Trollhunters - Softcover

Guillermo del Toro is known for his critically acclaimed feature films, such as Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy, and Pacific Rim, and well as his best-selling Strain Trilogy.
Daniel Kraus is the award-winning author of Scowler and Rotters and is the director of six feature films. He lives with his wife in Chicago.

Sean Murray is an illustrator known for his work on video games such as Dungeons & Dragons Online and The Lord of the Rings Online, as well as his fantasy guidebook Gateway: The Book of Wizards.

Gr 7 Up—Featuring plenty of edge-of-your-seat action, this offering from the director of Pan's Labyrinth and the author of Scowler (Delacorte, 2013) won't disappoint. In the late 1960s, eight-year-old James Sturges and his brother Jack were riding bikes at dusk, racing to get home before dark. Taking a shortcut under a bridge in the woods, they were attacked by a monstrous, shadowy creature with razor-sharp claws, glowing red eyes, and shaggy black fur. Though James barely escaped with his life, he never saw his brother Jack again. Now, many years later, James's 15-year-old son Jim suddenly starts seeing terrifying red-eyed monsters that no one else seems to see. When one creature pulls Jim under his bed one night, Jim learns of his own troll-hunting legacy and reluctantly enters an epic battle between trolls and humans. This work features an eclectic and endearing cast of troll and human characters. Even though the pacing is a bit choppy, moving from fast-paced in one chapter to slow in the next, the heart-pounding opening chapter would make an excellent library or classroom read-aloud. This funny, gory first series installment may engage reluctant readers, particularly those familiar with del Toro's horror films. Beautifully creepy, full-color artwork is sprinkled throughout, but it often appears well after the scene it depicts. VERDICT More gruesome than scary, this title will be a hit with teens and adults who love action-packed, dark fantasy adventures.—Leigh Collazo, Dulwich College, Suzhou, China