Troll Hunters

Gr 5–7—In the small town of Zion Falls, on the night of the spectacular Draconids meteor shower, four children are chosen to defend their homes and families from the coming of the gathool, a race of evil subterranean trolls. The children discover that they each have a secret power, and they are helped by mysterious Doctor Hoo, but will they be strong enough to save the world from death and destruction… or worse? Troll Hunters starts out promisingly, with strong Lovecraftian overtones, but it never really accelerates beyond that and stays basically on one level throughout. The premise is pretty basic: a group of people assemble to fight a heretofore unknown but deadly menace, and a sense of dread appropriately permeates the story. However, some of the characters are more fleshed out than others, even though they all have a moment in which they shine (sometimes literally). The book is divided into four chapters representing four consecutive nights, but the action is constant and readers never get a sense that much time has passed at all. Troll Hunters is pretty heavy throughout and at times inconsistent but it reads quickly and there is enough action for reluctant readers.—Erik Knapp, Davis Library, Plano, TX