Summer Reading 2015 Trollhunters

Ever been the underdog? The one who is picked last for teams, or not picked at all? The short, skinny kid who gets stuffed into a locker? The chubby kid who is bullied? Then you may understand how Jim and his friend, Toby (a.k.a. Tub), feel every day. They are picked on and bullied, forced to hand over their lunch money, never make it up the rope climb in gym class, and have pathetic home lives. Jims' father is super paranoid because his older brother disappeared when they were just kids in what was called "The Milk Carton Epidemic". He has alarm systems, steel shutters, and multiple locks to keep the house secure. Jim isn't allowed to walk to school, stay out after dark, or take part in any dangerous activity. Tub lives with his grandmother and her incredibly large collection of cats; there are so many that he has given up on keeping their names straight and just calls them "Cat #2" or "Cat #46."

But things are about to change. It seems that "The Milk Carton Epidemic" may be returning. Children have begun to go missing in the town of San Bernadino where the boys live. And Jim thinks he has seen something inside his house after his dad has secured it for the night. He's right. Trolls are coming to the surface in search of children to snatch. What can two misfits do to protect not only themselves, but others?

The degree to which the troll world (or underworld) is described is mind-boggling. All the different types of trolls with their various appearances, weaknesses, and methods of attack must have taken forever to imagine and then write down. The theory of why trolls are associated with bridges makes perfect sense once it is explained. And the role of television in the story is brilliant and subversive. The action is written with enough gore and gross details to satisfy the most bloodthirsty reader, and it is balanced with the possibility of romance between Jim and the fair Claire (however much it is a long-shot).

Readers who enjoy swashbuckling, heroes fighting monsters, and urban fantasy will enjoy this fast paced epic. And they will be longing for a sequel when they reach the end.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.