Gaming gets real ... and fun!

Lifelong friends Bexley Grayson (12) and Charlie Tepper (12) love spending time together ... especially when they can play Monsters Unleashed, a game similar to Pokemon Go. Turns out, the monsters liked to haunt old buildings, so Bex and Charlie high-tailed it to Grandpa Tepper's house. He had some old maps in the city. Up in Grandpa's attic, Charlie discovered this odd looking machine. Despite Grandpa's "don't touch anything" instructions, Charlie couldn't resist! With the flip of a switch, the monsters Bex had captured moved from the virtual world to the real one!

The monsters were now roaming the streets of Wolcott!! To make matters worse, only people who had played the game could see the monsters. Some were easy to recapture, but to nab the trickier ones (like OinkCats and SpiderFangs) they were going to need help. Except (1) other gamers didn't believe them and wouldn't help; and (2) the only gamer who did believe them was Willa Tanaka, Bexley's ex best friend. Things are NOT looking good!

Parent Perspective:
Preteens will love this fun, clever, and contemporary adventure. The gaming will draw them in, but the heart of the story is the friendship of the two main characters. Bex and Charlie have a natural give-and-take that verges on a healthy sibling relationship. Which is a lot more than can be said of Charlie's relationship with his brother Jason, who is a serious bully. Personally, I thought his stereotypical 'big brother' behavior was over the top. I was glad to see that his opinion of Charlie changed at the end, but there was a lot of damage done along the way.

Although more subtle, there is an interesting subplot vis-a-vis Bexley's relationship with Willa Tanaka. Bexley and Willa each make their feelings known, and I liked how the author didn't instantly move to "kiss and make up," even after Willa helped. There are other signs there that encourage the reader to look past the "outward signs."

Overall a fun, quick read that preteens - especially those getting ready for middle school - will enjoy.

Fantasy, adventure lovers will be just as anxious as Bexley and Charlie to find and capture those monsters. Anyone who's played Pokemon Go (or similar games) will find this entertaining and have them dreaming of other creatures that could come to life!

There is some violence and blood, but nothing gruesome nor graphic. Charlie's other brother Jason is a bully. The barbs are pretty direct and hurtful, and his parents appear to ignore what is going on. It borders on verbal abuse and could make some readers very uncomfortable.