Evil Librarian
Evil Librarian book cover

Evil Librarian

Hardcover – September 9, 2014

Price
$16.99
Format
Hardcover
Pages
352
Publisher
Candlewick
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0763660383
Dimensions
5.8 x 1.12 x 8.5 inches
Weight
0.041 ounces

Description

It’s all terrifically entertaining from start to finish, with Cyn’s wry voice narrating her transformation from musical theater–loving, crush-having teen to musical theater–loving, crush-having teen who can also kick some demon butt. The plot is particularly well done here, with several encounters with Mr. Gabriel and other demons providing moments of both horror and humor and eventually culminating in the final demon/human battle.—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)[A] self-aware supernatural dramedy... The writing is clever, the tone wry, and the stakes high, with surprises that keep the plot unpredictable. Cyn’s internal monologue provides plenty of amusement, especially when her hormones threaten to overpower her common sense. It’s an entertaining tale with room for future installments.—Publishers WeeklySnappily narrated, tightly plotted and generally just right. Forget paranormal romance; this horror-humor-romance pastiche is where those in search of hot nonhumans should set their sights.—Kirkus ReviewsHysterical! Smart and funny, with a little drama, a little romance, and just the right touch of evil.—Stephenie Meyer, author of the bestselling Twilight SagaThere’s plenty to like here: a budding will-they-won’t-they romance, demonic possession, musical theater references, and more. Knudsen keeps the terror well-tempered with plenty of hilarious situational comedy and touches of the absurd.—Booklist OnlineIf Louise Rennison and Christopher Moore had a bibliographic love child it would be this cheekily narrated supernatural offering. ... [Cyn's] narrative voice and the novel’s dialogue make it worth the read. Occasional swearing, a dash of romance, and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments round out Knudsen’s enjoyable comedic tale, reminiscent of the original “Buffy” film.—School Library JournalSmart, problem-solving, and loyal, [Cyn] makes an engaging heroine... The first-person narration ranges from self-deprecating wit to breathless, punctuation-free anxiety during suspenseful moments, emphasizing Cyn’s terror—and her determination to save those she loves despite her fear. An excellent choice for fans of Cynthia Leitich Smith’s Tantalize series or Larbalestier and Brennan’s Team Human.—Horn BookKnudsen's snarky wit portrays the high school atmosphere to a T, and it is suspenseful enough to keep readers up late turning the pages.—St. Louis Post-Dispatch Michelle Knudsen is the author of The Dragon of Trelian and The Princess of Trelian, as well as the best-selling picture book Library Lion, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes; Argus, illustrated by Andréa Wesson; and Big Mean Mike, illustrated by Scott Magoon. Michelle Knudsen lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Features & Highlights

  • He’s young. He’s hot. He’s also evil. He’s . . . the librarian.
  • When Cynthia Rothschild’s best friend, Annie, falls head over heels for the new high-school librarian, Cyn can totally see why. He’s really young and super cute and thinks Annie would make an excellent library monitor. But after meeting Mr. Gabriel, Cyn realizes something isn’t quite right. Maybe it’s the creepy look in the librarian’s eyes, or the weird feeling Cyn gets whenever she’s around him. Before long Cyn realizes that Mr. Gabriel is, in fact . . . a demon. Now, in addition to saving the school musical from technical disaster and trying not to make a fool of herself with her own hopeless crush, Cyn has to save her best friend from the clutches of the evil librarian, who also seems to be slowly sucking the life force out of the entire student body! From best-selling author Michelle Knudsen, here is the perfect novel for teens who like their horror served up with a bit of romance, plenty of humor, and some pretty hot guys (of both the good and evil variety).

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(69)
★★★★
25%
(58)
★★★
15%
(35)
★★
7%
(16)
23%
(53)

Most Helpful Reviews

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More tragic than Sweeney Todd

I tend to agree with most of the favorable five-star reviews for this novel. Even as a senior citizen, I found this novel a fun read. As a teacher in public schools, I try to tune-in to what my students are reading. I think this novel would be enjoyed by many teen readers and it would make a great movie for the non-readers. The protagonist is a spunky 16-year-old girl. I find that most YA readers tend to read "up" ...looking for protagonists who are a couple of years older than themselves. My only disappointment with this novel is that it contains a bit too much profanity for me to comfortably recommend to junior high and most high school readers. IMO, some of the expletives could have been replaced with milder versions without a loss of effect or honesty. I fear this may also keep the book out of some school libraries ...which would more tragic than "Sweeney Todd."
3 people found this helpful
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Fun Read! Really enjoyed it.

Very funny with some good twists. I like this genre in general but this stands out to me for just being such an entertaining read. It's well written and very funny – I laughed out loud on several occasions. Told through the eyes of a witty but somewhat shy high school girl, Cynthia, who gets dragged into a crazy situation. From her hilarious secret longing for the handsome Ryan to her dealings with the seemingly impossible scenario of a demon at the school – it's a fun read from start to finish. Cyn is a great heroine as she reminds of what it was like to be a girl in high school – although I doubt my inner thoughts were ever that clever. I admire her for her courage and fierce loyalty to her best friend as well.

I also enjoyed the look into the theater group's world (Cyn is the Tech Director of the High School production of Sweeney Todd). This was not an area I had anything to do with in high school so it was interesting to see that side of things. In fact, this got me to buy the Broadway version of Sweeney Todd just to share that experience with the characters in the book.

A good read for teenagers as well as adults.
3 people found this helpful
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Recommend this read!

The best story of the year!! I've read it twice now! The author knows how to deliver a very engaging, suspenseful and funny plot.
2 people found this helpful
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Such a great book! I was surprised by what a page ...

Such a great book! I was surprised by what a page turner it wound up being—so much just perfect tension. And really, really funny!
2 people found this helpful
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Demons and High School

3.25 Stars
A high school supernatural drama with some comedic relief. Think My Teacher Is an Alien or The Faculty mixed with High School Musical. There are some funny scenes, but a couple fall short. The female MC is an overly-obsessed teen, but the characters are not described in depth (which works well for this book). The novel is a light-hearted, fluffy, and fun read. A good pick for teens and theater fans.

LT Early Reviewers
2 people found this helpful
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Written at a middle school level, it is too ...

Written at a middle school level, it is too racy for a middle school student. Of course, triple irony might be escaping me.
1 people found this helpful
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Four Stars

Humorous.
1 people found this helpful
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And great story idea

Very entertaining! And great story idea! I recommend this to everyone.
1 people found this helpful
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Hilarious and original

You will not find a more original novel than Evil Librarian. Funny, poignant, and strange in all the right ways, this one kept me up late laughing and gasping in equal measure. Buy this book - it'll suck you in from the first Demon-filled chapter and keep your attention long after you've put it down.
1 people found this helpful
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so if you loved Buffy you're going to love this book as well

A very entertaining supernatural thriller, with comedy and romance and musical theater. It has a Buffy vibe, so if you loved Buffy you're going to love this book as well. If you never watched Buffy, then you're still going to love this book. If you watched Buffy and didn't like it, then I guess you probably won't like this book either. Your loss.
1 people found this helpful