  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 07/01/2014 Gr 8 Up—If Louise Rennison and Christopher Moore had a bibliographic love child it would be this cheekily narrated supernatural offering. Cyn is initially thrilled when her teasing BFF Annie finally shows signs of infatuation, until she discovers the object of Annie's affections is the new school librarian. Mr. Gabriel's attention to Annie unsettles Cyn and readers alike. At first suspecting the creepy Gabriel is a manipulative and inappropriate authority figure (awful enough), Cyn learns that he's a horned and winged demon. He wants brainwashed Annie for his human consort, when he returns to his realm to fight for the throne with the life essence he's poached from her classmates. Musical theater crush, Ryan in tow, Cyn fights to save her best friend; enlisting help from the ill-fated, the duped, and the demonic, all while struggling to keep her hormones in check and trying to create a kick-ass barber chair for the school's production of Sweeney Todd. The protagonist is the most developed character, leaving the others sadly stock. But, her narrative voice and the novel's dialogue make it worth the read. Occasional swearing, a dash of romance, and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments round out Knudsen's enjoyable comedic tale, reminiscent of the original "Buffy" film.—Danielle Serra, Cliffside Park Public Library, NJ - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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