Gunnerkrigg Court by Thomas Siddell

Gunnerkrigg Court is unlike anything Antimony has seen before.  Strange things are always happening: like the time she discovered she had a second shadow and helped it to escape, or when she went to research Greek myths in the library and ended up finding the actual Minotaur.  Gunnerkrigg Court can be a dangerous place, but it was her mother's dying wish that she go there.  When she discovers that her parents met at this strange institution, Antimony becomes determined to get to the bottom of its many secrets.  Assuming she can survive the school year.

I loved hearing the Minotaur's side of the story: "See, when I was young, it was hard to meet people my own age, being stuck in the middle of a giant death maze and all."  The book is infused with this dry humor and often satirizes the magical boarding school genre.   My favorite character is the demon that ends up trapped in Antimony's stuffed animal and bound to her will.  Siddell plays on the inherent comedy of his situation like a virtuoso.  The ever-optimistic robot comes in a close second.  Then there's the shadow creature...so many great characters!  I'd give this to fans of fantasy and humor.  

Gunnerkrigg Court by Thomas Siddell

Erica's Picks
4th - 6th grade
Tags: Comics, Fantasy, Humor, School Stories

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