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A review by citrus_seasalt
Something's Up with Arlo by Matteo L. Cerilli
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Thank you so much to the author, Matteo L. Cerrilli, for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Matteo L. Cerrilli has only published 2 books thus far, but he’s already looking up to be another influential voice in the landscape of trans and queer-led horror for youth. I read his debut, “Lockjaw”, at the beginning of this year and was absolutely blown away by it. While “Something’s Up With Arlo” has to keep its deaths at a minimum, and maintains a snark and adventure for its younger audience that “Lockjaw” never had to, I found this nearly just as tense, and it barely downplayed its horror. I hope this finds its way into the hands of kids who read Goosebumps but want something with a little more emotional oomph.
(But ugh, I hate how Arlo was introduced as this very lovable character and then we barely got any time with that version of him! I know just getting the reader used to him before he corrupts is the point, and it’s there to make the haunting even sadder, but. Oof that definitely sucked some of the fun out of the story, there were times I had to put this down because it was so emotionally draining LOL. Grief overtones, not my beloved or beloathed but a secret third thing…)
I especially appreciated Nero’s quiet gender exploration. I’m used to reading books that pivot their focus to a character’s queerness, even in the middle of a heart-pounding mystery or a gradually escalating horror. The lack of focus on it is definitely due toit being left unresolved, but I wouldn’t argue it’s something that can be easily relegated to the background, either. It’s a not frequently mentioned, but important part of their character. (And, I’m going to use they/them pronouns because of Nero’s reaction to Flick’s parents referring to them with those.) And, this is sorta ramble-y, but between that, and a startlingly on-point portrayal of mental illness, I wonder the kind of person I would’ve been if I was Nero’s age and could see myself reflected in the pages of a book like this. I was privileged enough to have a great education that meant I learned about depression and anxiety symptoms in my middle school health class, and I had the home environment to come out at a young age, but having less clinically-worded models could’ve helped me verbalize some parts of myself a little earlier.
I wasn’t surprised by the integration of multiple religious practices because I was familiar with some of Cerrilli’s Instagram posts about the characters in this book, but I was surprised at how all of them were given the same amount of importance and effectiveness! It’s an angle I don’t see many ghost hunting stories take, there’s usually an emphasis on vanquishing spirits solely with Christian practices (at least, I can speak on Western media).
My main issue with this book, though, is that I would’ve liked to have more time with Flick and Emily. While this isn’t what I’d describe as a “slow-paced” story (there’s something creepy happening at least every other chapter), it does take a while for Nero to branch out, become involved with those two characters, and actually make some progress in the mystery. (I found Flick especially endearing. They were quite dorky and I would’ve liked to see more of them outside of the ghost stuff.) Emily, in particular, took a while to get to know the mindset of, and all of her issues kinda got dumped in two sentences and barely acknowledged because there weren’t enough pages left to do so. I think the bulk of my annoyance comes from the Instagram character bios being more spoiler-y than I realized, though.
I also would’ve liked to see some kind of resolution for Nero’s relationships with their parents. So much was left without a resolution, which I suppose was for the sake of realism, but… I feel like in a fictional story with a set beginning and end, there’s only a set number of things I can excuse being left open-ended before I start pointing it out. (And! What the heck did their dad mean by him “having a friend over from work” that Nero shouldn’t tell their mom about?! I thought that would pop up again in the story but it was one line that was never addressed again??! Unless I’m missing something??)
But overall, this is definitely another grief-heavy ghost story I enjoyed. I haven’t loved an ARC before, but I can proudly say this is the first time I have! For a middle grade, this was surprisingly mature, even if it kept itself entertaining. I’m a little sad about having to let go of Nero and their crew. I’d definitely recommend this to anyone who was a fan of “Jasmine Is Haunted” by Mark Oshiro. (Which, Book Fae actually did, and that’s how this even got to be on my radar! Fae, if you’re reading this, you’re a genius.)
Matteo L. Cerrilli has only published 2 books thus far, but he’s already looking up to be another influential voice in the landscape of trans and queer-led horror for youth. I read his debut, “Lockjaw”, at the beginning of this year and was absolutely blown away by it. While “Something’s Up With Arlo” has to keep its deaths at a minimum, and maintains a snark and adventure for its younger audience that “Lockjaw” never had to, I found this nearly just as tense, and it barely downplayed its horror. I hope this finds its way into the hands of kids who read Goosebumps but want something with a little more emotional oomph.
(But ugh, I hate how Arlo was introduced as this very lovable character and then we barely got any time with that version of him! I know just getting the reader used to him before he corrupts is the point, and it’s there to make the haunting even sadder, but. Oof that definitely sucked some of the fun out of the story, there were times I had to put this down because it was so emotionally draining LOL. Grief overtones, not my beloved or beloathed but a secret third thing…)
I especially appreciated Nero’s quiet gender exploration. I’m used to reading books that pivot their focus to a character’s queerness, even in the middle of a heart-pounding mystery or a gradually escalating horror. The lack of focus on it is definitely due to
I wasn’t surprised by the integration of multiple religious practices because I was familiar with some of Cerrilli’s Instagram posts about the characters in this book, but I was surprised at how all of them were given the same amount of importance and effectiveness! It’s an angle I don’t see many ghost hunting stories take, there’s usually an emphasis on vanquishing spirits solely with Christian practices (at least, I can speak on Western media).
My main issue with this book, though, is that I would’ve liked to have more time with Flick and Emily. While this isn’t what I’d describe as a “slow-paced” story (there’s something creepy happening at least every other chapter), it does take a while for Nero to branch out, become involved with those two characters, and actually make some progress in the mystery. (I found Flick especially endearing. They were quite dorky and I would’ve liked to see more of them outside of the ghost stuff.) Emily, in particular, took a while to get to know the mindset of, and all of her issues kinda got dumped in two sentences and barely acknowledged because there weren’t enough pages left to do so. I think the bulk of my annoyance comes from the Instagram character bios being more spoiler-y than I realized, though.
I also would’ve liked to see some kind of resolution for Nero’s relationships with their parents. So much was left without a resolution, which I suppose was for the sake of realism, but… I feel like in a fictional story with a set beginning and end, there’s only a set number of things I can excuse being left open-ended before I start pointing it out. (And! What the heck did their dad mean by him “having a friend over from work” that Nero shouldn’t tell their mom about?! I thought that would pop up again in the story but it was one line that was never addressed again??! Unless I’m missing something??)
But overall, this is definitely another grief-heavy ghost story I enjoyed. I haven’t loved an ARC before, but I can proudly say this is the first time I have! For a middle grade, this was surprisingly mature, even if it kept itself entertaining. I’m a little sad about having to let go of Nero and their crew. I’d definitely recommend this to anyone who was a fan of “Jasmine Is Haunted” by Mark Oshiro. (Which, Book Fae actually did, and that’s how this even got to be on my radar! Fae, if you’re reading this, you’re a genius.)