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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It's a good book, not my favorite genre, but an interesting read. I appreciate the writing and the story and background of the characters was nice. Nothing felt ground breaking, but also a solid read.
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
Loveable characters:
Yes
I loved that the author ENJOYED writing the book
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ (4.5/5) | Audiobook via Libby
A wild, genre-bending ride that blends horror, mystery, and paranormal fantasy with a wink to Saturday morning cartoons—Meddling Kids is what happens when childhood sleuths grow up and realize the monsters were real all along.
Set in the eerie town of Blyton Hills, the story follows the surviving members of the Blyton Summer Detective Club (Andy, Peter, Kerri, Nate, and their dog, Tim) as they reunite years after their final case. Haunted by trauma, fractured friendships, and a lingering sense that something was left unfinished, they return to the scene of their last mystery to confront a darkness that’s far more sinister than they ever imagined. What begins as a nostalgic reunion quickly spirals into a Lovecraftian nightmare, complete with ancient evils, cryptic rituals, and a talking dog (sort of).
Cantero’s writing is sharp, irreverent, and cinematic—perfectly suited to audiobook format. The characters are flawed, funny, and deeply human, and the Scooby-Doo parallels add a layer of bittersweet charm. I especially loved the magical and paranormal elements that twist the familiar mystery tropes into something fresh and unsettling.
If you love horror with heart, found-family dynamics, and a dash of queer representation, this one’s for you. I’m already looking forward to whatever Cantero conjures up next.
A wild, genre-bending ride that blends horror, mystery, and paranormal fantasy with a wink to Saturday morning cartoons—Meddling Kids is what happens when childhood sleuths grow up and realize the monsters were real all along.
Set in the eerie town of Blyton Hills, the story follows the surviving members of the Blyton Summer Detective Club (Andy, Peter, Kerri, Nate, and their dog, Tim) as they reunite years after their final case. Haunted by trauma, fractured friendships, and a lingering sense that something was left unfinished, they return to the scene of their last mystery to confront a darkness that’s far more sinister than they ever imagined. What begins as a nostalgic reunion quickly spirals into a Lovecraftian nightmare, complete with ancient evils, cryptic rituals, and a talking dog (sort of).
Cantero’s writing is sharp, irreverent, and cinematic—perfectly suited to audiobook format. The characters are flawed, funny, and deeply human, and the Scooby-Doo parallels add a layer of bittersweet charm. I especially loved the magical and paranormal elements that twist the familiar mystery tropes into something fresh and unsettling.
If you love horror with heart, found-family dynamics, and a dash of queer representation, this one’s for you. I’m already looking forward to whatever Cantero conjures up next.
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book brought the nostalgia from Scooby Doo with a very adult and fantasy/ Sci-Fi/ horror revamp. Always have to love a book that incorporates LGBTQ characters too! I gave it 3 stars because it almost seemed like it was being written as a film at points, but would swing back and forth from that POV. The paragraphs would sometimes last an entire page before a break and it kills me to read on a Kindle like that where I can't touch the screen to follow with my finger like in a physical book. Really heavy into the fantasy and sci-fi realm so if that's your thing, this book will peak your interest!
Nate, Andy, and Kerri are the only remaining originals from their teen sluth group. The gang gets back together when the man they caught and had arrested for the criminal activities on Deboen Isle is released from prison. They realize that he might not have been the one causing the mayhem to begin with. They begin making the journey back to figure out what really happened when they were teens.
Nate, Andy, and Kerri are the only remaining originals from their teen sluth group. The gang gets back together when the man they caught and had arrested for the criminal activities on Deboen Isle is released from prison. They realize that he might not have been the one causing the mayhem to begin with. They begin making the journey back to figure out what really happened when they were teens.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I had such high hopes for this book. From the title alone, I'm thinking a grown-up version of Scooby Doo. While I actually really liked the characters in Scooby Doo, the characters in this book I barely tolerated. They talked like immature teenagers and all their back stories were ridiculous. The build-up to the action took way too long to get to and I was bored the majority of the time reading. I trudged on knowing I owed it to myself to finish, but I really wish I hadn't. This book should have been relegated to my DNF pile. I can't wait to pick up another book immediately to overcome this hugely disappointing book.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I am actually mad at myself for finishing this. I was excited for the nostalgia of my childhood with the Scooby Doo feel. However, I got annoyed as soon as the first weird descriptor came through “on a Japanese wind.” This kept me up at night. They are in the US, how is the wind Japanese?? Plus, does wind even have that kind of descriptor?
I could make a long list of the off putting descriptors or made up words, but I had to actually rewind twice to make sure I heard that a FMC was so scared “that her hair died.”
Then the "Half a Greek alphabet of monsters of grey malformed figures were staggering towards them."
I could make a long list of the off putting descriptors or made up words, but I had to actually rewind twice to make sure I heard that a FMC was so scared “that her hair died.”
Then the "Half a Greek alphabet of monsters of grey malformed figures were staggering towards them."
Let’s not create some math trivia question that I have to then Google during an action scene.
This may be some people’s cup of tea, it was not mine.
This may be some people’s cup of tea, it was not mine.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated