Connolly, John The Gates, 320 pgs. Simon & Schuster
Books for Young Readers, 2011. $6.99. Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence:
PG.
In an attempt
to beat the crowds, young Samuel decides to go trick-or-treating three days
before Halloween. Because of this odd plan, Samuel and Boswell, his faithful
dachshund, inadvertently witness the gates of Hell opening in his neighbors'
basement. It is now up to Samuel and Boswell to stop the Great Malevolence (the
name used for Satan) from emerging from Hell and taking over the world.
This book is truly
delightful. It is written very tongue in cheek and will keep the reader amused
throughout the story. Quantum mechanics, black holes, wormholes, and the Hadron
Collider all figure into the nefarious plan of the GM with the footnotes used
to explain the science done in a satirical manner reminiscent of Lemony
Snicket. In addition to Samuel the notable standout characters are Nurd, a
demon whose annoying personality got him banished to a particularly unpleasant
area of Hell by the Great Malevolence and the Bishop, who is less a man of God
and more an undead and unfriendly problem. This battle quickly becomes less
about good triumphing over evil and more about what humankind is capable of and
if they even deserve to be saved.
EL/MS -
ESSENTIAL. AEB, Social Studies Teacher
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