Embassy of the Dead by Will Mabbitt (review)

Jake Green is walking home from school one day when he bumps into a mysterious and oddly dressed man who gives him a small box containing a severed human finger. The strange man turns out to be a ghost named Stiffkey, who is employed by the Embassy of the Dead, and he gave Jake the box by mistake. Now that Jake's opened it, both Stiffkey and Jake must flee before they are hunted down by the Embassy's deadliest Reaper and sent into the Eternal Void. This British import is full of frightening monsters, dramatic car—well, camper van—chases, and plenty of dry humor. Mabbitt's world and the bureaucracy of the Embassy are extensive, but he wisely contains exposition in clipped, witty dialogue and illustrated pages from the Book of the Dead, a sort of field guide to the deceased. Jake is a typical twelve-year-old outsider, who finds the peril of his pending demise and excitement of supernatural adventure to be welcome distractions from his lack of friends and his parents' recent separation. Knight's interspersed illustrations provide flavor and occasional spooks (her illustration of the terrifying bonewulf is particularly chilling), but her red-nosed, round-cheeked characters add whimsy and a fairy-tale flair that keep this macabre tale from creeping into too-scary territory. Perfect for fans of The Graveyard Book (BCCB 10/08) looking for slightly sillier fare, this is sure to be a Halloween hit, with ghouls and boys eagerly awaiting the rest of the promised series.