Substitute Creature by Charles Gilman

Substitute Creature (Tales from Lovecraft Middle School, #4)

by Charles Gilman

When a giant nor'easter dumps a blanket of snow on the village of Dunwich, Massachussetts, Robert Arthur and his friends find themselves marooned inside Lovecraft Middle School. The kids have no choice but to spend the night-while snacking on cafeteria food, sleeping on classroom floors, and facing off against a mysterious substitute teacher who may have a sinister secret. The latest adventure in the Lovecraft Middle School series features more adventures, more outrageous monsters, and another terrifying lenticular cover!

Reviewed by celinenyx on

4 of 5 stars

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My favourite book in the Tales from Lovecraft Middle School yet!

A huge blizzard traps Robert and his mother together with the concierge and a substitute teacher in Lovecraft Middle School. Soon Robert and Karina, the ghost of a girl that can't leave the school, discover that the blizzard is a cover unnatural creatures to enter the world.

I loved the monsters in Substitute Creature. They're scary and adorable at the same time, and the illustrations made my day. After all the gross insect-like monsters we've encountered so far, it was great to have a bit more cuddly monsters. I liked the setting of the snowed in school, being unable to have contact with the outside world makes it all seem more real somehow.

There is some slight romantic development between Robert and Karina which is absolutely adorable. Middle grade book romance is the best. YA books should take a page from this on how to have a sweet but non-scary crush on someone.

I also feel like the stakes are getting higher in every book. Although Substitute CreatureM doesn't end on a cliffhanger, there are a lot of unresolved questions that I'm sure will be addressed in the next book. I'm looking forward to the next book, I feel that Mr Gilman is improving his writing in every new release.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 4 November, 2013: Finished reading
  • 4 November, 2013: Reviewed