Scarlett Hart: Monster Hunter

by Marcus Sedgwick, Thomas Taylor (Illustrator)

Overview

Scarlett Hart, orphaned daughter of two legendary monster hunters, is determined to carry on in her parents’ footsteps—even if the Royal Academy for the Pursuit and Eradication of Zoological Eccentricities says she’s too young to fight perilous horrors. But whether it's creepy mummies or a horrid hound, Scarlett won’t back down, and with the help of her loyal butler and a lot of monster-mashing gadgets, she’s on the case.

With her parent’s archrival, Count Stankovic, ratting her out to T.R.A.P.E.Z.E. and taking all the monster-catching rewards for himself, it’s getting hard for Scarlett to do what she was born to do. And when more monsters start mysteriously manifesting than ever before, Scarlett knows she has to get to the bottom of it and save the city . . . whatever the danger!

In his first adventure for middle-grade readers, acclaimed YA author Marcus Sedgwick teams up with Thomas Taylor (illustrator of the original edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone) to create a rip-roaring romp full of hairy horrors, villainous villains, and introducing the world’s toughest monster hunter—Scarlett Hart!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250310453
Publisher:	First Second
Publication date:	04/03/2018
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
File size:	77 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Marcus Sedgwick was born and raised in Kent in South East England, but now lives in the French Alps. His books have won and been shortlisted for many awards; most notably, he has been shortlisted for Britain’s Carnegie Medal six times, has received two Printz Honors, for Revolver and Ghosts of Heaven, and in 2013 won the Printz Award for Midwinterblood.

Thomas Taylor is an award-winning British author and illustrator. He was the cover artist for the UK edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Following this he wrote and illustrated many picture books, as well as the Dan and the Dead series, and a YA novel, Haunters.

Editorial Reviews

Sedgwick has created a world that could be 1940s London, but with some steampunk elements and monsters. It feels retro, but the hero is refreshingly modern…Sedgwick's story and Taylor's images work well together to create an immersive experience. Taylor's sequential art keeps the adventure and the reader's eye moving. When Scarlett battles zombies with a sword, Taylor's fight choreography kept me as riveted as Indiana Jones movies did when I was a kid. Scarlett fights sea monsters, furry monsters, fire-breathing monsters. Monsters get sliced, diced and blown up. The gore is not too gory, and the action is terrifically fun. Young readers will find Scarlett aspirational. She's brave, but not unafraid. She's bold, but not arrogant. She also has an amazing talent, which I confess I envy, for creative insults aimed at her nemesis…

The New York Times Book Review - Jorge Aguirre

03/05/2018
Scarlett Hart is a first-rate hunter of monsters, even if she is technically under the legal age to work for the local monster-hunting academy. With the help of her deceased parents’ staff—the ever-dapper and car-loving Napoleon, and the kind and doting Mrs. White—Scarlett races from scene to scene, protecting the city and capturing evidence of monsters for her employers. But the Count, the family’s lifelong nemesis, has it in for her, thwarting her efforts until Scarlett isn’t sure who is a bigger threat—him or the growing number of monsters that plague early-20th-century London. Sedgwick and Taylor’s story unfolds in lively action sequences, and the banter between Scarlett and Napoleon provides humorous interludes. Sedgwick, in his first middle grade offering, presents obstacles both monstrous and mundane: Scarlett doesn’t just hunt monsters for the thrill of it—her livelihood depends upon it. Taylor’s energetic artwork captures the time and place through the use of metallic grays and browns, while integrating an array of gothic and steampunk motifs. Ages 10–14. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"Sedgwick’s story and Taylor’s images work well together to create an immersive experience... Young readers will find Scarlett aspirational. She’s brave, but not unafraid. She’s bold, but not arrogant." —New York Times

"The weapons, gadgets, catchphrases, and nondescript Victorian setting will appeal to fans of the steampunk genre, [Scarlett Hart] will likely appeal to comic fans as a bridge between Scooby-Doo! and Paul Pope’s “Battling Boy.”"—School Library Journal


"A cliff-hanger ending, along with a handful of secrets about Scarlett’s parents left unexplained, hopefully means there’s a sequel yet to come. This solid middle-grade caper is perfect for fans of Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller’s Nightmares! series."—Booklist

"Monster hunt after monster hunt keeps the story whizzing along nicely, with plot developments and revelations sprinkled throughout in a rollicking manner. Rough and scrappy, Taylor's illustrations convey ghoulish cool with subtle aplomb..."—Kirkus


"Sedgwick and Taylor’s story unfolds in lively action sequences, and the banter between Scarlett and Napoleon provides humorous interludes."—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

02/01/2018
Gr 4–7—Sedgwick displays his mastery of the macabre—though with a humorous flourish—in his first middle grade graphic novel. Scarlett Hart, the orphan daughter of a pair of famous monster hunters, certainly has the bravery and gumption to follow in her parents' footsteps. Trouble is, she's still a few years shy of legal monster-hunting age—not to mention that her rival Count Stankovic is trying to tip off the Watch (the local police) so they'll catch Scarlett in the act and arrest her. The good news: Scarlett and her butler, Napoleon, have set up an expert system in which he reports her monster kills to the Royal Academy for the Pursuit and Eradication of Zoological Eccentricities (T.R.A.P.E.Z.E.) on her behalf. The bad news: Count Stankovic is definitely up to something behind the scenes, and when Scarlett and Napoleon begin to pry, more than just Scarlett's monster-hunting future is at stake. From ghosts to gargoyles to mummies, there's no shortage of cryptids in this rapid-fire romp. In fact, so much happens that the characters consequently fall a bit flat. The action sequences can be difficult to follow at times, but Taylor's muted full-color art is deliciously dark and eerie. The weapons, gadgets, catchphrases, and nondescript Victorian setting will appeal to fans of the steampunk genre. VERDICT While the story isn't especially inventive, the title—and its possible sequels—will likely appeal to comic fans as a bridge between Scooby-Doo! and Paul Pope's "Battling Boy."—Alec Chunn, Eugene Public Library, OR

School Library Journal

2018-02-19
Following the path set by her renowned, deceased parents, young Scarlett Hart battles against monsters, ghouls, and all other kinds of dreadful things.As an underage hunter, Scarlett must keep her activities a secret from the Royal Academy for the Pursuit and Eradication of Zoological Eccentricities; she must also contend with the vile Count Stankovic, a rival hunter who holds a personal vendetta against Hart. Aided by her wry butler, Napoleon, Scarlett hunts spectral hounds and mummies to earn just enough money to keep her little operation running. To keep on hunting means risking it all, especially when her nemesis manages to get Hart in trouble with the Academy. Monster hunt after monster hunt keeps the story whizzing along nicely, with plot developments and revelations sprinkled throughout in a rollicking manner. Rough and scrappy, Taylor's illustrations convey ghoulish cool with subtle aplomb, even as moments of action get muddled at times from panel to panel. Muted colors and a London backdrop set an appropriate mood, casting the monsters and baddies in a particularly gruesome light. As more monsters pop up in Scarlett's world, and the Count grows into an even bigger menace, the young hunter uncovers secrets both great and small. Meanwhile, rumors swirl about a book called the Codex Monstrorum and its dangerous properties. This graphic novel features a cast of mostly but not exclusively light-skinned characters, with a plucky, pale-skinned heroine at its center.Fun for a spooky night, anchored by likable characters and a zippy story. (Graphic horror. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews