Blog Tour: School of Doom by Sarah Harrison

School of Doom is a hilarious and heart-warming monster-packed school adventure that kept me completely captivated throughout.

Eddie Harp enjoys munching on wheelie bins and guzzling paint but has to avoid these temptations as she lives in the human realm, a place where these culinary delights are to be avoided if you want to fit in, but Eddie is better at standing out than fitting in … a trait that earns her an unexpected 12^th birthday present.

Eddie receives a summons to enrol at the School of Doom in the Outer Realms as she is deemed unfit for school life in the human realm. This is not altogether a surprise to Eddie as she knows neither of her aunts are human and that she’s not fully human. But what is she?

When Eddie arrives at the School of Doom, she has already made some new friends, Doyden and Granville, aboard the ship which took them to their new school which is on a floating island in the sky. After meeting the Principal and her beastly staff, they learn that they are expected to live up to the school motto: Be the Worst – but also follow the school rules! This presents two problems for Eddie: she may be a monster, but she’s not evil; and, she is not exactly the obedient rule-following type …

It is not long before the new students discover that their school is under threat from a school inspector who seems intent on closing it down, but could there be an even greater danger hiding in plain sight, a danger that may put their lives at risk?

And so begins an action-packed, exciting and hilarious adventure as Eddie and her new friends immerse themselves in monster school life – re-potting baby Vipertike plants, avoiding eight-legged rats, taking part in food fights and drinking gothuccinos. But when the friends discover that someone may be intent on causing them harm, they decide to investigate, an investigation that leads to danger, risks and discoveries that kept me eagerly turning pages to discover the culprit. Will Eddie discover who she truly is? Can she protect her friends from impending doom? And, together, can these new friends save the School of Doom?

This story is set in a brilliantly imaginative world in which I loved being immersed. I loved the school itself with its temperamental, zany buildings, especially Bernard, the astronomy tower and The Lively Library which is utterly brilliant! The cast of beastly school teachers are marvellously monstrous, especially Principal Drazora and Dr Night Terror. And I just have to mention Crawkus, the demon dog, who is absolutely adorable – and ever so loyal, despite the chaos they bring.

Eddie is such a wonderful young monster who is kind-hearted, loyal and courageous, someone prepared to stand up for herself and others when she sees injustice, unfairness and danger. She is finding her place in the world, learning more about who she is, and discovering that having true friends brings her a sense of belonging. Although Eddie did not have friends in the human realm, she makes some wonderful friends at the School of Doom, friends who are loyal, supportive and fun. I really hope there are more adventures for them.

A terrifically thrilling, monster-filled school adventure brimming with humour and heart, perfect for readers of 9+.

Thank you to Laura Smythe PR and Chicken House for inviting me to be part of the Blog Tour and for providing me with a copy of School of Doom in exchange for my honest opinion.