Gr 4-6 It's not easy being 10-year-old Jack Hallows, mainly because his father is Death. Following the escape of a troll from the nearby reserve, who subsequently eats Booger Reynolds in the middle of the school cafeteria, Jack is plunged into solving the mystery of who set the troll free. Worse still, Fixers have come to town and are sorting the children into groups based on their bloodlines: Golds and Blacks. With gold-blooded friend Nadine, who keeps a very mysterious secret herself, Jack must use his Sherlockian know-how to work out what exactly is at the core of a most sinister plot. That is, of course, before he and Nadine are shipped off to a new school called Magic Hallows. This tale has a humorous narrator, one of Death's minions, whose wit and humor rival that of Lemony Snicket. Though the plot features a lot of violent action and death, it is not overly bloody or gory. The book has elements of the "Percy Jackson" series and the macabre atmosphere of a Neil Gaiman story throughout. Fans of Roald Dahl will appreciate some of the tongue-in-cheek elements at play. References to totalitarianism may well be useful for instruction as well. VERDICT A fun novel with a great sense of humor, a tantalizing mystery, and easily relatable characters. A fine choice for most middle grade collections. Wayne R. Cherry Jr., St. Pius X High School, Houston