The Last Gargoyle

October 1, 2017

Gr 4-6-Penhallow is one of only three gargoyles (he prefers the term grotesque) left in Boston. In his wisp form, he is able to travel the city as well as check on the inhabitants of the building he protects. When his friends Wally and Winnie, twin grotesques, are reduced to a smear on a brick wall, Penhallow senses an evil presence far more malignant than any he has confronted before. The Boneless King, ruler of the underworld, is skulking around Boston and gaining power every night. Then a mysterious girl appears on Penhallow's roof, carrying a violin case she will not put down. Viola may be the ally Penhallow needs, but only if she is what she claims to be, and that is not at all certain. Penhallow is fighting a battle he may be unable to win, and that spells disaster for his domain, for his city, and perhaps for the world. Readers will quickly be embroiled in the escalating battle against evil forces. Fans of Neil Gaiman and Jonathan Auxier, especially, will dive right in. The plot moves at a steady pace, with suspense building as secrets are discovered and truths (not all of them pleasant) are revealed. The narrative is well balanced between dialogue and description, and characters and fully developed. The Boneless King and his minions are convincingly creepy. The ending, while not a complete surprise, is bittersweet and satisfying. VERDICT School and public libraries should find space on their shelves for this fantasy title.-Katherine Koenig, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2017
Chills and chuckles abound in Durham's latest for middle graders. Penhallow Fitch wants to make one thing clear: he is a Grotesque--not a gargoyle. Moving his stone form is excruciatingly difficult, but he is easily able to travel outside of his stone body as a "wisp," "an apparition that exists but can't touch or be touched by the living." Even though he's about 130 years old, he tells readers that he still prefers to take the form of a preteen boy with skin that is "maybe...darker than yours, or lighter." Every Grotesque is charged with protecting those who reside within their Domain--in Penhallow's case, a Boston apartment building. Soon, however, Netherkin--evil spirits--begin encroaching on Penhallow's Domain, drawn particularly to a new family in the building. And there are whispers about a creature called the Boneless King. Determined to protect his wards, Penhallow teams up with a girl nicknamed Viola who can, against all odds, see and hear him, and together they work to uncover the mystery of the Boneless King and his connection to Penhallow's Domain. Penhallow's dynamic first-person narration provides just the right mix of humor and horror to spook but not terrify. A tidy wrap-up, while heavy on exposition, satisfies while still leaving potential for further tales. A glossary of "goyle-isms" is appended. Human characters are nominally diverse--the Domain's residents are multicultural, and Viola is described as having East Asian features--but there is no attempt at cultural specificity. Whether or not it's planned, readers will hope for a sequel. (Fantasy. 9-13)

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November 1, 2017
Grades 3-6 He may look like one, with those stone wings and that fearsome scowl, but don't call Penhallow a gargoyle. No, he's a Grotesque, tasked with protecting the residents of the Boston building where he crouches. He's the last of his kind now, and, though he tries to combat it with wit and humor, it's a lonely existence, even after the appearance of Viola, a mysterious young girl who carts around a battered violin case, and can see Penhallow for what he is. But dark times are coming to Penhallow's city, and when the Boneless King, ruler of the underworld, arrives and is set on stealing the souls of two of the kids under Penhallow's protection, he may be facing his last fight. Durham (The Luck Uglies, 2014) once again offers up a bold, scrappy hero on a wild ride. Imaginative and occasionally melancholy, with a hero who sometimes seems as monstrous as its villains, this is a unique middle-grade story that will appeal to fans of clever, introspective adventures.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2019
Penhallow, a "Grotesque" (don't call him a gargoyle!), is charged with protecting his Boston "Domain" from danger--but his perception of what's dangerous may be skewed. The first-person narration from sometimes-overconfident Penhallow has plenty of humor. Suspense involving the creepy Boneless King--as well as an apparent ally who isn't what she seems--should keep readers turning pages.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)