and this was by far the scariest. This one seemed to have more: more humor, more fright, more heart, as well as the usual excellent character development. (oh yeah, my kids really enjoyed the book too.) The scary scenes are really vivid, but ideal for my boys' age group. They just love this stuff.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting little mystery
Review: I'm not quite sure where John Bellairs finished and Brad Strickland started, and that's probably a good thing. All the characters from the other Johnny Dixon mysteries are back: timid Johnny, the outrageous professor, meek Dr. Coote, practical Father Higgins and matter of fact Fergie.

The book begins when Dr. Coote shows his friends a drum that was given to him by a mysterious young man. As usual, the professor scoffs at it, although Dr. Coote is still worried, because of his extensive knowledge of voudon, an evil voodoo cult on a fictional Caribbean island. Fergie then takes the drum and beats it while screaming "babaloo! babaloo!" which sets a chain of terrifying events into action.

Dr. Coote has a nervous breakdown and a horrible old woman stalks Johnny and his family to find the drum, all while the friends scramble to figure out where the drum is and save their own necks in the process. There are some genuinely scary scenes involving a zombie, and later an exorcism.

Bellairs and Strickland have done an excellent job creating the mythology of Baron Samedi and the Priests of the Midnight Blood, the evil voudon cult on a French Caribbean island. It's a bit formulaic, and not absolutely perfect, but a taut, enjoyable mystery/horror book.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting little mystery
Review: I'm not quite sure where John Bellairs finished and Brad Strickland started, and that's probably a good thing. All the characters from the other Johnny Dixon mysteries are back: timid Johnny, the outrageous professor, meek Dr. Coote, practical Father Higgins and matter of fact Fergie.

The book begins when Dr. Coote shows his friends a drum that was given to him by a mysterious young man. As usual, the professor scoffs at it, although Dr. Coote is still worried, because of his extensive knowledge of voudon, an evil voodoo cult on a fictional Caribbean island. Fergie then takes the drum and beats it while screaming "babaloo! babaloo!" which sets a chain of terrifying events into action.

Dr. Coote has a nervous breakdown and a horrible old woman stalks Johnny and his family to find the drum, all while the friends scramble to figure out where the drum is and save their own necks in the process. There are some genuinely scary scenes involving a zombie, and later an exorcism.

Bellairs and Strickland have done an excellent job creating the mythology of Baron Samedi and the Priests of the Midnight Blood, the evil voudon cult on a French Caribbean island. It's a bit formulaic, and not absolutely perfect, but a taut, enjoyable mystery/horror book.