A trio of preteens find friendship while combating comically grotesque tentacled blob monsters.Halle Thompson, a scary movie devotee, is excited to deliver flowers from her mother's shop to imposing, isolated Price Manor, home of famous fright film director Maximus Price. His children, Paisley and Argyle, are preparing for an ordinary day, flanked by a coterie of servants in their grandiose abode. But the house seems eerily quiet. When the twins finally locate their staff, they discover that all the adults are possessed by squidlike creatures who affix themselves to people's faces and effectively zombify them. Halle, approaching through a thick mist, finds a similar scene on the mansion's lawn. The three kids meet and swiftly join forces to combat the mysterious foes in a series of outlandish situations. Halle's vast knowledge of horror tropes combines with the idiosyncratic skill sets of the long-cloistered Price offspring, and between a roller-skating disco, sousaphone practice, and a horrifying foray into a stinky cheese cellar, they tackle the tickly nemeses and prove themselves resourceful and brave in the process. Playing lightly on the tropes of classic B-movie horror, Parnum's imaginative and satisfying debut is packed with high-spirited hijinks. Characters are implied White.Playful energy propels a laugh-out-loud scary story that doesn't tread too far into truly terrifying territory. (Light horror. 8-12)

In this good-humored romp, horror film mega fan Halle Thompson, 12, leaps at the chance to deliver flowers to the lavish home of Maximus Price, creator of one of her favorite movies, The Manic Marmoset Invasion. Meanwhile, on the morning before their 13th birthday, Price’s twin children Argyle and Paisley abruptly awaken to find their usually orderly estate in shambles. Upon investigation, they discover that the heads of the mansion’s adult caretakers have become encased in slimy, squidlike creatures; these appear to be controlling the adults, and they spontaneously replicate when they sense a new host. Initially believing their trickster father was pulling a prank, the twins are ill-prepared to handle the mayhem, until they meet Halle, who teaches them the rules for surviving “Dire Circumstances” (“Number one rule: Avoid Peril at All Costs”). By combining Argyle’s vast knowledge of animal behaviors, Paisley’s acrobatic prowess, and Halle’s expertise on all things horror, the trio works together to defeat the multiplying invaders. Debut author Parnum keeps the scares gentle but gooey via lively prose that conveys a vibrant setting. Quick-moving chapters and alternating perspectives that showcase the characters’ dawning agency make for a propulsive creature feature. Characters default to white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Kaitlyn Johnson, Belcastro Agency. (Aug.)