Catherine Jinks was born in Brisbane, Queensland. A full-time author since 1993 she has written and published around twenty-five books for children and young adults and a further ten books for adults. She now lives in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales with her husband and daughter.

About the Author

Catherine Jinks was born in Brisbane, Queensland. A full-time author since 1993 she has written and published around twenty-five books for children and young adults and a further ten books for adults. She now lives in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales with her husband and daughter.

Reviews

In this action-heavy sequel to The Reformed Vampire Support Group, Australian author Jinks focuses on a different breed of misunderstood monster. After 13-year-old Toby is found, naked and amnesiac, in the dingo pen of a wildlife park in Sydney, his life takes a turn for the weird, as Fr. Ramon Alvarez (whom readers will remember from the previous book) tries to convince Toby that he's a werewolf. Despite initial skepticism, Toby eventually accepts the truth, just in time to be kidnapped by a group running underground werewolf fights. Now, he and an assortment of new allies have to turn the tables on their captors. And when a (recognizable) group of vampires gets involved, things get even messier. As in the earlier book, Jinks has hold of a clever idea and a solid sense of humor, but this installment is brought down by an overdose of disbelief on Toby's part and the chaotic second half of the story. With so much shouting and running around, it's easy to lose track of the actual plot. Ages 12-up. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Gr 8 Up-Life for 13-year-old Toby Vandevelde has been pretty normal until he awakens in the hospital and discovers that he was found naked and unconscious in the local wildlife park's dingo pen. If that isn't disturbing enough, Toby gets the shock of his life when he is visited by Father Ramon Alvarez and his freaky-looking friend, Rueben. They reveal that he is, in fact, a werewolf. What follows is a whirlwind of events that involves Toby's prankster friends, his overworked mother, an underground werewolf fight ring, kidnappers, abused werewolves, and members of the Reformed Vampire Support Group. As with The Reformed Vampire Support Group (Harcourt, 2009), these supernatural creatures are not romanticized or portrayed as gorgeous, strong, and sexy. Instead Jinks shows them as mistreated, weak, uncontrollable, and in need of therapy. She weaves an action-packed story that has a tempo all its own. The constant plot twists and turns thrust the characters into bizarre situations that are at times as humorous as they are scary. The ending leaves room for another installment. The story can stand on its own, but it will be enjoyed most by those familiar with the characters from the previous book.-Donna Rosenblum, Floral Park Memorial High School, NY (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.