Monster Club: Hunters for Hire

About this book

A trio of friends set out to catch monsters and foil a nefarious plot in this hilarious adventure by Josh Baxter Levels Up author Gavin Brown.

There is only one thing seventh graders Tommy Wainwright, Colleen "Spike" Hernandez, and Karim Khalil want to do &mdash go on adventures and catch monsters! And in a world where monsters &mdash big and small &mdash roam, someone has to keep these creatures in check, right? Luckily, this is the iPhone era, and that means anyone can use the brand-new app, AppVenture ("It's like Uber for monster-slaying!"), to hire their very own adventurer to stop the beasts. So when Tommy, Spike, and Karim find a way to become registered "Independent Adventure Contractors" for the new app, they couldn't be more thrilled. At first, being full-fledged adventurers is a blast. But when the trio embark on their second quest, they stumble upon a secret: It seems AppVenture has been releasing monsters into the wild in order to generate more business. Now the three friends find themselves on the run from a venture-backed startup that will do anything to make sure our heroes don't live to reveal the truth...

Reviews

Praise for Josh Baxter Levels Up:

* "Smartly paced and emotionally engaging, a book even those who have never held a controller will enjoy." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Brown includes countless gaming references that will delight in-the-know readers... It's a light, fun approach to typical middle-school struggles from an author who gets his audience and knows his games." -- Publishers Weekly

"The gamer theme and the inclusion of various digital diversions add a charge to this upbeat fitting-in story." -- Booklist

"Readers will be engaged in this likable lead's quest to solidify burgeoning friendships via a school video game decathlon. Secondary peer characters of both genders and diverse backgrounds add texture... VERDICT: Recommended as an enticing addition, especially for middle school gamers and reluctant readers." -- School Library Journal

"Gamers will appreciate that each chapter ends with a full-page recap of Josh's current experience level, health, lives remaining, and new skills unlocked (clever summaries of major events he successfully navigated). Even non-gamer kids will likely appreciate Josh, however, as he is earnestly interested in but not always adept at navigating the often baffling social flow of middle school." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Josh Baxter Levels Up is an epic boss battle of a book. Set in a terrain more intense than any video game -- middle school -- it deploys a triumphant combo of humor, high-stakes, and heart. Read this book: It's a winning move!" -- Michael Northrop, New York Times bestselling author of the TombQuest series