Alexander and his two hybrid human-monster friends Nikki and Rip are on the hunt for the boss-monster who is controlling all the bad monsters at their elementary school. When their principal starts acting shifty as well as strict, she becomes suspect number one.

This book is very clearly part of series. The entry point is actually not too difficult, as the author provides enough background for the reader to understand what is going on. However, the story is not 100 percent wrapped up in this book, rather ending on a bit of a cliffhanger so that the series will continue on.

The contents of this book were really not my cup of tea. The characters don't really have much to them in terms of relationships or personalities; they are all pretty one-note and are there just to perform a job. The emphasis is on plot, which in this case is adventure and fighting. The main characters aren't really particularly helpful in their mission of finding the boss-monster, although at least their motivations come from the right place.

That being said, however, I could see how this book is a bit hit with young readers, especially reluctant readers. The author wastes little time on describing looks, places, etc. and gets right to the point; therefore the pacing moves quickly. There's action and humor contained within the short chapters (only a few pages each). The black-and-white illustrations add to this (as well as indicating that the main character is mostly likely African-American). ( )