Publishers Weekly
05/25/2020
Twins Esmeralda and Atticus Fetch are the famed pet finders in the town of Thorns Hollow, boasting a 99% success rate. While cleaning the basement of their family home, they find an old “lost dog” poster and decide to visit the hound’s owners, Prof. Hadrick Mordred and his wife, Dr. Persephone. When the twins arrive, they meet the once-missing dog, Maxwell, and receive an icy welcome, the Mordreds occupied with safari-like preparations. Atticus, feeling unsettled by the encounter, has his concerns confirmed when Maxwell shows up at the Fetch home and leads the twins into the now-empty Mordred house, where they discover a hidden doorway to a different world. In this hybrid between prose, collaged papers, and comics-style storytelling, Fridolfs’s (the Secret Hero Society series) efficient text complements artist Nguyen’s illustrations: intricate backgrounds that frame the more loosely rendered twins. The thin volume packs in a few too many plot points, presumably to be continued in the sequel, but macabre fashionings keyed to a missing-pet plot offer an eccentric charm. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12. (July)
From the Publisher
Praise for Half Past Peculiar: Finders Creepers"Quirkily tantalizing . . . begging for a sequel." - Kirkus
School Library Journal
07/01/2020
Gr 3–5—Atticus and Esmeralda Fetch are not only twins, they are the best pet finders in town. When they come across an old 'Lost Pet' flyer in their basement, they are led to a creepy old house that they have never seen before. It turns out the missing dog, Maxwell, was not really missing. His owners shoo the twins away; but, never ones to turn away from a mystery, the kids soon return. Inside the house, they discover strange artifacts and a portal that takes them on an exciting adventure to another world. Similar to Fridolf's and Nguyen's "Study Hall of Justice" series, this novel is told in a combination of prose and graphic panels. The illustrations are reminiscent of Edward Gorey's pen-and-ink drawings and Charles Addams' cartoons. The first in a series, this book seems to be laying the groundwork for subsequent installments; the majority of the plot is background and setup, with only the last few chapters containing the real action. The book ends abruptly with a cliffhanger. VERDICT The mixture of prose and graphic novel elements make this story accessible to reluctant readers. Some kids will be eager for the next book in the series, while others may be left wishing for a clear resolution.—Kristin Williamson, Metropolitan Lib. Syst., OK
Kirkus Reviews
2020-04-08
The Family Fetch thrives on adventure, but this may be their biggest one yet.
The Fetch twins—rambunctious, athletic Esmeralda and bookish, cautious Atticus—run a pet-finding service with a “ninety-nine percent success rate.” The only thing standing between them and 100% is the shadow of their own dog, Dunnsworth, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances many years ago. The preternaturally responsible twins are left to their own devices most of the time, as their parents (an archaeologist and a deep-sea explorer) gallivant off on their own adventures. Cleaning the basement one day, the twins discover an ancient lost-dog flyer put up by a family completely unknown to them—and in trying to unravel the mystery, they’re drawn into a world of magic and monsters beyond anything they could have ever imagined. Fridolfs’ prose is simple but formal, giving the narrative a timeless air. The story effectively combines collaged images, graphic-novel sequences, and traditional prose. Nguyen’s monochrome illustrations are charmingly quirky, pets and settings depicted with photographic realism alongside balloon-headed people. The story proceeds at a leisurely clip but tries to fit too many plot threads into too short a space; the latter half of the story, which incorporates the fantasy world, is not explained, leaving readers feeling as lost as the twins when thrown into that world.
Quirkily tantalizing but begging for a sequel. (Graphic/fantasy hybrid. 8-12)
