The League of Beastly Dreadfuls

Peculiarities abound inside Saint Agony’s Asylum, where “completely average almost-eleven-year-old” Anastasia McCrumpet is doomed to spend her days after her parents are allegedly hospitalized in a “freak vacuum-cleaning accident.” To escape her strange (and heretofore unknown) great-aunts Primrose and Prudence, who gnash their metal choppers at breakfast and lock her inside a musty old room at sundown, Anastasia explores the asylum’s cavernous halls seeking a way back to her hometown of Mooselick. First-time author Grant is gifted at immersing readers in her fantastical world, infused with comically absurd details like Anastasia’s grudge-holding “revenge-pooper” guinea pig and descriptions of her inhospitable new home, “as cold and clammy as an octopus hug.” As the first book in a planned series, this fanciful introduction to shapeshifters and shadow dwellers sets the tone for oddities to come while leaving some key questions unanswered. It’s clear that Anastasia is anything but average, and her adventures are just beginning as the book comes to a close. Finished art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12. Author’s agent: Brianne Johnson, Writers House. (Mar.)