The Slither Sisters

I've been fan of H. P. Lovecraft for 42 years, so 'Tales From Lovecraft Middle School' was enough to make me request The Slither Sisters from LibraryThing Early Reviewers. I was happy to learn I'd won it and happier still when my copy arrived. I still have a TV-shaped pencil sharpener with a lenticular 'screen' from my childhood, so this volume's lenticular cover was a happy surprise. The Price sisters change from pretty, normal-looking girls, to pretty girls with pale green, scaly skin, snake eyes, and cute snakes for hair. If you gently move the book back and forth, you can make the change a partial one.

However pretty I find the Price sisters on the cover, within the pages they're scary enough. No, they don't have Medusa's powers, but show more they're deadly all the same. Our young hero, Robert Arthur, finds that out well before the climax. He copes much better than I would have when I was 12. I'd have been a gibbering wreck.

There are plenty of references to delight the Lovecraft fan. Not only is Lovecraft Middle School located in Dunwich, Massachusetts, its indoor pool is known as the Wilbur Whateley Memorial Natatorium. The librarian's last name is Lavinia. Crawford Tillinghast is the behind-the-scenes villain. Several other characters have first or last names that come from Lovecraft. Gilman,' the author's pseudonym, was a family name in another of Lovecraft's fictional towns, Innsmouth. The illustration on page six shows a portrait of Howard Philiips Lovecraft on the wall behind the Mrs. Polyps, the school secretary's, desk. Love the school crest!

I haven't read the first volume, but, as series usually do, enough information about What Has Gone On Before is given to help the new reader. The fate Tillinghast has planned for Lovecraft Middle School students is appalling, as are the implications of what Robert does to save himself and Glenn in chapter 18. The elderly librarian and her marine biologist husband are the only still-human adults who aren't clueless. What Warren Lavinia shows Robert and his friend, Glenn, in chapter 13 is bad enough. His news in the last chapter is worse.

I like the ghost character, Karina, although her fate isn't a happy one. Rat fans will likely take to Robert's two-headed member of the species, Pip and Squeak. Robert is the kind of kid who is better than he thinks. His friend and former bully, Glenn, is an able second. The Halloween dance lobby decoration sounds cool. The escapes are narrow and the main plot strong enough for several books. I like the ad for the next one, Teacher's Pest, at the book's end.

I posted a couple of questions through the Lovecraft Middle School website's contact form to which the author kindly replied. Robert Arthur was named for Robert Arthur, Jr. who wrote the Three Investigators series. The copyright page lists three cover models. Damien is the snake.

If I were a middle school student, I'd have given this book five stars. I was one of those unpopular, bullied kids back when I was in junior high, as my middle school was called. Robert's more mundane experiences bring back not-so-fond memories. I definitely recommend this book for horror fans. show less

Everyone knows middle school is hell. This is especially true at Lovecraft Middle School, where the usual bullies, popular cliques, and daily humiliations have added extra monsters and gates to the netherworlds

For such a short book, the plot is nicely twisty, and the writing is light and humorous, albeit with some definite creepy moments. I must admit, the ending had a surprise for me! It's a good set-up for #3, but also allows this one to have a solid ending, not stop on a cliff-hanger.

If you know a late tween or young teen who you know will love A. Lee Martinez when s/he's older- this looks like a great series for them! And you might want to read them yourself, first.

Very enjoyable!

{ I received an ARC for free through Early Reviewers. Review originally posted on my blog, PidginPea's Book Nook. }

I am such a fan of the Tales from Lovecraft Middle School series! I was hooked by Professor Gargoyle (read my review here) and The Slither Sisters is just as creepy and exciting! If you're a fan of paranormal middle grade reads and you haven't started this series yet, YOU MUST.

At the end of Professor Gargoyle, Sylvia and Sarah Price had returned to the school after a mysterious disappearance, and it seemed that something was a bit...off. In The Slither Sisters, Robert and his friends Glenn and Karina find out that something is indeed off - Sylvia and Sarah are running for class president, but they certainly don't have the show more other students' best interests in mind. They're working for Crawford Tillinghast, the mastermind behind the monsters and gates that have invaded Lovecraft Middle School.

I thought The Slither Sisters was even better than Professor Gargoyle because it brought us a little deeper into the story behind the school and Crawford Tillinghast, and it really seemed to take advantage of the "haunted dimension" aspect mentioned in the synopsis. There were some really creepy scenes that had me glued to the book to find out how Robert, Glenn, and Karina would escape. Just like the first book in the series, the second is dark and spooky, but with plenty of fun and adventure to balance it out. It's the perfect amount of creepy - it sets the mood, wraps you up in it and makes you feel like you're there with Robert and his friends, but it's not too scary.

Just like the first book in the series, The Slither Sisters wraps up with a hint that, despite all Robert's hard work, all is still not well at Lovecraft Middle School. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book, Teacher's Pest. I really hope we get to learn more about Mrs. Lavinia and that we get to go back into the Tillinghast mansion! show less

Picking up where Professor Gargoyle left off, The Slither Sisters is the next installment in the ongoing saga at Lovecraft Middle School. At the end of the previous book, the Price twins, students at LMS have mysteriously gone missing. However, Robert Arthur and his friends, Glenn and Karina, have their suspicions that the girls were abducted away to the alternate dimension where Tillinghast Mansion resides to be turned into monsters. When the girls return, their suspicions are confirmed and they are thrown headfirst into a whole new plot to take over the student body, and then take over the world. With the help from the strange librarian and Robert's two-headed rat, the kids have to find a way to stop the Price sisters and the save the show more school!

