Revenge of the Evil Librarian by Michelle Knudsen (review)

Seventeen-year-old Cyn wants a break after fighting Mr. Gabriel, her school’s demonic librarian who was bent on marrying Annie, Cyn’s best friend (in Evil Librarian, BCCB 10/14). Things are looking up—she’s going to an awesome theater camp to do set design along with her super hot boyfriend, Ryan, and they’re hoping the distractions of musical drama and serious smooching can help them forget the death, gore, and demony guts of last year. As it turns out, though, you can’t keep a bad demon down—literally, like down in Hell—and Mr. Gabriel shows up yet again, seeking vengeance on Cyn and another chance with Annie. Now Cyn’s got to figure out how to contact the queen of the demons for help, how to get rid of the violent and threatening crab/dog creature that that is Mr. Gabriel’s brother/assistant, and how to win the set design contest before everything goes to hell—again, literally. Cyn’s voice still has a an appealingly sassy, snappy element, but she’s also exhausted, she’s likely got some PTSD, and she’s really angry that these stupid demons have shown up again, so some of her usual wit is eclipsed here by pure emotion. That Cyn continues to try to fight this battle herself since she has no desire to scar Annie or Ryan further is a bit plot-convenient, but it’s also understandable. The humor, horror, and drama of the previous book are all here, and the while the conclusion is mostly happy, signs point to yet another trip to Hell for Cyn, so readers can look forward to more demonic mayhem.