That sounds like one of Lucy’s insane ideas. Milo smirked as he remembered the peculiar girl running fearlessly through the woods, violet hair flying, chasing an honest-to-goodness monster. His smile faded as he remembered where she’d ended up that day: on the cold factory floor, his father’s hands around her throat.
In the 2nd book of the Sticky Pines series, Milo Fisher finds something lurks beneath the surface of Black Hole Lake – now he’s not speaking to former best pal Lucy Sladan, what will he do? Meanwhile, Lucy is doing some investigating of her own as she tries to uncover the darker secrets of her town…
I’m a massive fan of The Bigwoof Conspiracy so obviously I needed to know more about the quirky residents of Sticky Pines and the secrets surrounding them all. New fans could read this story and get up to speed but I’d definitely recommend reading book 1 as it further develops Milo and Lucy’s characters along with the overarching mystery of what on earth is going on in Sticky Pines. The Thing At Black Hole Lake continues the Stranger Things and Wayward Pines-sque mysteries for children and is utterly captivating.
I loved how in this sequel we got to learn more about Milo. With more action from his point of view, I liked getting to know him better and understand the luxurious lifestyle he leads isn’t necessarily what he actually desires. Additionally, the mysteries revealed at the end of The Bigwoof Conspiracy continue to have a big impact in this story (no major spoilers here from me!) as Milo and Lucy spend the majority of this book apart. However, it does make you appreciate their amazing teamwork and then be filled with joy at their eventual reunion… but will it last?
The Thing At Black Hole Lake continues to build the Sticky Pines world and like Nucralose, I am absolutely addicted and my insides felt like gloop when I got to the end. What an ending! Also, any story using the pun Smarty McFly or containing the iconic line ‘Having as much fun up there as a mosquito at a nude beach’ is going to be a heap of fun in my opinion. I am now so excited for the next book (The Valley of the Strange) and get more answers… and no doubt more questions…
Suggested reading age: 8+
The Thing At Black Hole Lake is written by Dashe Roberts and published by Nosy Crow. You can buy this, and the rest of the series so far, at all good bookshops now.
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