Mason Mooney: Supernatural Sleuth by Seaerra Miller

Title: Mason Mooney: Supernatural Sleuth

Author: Seaerra Miller

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Walker Books

Published: 4^th October 2023

Format: Paperback

Pages: 80

Price: $24.99

Synopsis: Find out if Mason Mooney can save Grimbrook in the thrilling final instalment.

Your favourite paranormal investigator is back, with yet another adventure that is sure to have you glued to your seat. No, it’s not dreamboat Trent Reilly and his Paranormal Society, it’s Mason Mooney! What do you mean you’ve never heard of him? He’s the world’s greatest paranormal investigator.

Mason and his best friend Iris are on a mission to recover his missing heart and stop Talitha from causing even more mayhem in Grimbrook. But when Iris is welcomed into the mysterious Order of the Emerald Palm, Mason starts to get just a little jealous. And when the two get separated and wind up in different dimensions, Mason will have to get past his jealousy, find Iris and save the town?

~*~

I came to Mason Mooney: Supernatural Sleuth not realising it was the final in a series, so I am writing this review with that in mind. So far it seems that Mason and his best friend Iris have been fighting an enemy called Talitha who has been unleashing monsters on the town of Grimbrook. Grimbrook comes across as a town that is plagued by the supernatural, a place where all the monsters seem to gravitate towards. Mason and Iris are about to face their final battle – and Mason’s jealousy when Iris is accepted into a secret society. But it is they are sucked into whirlwinds and are thrust into different dimensions that Mason needs to find a way to save the town and forge through his jealousy.

Coming into this with the third and final book meant that I missed a few things, but there were moments in the interactions of the characters helped to clarify or mention things that had happened in the previous books to connect them and ensure the reader had some idea of what was going on if they read this one first. I wasn’t too lost, but I do think it will be worth reading them in order, as it did come across as one series that will be best enjoyed when you read it in order. That said, I think it was very cleverly done, merging the real world with a supernatural world and centring kids as the heroes – as children’s books often do with clever narrative intrusions by a narrator who makes astute and tongue-in-cheek observations that made the story come to life whenever the characters were in between scenes, or when something needed clarifying, or even hinted at.

One of the things that is engaging about this graphic novel is its diversity of characters and personality, and that it would be a great read if you’re in the mood for something a little bit spooky, with a touch of humour. It is filled with tropes and characters and items that are known from myths and stories, but it gives its own spin on things to create a modern and engaging story for readers aged nine and up who enjoy graphic novels. Graphic novels are a new area for me to read in and I have noticed that there are some whose layout is more straightforward in terms of the way it flows across the pages. This one uses a combination of panels and full-page spreads, giving readers a chance to work out what is going on.

This is a book that will mostly be enjoyed by fans of the series, but all in all, it was still a good read.