Dreary & Naughty: Friday the 13th of Februaryby Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 6 Dreary and Naughty celebrate Valentine's their own way. Naughty gets letters from every boy in school, making Dreary sulk. Then, gifts of love from the heart are exchanged.I like that Naughty changes from her shallow nature to one understanding what's really important. That growth and her effort to make things right and special makes me like her a bit more (though seeing her making Dreary carry all her love notes for her, and her treatment of him and those notes before this change, made me not like her much at all). Seeing Dreary's artistic side in full force and the thought he put into his gift despite how he was treated makes me love him even more. It's nice to see that Naughty has an artistic side as well! I like that we get to see another character from "the Dark Side of Town." I also love seeing Naughty's monster slippers. And the messages on the candy hearts inside the covers of the book are great! I like that Dreary's shirt displays changing messages reflecting his thoughts, though there is one page where we can't see the entire word due to his arm in the way. Also, Dreary's choice of clothes gets weirder. He's a skeleton, and I get that wearing a jacket with bones printed on the sleeves helps convey more of that image. However, wearing a hat that looks like a skull makes it look like a giant skull is trying to eat him. It's weird. This second book in the series has better character development and a better overall story than the first. The lesson is easy to learn, and Naughty learns and grows. The writing itself is still pretty bad with more forced rhyming. At least this time it was fairly tolerable, making it a book I might re-read. I would also be more inclined to pay the $14.99 if I were younger and looking to get this for my gothic sweetheart. Written: February 6, 2014
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