BOOKLIST - Carter, his sister, Polly, and his mom and dad have just moved to a new neighborhood, called Alabaster Shadows. At first, the matching houses seem boring, but Carter soon discovers that they hide a mysterious secret world filled with monsters and overseen by the creepy adults who know more than they let on. Carter must work with new friends to keep these adults from doing harm to his family, his school, and the rest of the community. Doucet's bright art, in a rich, saturated palette, is a striking introduction to the tale and draws readers in even before the action kicks off. He illustrates a modern, multicultural world filled with young characters with whom kids will identify, especially as they chafe at hostile adults and revel in the strange new worlds they discover. There is plenty of action to keep the story moving in this genre mash-up of fantasy, mystery, sci-fi, and horror, with just a touch of humor added to keep things from becoming too dark. Readers will eagerly await volume 2. KIRKUS
A brother and sister learn their idyllic new neighborhood holds some nightmarish secrets. At first glance, Carter and Polly's new home-the eerily named Alabaster Shadows subdivision-is another blandly charming suburb with rows of identical houses. However, as soon as they arrive, the siblings immediately sense that something isn't quite right. The town is governed by a community council led by a stony-faced, bespectacled woman named Miss Crowe, who obviously disdains all children. At school, things aren't much better; their teacher, Ms. Frump, shares Miss Crowe's menacing sentiments. Things soon go from bad to sinister: the kids discover a mysterious portal that's leaking liquid in their basement, stumble upon a bizarre dream world only accessible while sleeping, befriend other kids terrorized by monsters under their beds, and learn that adults who ask too many questions are becoming zombified. The children quickly band together and fight the influx of monsters that have seemingly overrun their town. Gardner and Doucet's crafty tale provides a blend of hearty exposition, intriguing worldbuilding, and lightning-fast action; in a nice touch, Carter and Polly are biracial-their mom is dark-skinned, and their dad is Caucasian. Bright, cartoon-style illustrations propel readers through this offering and will leave them wishing it were a series opener. Fans of Goosebumps will definitely appreciate the similarly atmospheric feel. Creepily imagined and entertaining. (Graphic horror. 7-12)