Evil Librarian by Michelle Knudsen (review)

High school junior Cynthia understands why her best friend Annie is crushing on the new librarian—he’s seriously smokin’—and she gets the pleasure and pain of unrequited love, since she’s been fantasizing about having Ryan Halsey’s babies for years now. Something seems off about Mr. Gabriel, though, and when Cyn finds him sporting giant bat wings and curling horns and covered in blood, her unease seems pretty justified. Yep, the new librarian is a demon, bent on obtaining Annie as his human bride and sucking out all the souls of the other students—after the school’s production of Sweeney Todd, because apparently every demon loves a bloody musical. Cyn’s ability to resist Mr. G’s hypnotizing gaze is pretty helpful as she works a plan to save her best friend, but most beneficial of all is Ryan’s sudden interest in her, which provides her with an ally among an increasing number of demon-stunned students (and an opportunity to spend more time with the love of her life). It’s all terrifically entertaining from start to finish, with Cyn’s wry voice narrating her transformation from musical theater–loving, crush-having teen to musical theater–loving, crush-having teen who can also kick some demon butt. The plot is particularly well done here, with several encounters with Mr. Gabriel and other demons providing moments of both horror and humor and eventually culminating in the final demon/human battle. Buffy fans are an obvious audience here, as are readers of Rosemary Clement-Moore (Prom Dates From Hell, BCCB 7/07) and Lish McBride (Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, BCCB 12/10).