The Blackwell Family Secret: The Guardians of Sins

Gr 7 Up—When Nicholas Blackwell was seven, he woke up in the wee hours of Christmas morning, not to the excitement and enchantment of the day, but to the sound of his parents being interrogated and murdered by intruders. The next thing he remembered was waking up in the hospital, then being whisked away to St. Christopher's Academy by members of the Vatican. For the past nine years, Nicholas has lived at the school year-round with only the priests, nuns, and the janitor, Gabriel, to keep him company during school breaks. An off-campus outing with some friends and the mysterious new girl, Amy, changes everything. Through an odd series of events, Nicholas and Amy find themselves in Demonio, the city of demons, where they must fight against the guardians of the seven deadly sins. They are helped by Pugdush, a very Dobby-esque, risen demon, and further aided (or hindered?) by a serpent who claims to know the Blackwell family secret—and a secret about Amy. While this novel starts off fairly strong, the scenes and characters in Demonio veer close to slapstick at times. Nicholas is a likable protagonist, complete with flaws, but Amy's "secret" will not be a surprise to attentive readers. There are no big reveals and the success of the quest is never in question. Purchase only where there is a strong demand for urban fantasy/angel books.—Heather Webb, Worthington Libraries, OH