The Library: Black Moon Rising | ⭐⭐⭐| Review
- Michaela Raschilla
- Apr 29, 2020
- 5 min read
⭐⭐⭐
The Library: Black Moon Rising
Written by D.J. MacHale
Published October 2017 by Penguin Randomhouse
Growing up D. J. MacHale had a huge influence on me and it wasn't until I was in high school that I realized just how much. I didn't know that he had written for shows that I was obsessed with growing up (Are You Afraid of the Dark? and Ghostwriter are both shows I have very vivid memories of loving) plus Pendragon was my be all and end all series as a kid (Yes, I even liked it better than Harry Potter if you believe that). I hadn't really touched any of the books that he has written since Pendragon though. This was partially due to my focus during this period of time being college - literary fiction and classics dominating most of my reading.
When I saw the first Library book sitting on the back room of the Barnes and Noble I worked at I snatched it up immediately. I read it in one sitting. So when I saw the sequel up on Netgalley I threw my lot in and came up a winner. I enjoyed this one just as much, read it in one sitting as well. The problems I had were minor and more or less related to picky adult things. I am certain that kids would not have the same issues but I figure I would explain my thoughts just the same.
There was a handful of times throughout the book that some pop culture reference was made and it didn't jive with me very well. The most notable would be a mention of the app. Temple Run. The problem I have with a reference like this is that it very specifically dates the book. Temple Run is a game that was quite popular for a while, and may still be popular, but applications like this one come in and out of fashion so quickly that in even a year it is possible kids won't get the reference. Now, there isn't really a great way of knowing whether something will have longevity, I am sure people were discouraged from mentioning Pokemon in the 90s for the same reason, but that is a franchise that is still going strong. No offense to Temple Run, but I don't personally see it surviving in the same way.
Now, why is this a big deal?
I see this series having the ability to become a serious contender with R. L. Stine's Goosebumps series which has stood the test of time. Children from several generations have chosen their own scares or bit their nails right along with Mr. Stine, and there wasn't much out there similar to it. The Library has the potential to do that. This is not only because it has very strong horror elements and themes, the size and difficulty of the texts being relatively low (aimed closer to the aged 7-10 market but good for all young readers if they are interested), and the ability to dip in and out of the series without missing plot. Each book is a contained story within itself. You can read it in order, or you can jump around and either approach works. If the books date themselves too harshly they won't be able to stay on bookstore shelves as a staple series for 20 years, they will become too far distanced from the readers.
This issue is one that is clearly rooted in my want for this series to succeed. Children of today will have no issue with this, in fact they will relate to the characters more because of references like this. I just fear for its future.
The second minor issue I had was in a detail that I might be the perfect reader to notice. There is a character in this story who likes playing with fire crackers. This isn't a big deal, a lot of kids like playing with explosives, especially the trouble making types, the problem comes in when this fact is paired with the setting of the book. The characters in this book are housed in Western Massachusetts (where I currently live and grew up coincidentally) and all manner of fire crackers and fire works are highly illegal in our state. You are not allowed to carry them over State lines even if you are traveling from one state where they are legal to another. Now this could be easily rectified by simply integrating the added danger that not only is he playing with explosives, but contraband explosives. Again, a little detail, that most people would not notice but one that warrants mentioning.
With all of this said and done, I want to talk about the things I enjoy. The premise of these books is amazing in my opinion. MacHale is an endless fountain of creativity from my perspective. He can come up with so many interesting and complex ideas that include morals and empathy in stories with heart pounding suspense and vivid visuals. His background in writing for T.V. definitely helps him here. If you have a reluctant reader, who doesn't like books because they are boring, hand them one of these and watch how quickly he can consume them. When the pacing is correct and the subject matter helps propel the story along it is hard to put the book down.
I saw the twist at the end coming. I have to say that I saw it and then thought he was going to do something different, and was a bit disappointed when it was what I originally thought. However, my ideal ending may have been a bit too dark for a kids book (although that never stopped Roald Dahl). The threat in these books feels life threatening which helps the story maintain an element of fear even when the subject matter is something so well known: witches. I approved of the way it ended, even if I did see it coming, there are certainly kids who might not. There are kids who will follow all of the red herrings placed before them. This is the fun, the parsing out of the real whodunnit.
The returning cast of characters were all as quirky as I remember them from the first one. I will definitely hold a place in my heart for the librarian (won't elaborate less I spoil something). I like how the two best friend characters in this series are able to actively participate in the adventures which is markedly different than Pendragon, but also creates a new dynamic. The "magic" of the universe is also well established and set within its own rules which is greatly appreciated.
This was a good book, I will read more in the series as they come out and hope that they continue to improve. Is this series going to usurp Pendragon as my all time favorite middlegrade series? No, not in my opinion. If you want to hear me talk about that I did a reread of the whole series in college with some of my friends and you can watch our discussions of those here! I did a review of the first book in this series as well. It is always hard to review a sequel because I don't feel comfortable talking too much about the plot and mechanics. I tried to stick to structure and key elements of the story here and hopefully was able to convey my feelings.
I recommend you guys pick this one up if you have a little one who loves horror, or needs something smaller and fast paced to get them through a book. It might be a great read aloud bed time story if you are a parent who is really great at ominous voice work. I am excited to see what kids have to say about it, so let me know what they think if you can!
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