Brick Dust and Bones (Marius Grey #1)
by M R Fournet (Author)
A twelve-year-old cemetery boy and monster hunter-along with his flesh-eating mermaid friend-has to race against the clock to save the ghost of his dead mother in Brick Dust and Bones, M.R. Fournet's magical middle grade debut.
Marius Grey hunts Monsters. He's not supposed to. He's only twelve and his job as a Cemetery Boy is to look after the ghosts in his family's graveyard. He should be tending these ghosts and-of course-going to school to learn how to live between worlds without getting into trouble.
But, Marius has an expensive goal. He wants to bring his mother back from the dead, and that takes a LOT of mystic coins, which means a LOT of Monster Hunting, and his mother's window to return is closing.
If he wants her back, Marius is going to have to go after bigger and meaner monsters, decide if a certain flesh-eating mermaid is a friend or foe, and avoid meddling Demons and teachers along the way. Can Marius navigate New Orleans's gritty monster bounty-hunting market, or will he have to say goodbye to his mother forever?
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Kirkus Reviews
Publishers Weekly
In Fournet's macabre debut, an orphan cemetery caretaker leading a double life as a monster hunter stalks paranormal beasts in the Louisiana bayous. White-presenting 12-year-old Marius Grey is responsible for maintaining Greystone Cemetery, which his family owns, and tending to its spectral inhabitants while attending a hybrid school for children with connections to the real world and the spirit realm. To earn enough Mystic coin to bring his mother--whose spirit accompanies him on his caretaker duties--back from the dead for good, he moonlights as a monster hunter, using an enchanted book to trap boogeymen, boo hags, and other mythological threats and trade them at the monster bounty-hunting market. But with the anniversary of his mother's death approaching, and her spirit becoming increasingly difficult to manifest, time is quickly running out. As Marius's desperation grows, he seeks out stronger creatures with larger bounties, setting his sights on the fearsome and deadly rougarou, a legendary swamp beast worth 20 boogeymen. Via Marius's self-assured voice, Fournet deftly balances Marius and his demonic foes' gruesome and exhilarating battles with meditative ruminations on grief, loss, and moving on. A hint of sweet romance and sensorial depictions of New Orleans landmarks and legends further elevate this lightly gory found-family thriller. Ages 9-12. Agent: Ben Miller-Callihan, Handspun Literary. (July)
Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
"Fournet has a knack for creating a spooky atmosphere that maximizes tension, and fans of Gaiman's The Graveyard Book who want some New Orleans flair might find something to like in Marius' double-shifts from hell." — BCCB
JUV052000 - Juvenile Fiction | Monsters
JUV069000 - Juvenile Fiction | Ghost Stories
Ghosts
Mothers and sons
Paranormal fiction
Cemeteries
Monsters
Mermaids
Novels
Monster fiction
