Carter, his sister, Polly, and his mom and dad have just moved to a new neighborhood, called Alabaster Shadows. At first, the matching houses seem boring, but Carter soon discovers that they hide a mysterious secret world filled with monsters and overseen by the creepy adults who know more than they let on. Carter must work with new friends to keep these adults from doing harm to his family, his school, and the rest of the community. Doucet's bright art, in a rich, saturated palette, is a striking introduction to the tale and draws readers in even before the action kicks off. He illustrates a modern, multicultural world filled with young characters with whom kids will identify, especially as they chafe at hostile adults and revel in the strange new worlds they discover. There is plenty of action to keep the story moving in this genre mash-up of fantasy, mystery, sci-fi, and horror, with just a touch of humor added to keep things from becoming too dark. Readers will eagerly await volume 2.