As with the last book which I also reviewed, I thoroughly enjoyed this one! Reminiscent of R.L. Stine's Goosebumps books, this is exactly the kind of book I would have read in elementary and middle school. There is humor, mystery, scares and even a little romance! And, of course, liberally applied references to the sci-fi master himself, H.P. Lovecraft! I find the characters to be believable and real, even in these very unreal circumstances. Charles Gilman pens the voices of these teens authentically and without dumbing them down for the intended audience. Also, the illustrations are fantastic with a touch of humor and whimsy.

While I liked the first book slightly more, I would absolutely recommend this series to kids who enjoy authors like R.L Stine and Christopher Pike, who love science fiction, age appropriate horror, and are drawn to series they can dive into. Parents can rest assured that the book is good, clean fun that can provide a scare or two without keeping their kids up at night! I have no shame in saying that as an adult, even I'm excited for the next installment and can't wait to see where Gilman takes us in Robert's adventures! Three and a half stars! show less

If the intention of Charles Gilman is to interest young readers in H.P. Lovecraft, then I would venture to say that he’s really hit the mark with his Tales From Lovecraft Middle School series.

Though I had not read the first entry in the series, book 2, The Slither Sisters, does a nice job of giving the reader a brief background on what happened in Professor Gargoyle. Robert Arthur, a seventh grade student, and his buddy (whom we learn used to lean on him for money), Glenn Torkells, follow two classmates, the Price sisters, into another dimension via a portal at the bottom of the school swimming pool. As it turns out, the boys had been here before (which readers of Professor Gargoyle would know) and find out that the school, the very show more town (Dunwich, Massachusetts), is in danger of being overrun by demons that take the place of the students, while their souls are trapped (and you will have to read it if you want to know more).

Obviously Gilman has fun writing these and throwing in the Lovecraft mythos. I’m not well-versed in all things Cthulhu, but I do know enough to have enjoyed what he does with this fun book. While the series is aimed at the middle school crowd, I’m sure any Lovecraft enthusiast will enjoy reading The Slither Sisters. show less

Like I said in my review of the first in the series written in my opinion for the older elementary school (5th or 6th grade, rather than middle school) crowd, it's like a poor man's (or child's) Harry Potter. Yet, I still found myself enjoying the book none-the-less. The coloring or detail about the characters is a little weak and overall, there's not a lot that goes on, or more precisely, there's a bit that goes on, but not a lot of book. With large font and spaced out lines of text ringing in at just over 150 pages, there's just not a lot of room for heavy detail. It's a quick read though and I'd imagine it's fast-paced enough to hold the attention of its target audience.

In this installment, the hero has to face not one, but two show more horrors - I'm counting the demon sisters as one horror . . . the other horror is that he has to run for president of the 7th grade class.

I'm surprised to admit it, but I'd be interested to read the next in the series as well. show less

The Good Stuff

Fast paced - storyline would keep even the most reluctant reader engaged and not wanting to put book down
Twisted and funny (Alot of Whedon type humour)
Kids act like kids their age should (well except for the paranormal stuff)
Many of the adult characters are realistic and not idiots (yes I know its a pet peeve)
Really how many of us at one time didn't think their teachers were evil (I'm still pretty sure Mr Turcok was)
Robert is a likeable character and many will understand his predicament - lots of changes when you go to a new school and don't know anyone. Also growing up is hard
I'm sorry even if this series sucked I would pick them up for the cover alone -- my preschooler plays with them for hours
In Slither Sisters show more (mentioned a little in Professor Gargoyle) there is a fantastic Librarian character. Ok they made her old and a tad frumpy, but she still is an awesome character
Great morals/messages worked into the story without making it obvious - love an author who can do that effectively
The library is awesome, I totally want to work there
Will definitely be picking up the next book in the series & will be saving them for Jesse to read when he gets older (and hopefully Jake will eventually read them oo)

The Not So Good Stuff

The cover might freak out the less adventuresome reader (aka my son - won't even pick it up & he would love the story)
Do you have any idea how many post it notes I used while reviewing and how hard it was to just pick only 6 quotes (since I am reviewing both at once)

Favorite Quotes/Passages



"He knew the only thing more embarrassing than sitting alone at his new middle school would be sitting with his mommy" from Professor Gargoyle

"These can be filled with downloaded books and checked out from the library - as long as you are very careful with them of course. Personally I'm a little old fashioned. I still prefer the feel of a real book with real pages. The best feeling in the world if you ask me. But we have to embrace the future don't we children?" Professor Gargoyle

"No one chooses to go to the principal's office," Glenn continued. "You avoid this place. You don't volunteer to come here and hang out." The Slither Sisters

"But I can't win," Robert insisted. "I'm not a leader."

Ms Lavinia shrugged. "Well, I'm afraid you need to become one." The Slither Sisters

"If my brother learns I'm helping you, he'll rip my head off," she said. "And that's not what your language arts teachers call hyperbole.

Who Should/Shouldn't Read

Perfect for the reluctant reader
This is one that would even appeal to the stronger middle school reader as it is just such a fun and wicked read
Adults will even get a kick out of the series (I sure did -- but lets face it I'm not really an adult - even-though I am 42)

4.75 Dewey's

I received The Slither Sisters from Random House in exchange for an honest review & I purchased Professor Gargoyle because no matter what I always have to read a series in order (but you don't have to read them in order) show less