cover image The Deadly 7

The Deadly 7

Garth Jennings. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $13.99 (352p) ISBN 978-1-250-05275-9

British film and music video director Jennings makes his children's book debut with this globe-trotting, playfully preposterous, mystery-adventure. Nelson, a shy 11-year-old, sees his life unravel when his older sister, Celeste, goes missing during a school trip to Spain. Nelson is sent to stay with his eccentric Uncle Pogo, a handyman, while his parents attempt to locate her. Paranormal chaos ensues as Nelson and Pogo, working on a plumbing problem at St. Paul's Cathedral, discover a secret room where Nelson falls onto a contraption that triggers the seven deadly sins inside his soul; they manifest as a crew of misfit monsters who accompany him everywhere. The creatures and their unusual talents play an integral role as Nelson embarks on his own search for Celeste. Jennings weaves magic, humor, and a generous amount of suspense into a story that, at its heart, focuses on familial love and loyal friendship. The silliness of the plot is amplified by Jennings's wiry black-and-white line art, and a peek at the key characters' whereabouts at book's end suggests that another outing could be in the offing. Ages 8%E2%80%9312. (Apr.)