Full disclosure, I received a copy of this book via Booksirens, however, have voluntarily chosen to write a review. All opinions are my own
Another year, another otherworldly threat
In the small town of Gale Harbor things are nothing if not unpredictable. Beginning with the events of the prior year when a long-forgotten sea witch returned to seek her revenge if it weren’t for a group of teens and a few adults the town would have succumbed to the wrath of the “Psycho Hose Beast”. Now, just as things are seemingly as normal as it can get in this deceptively quiet little burg the June bugs arrive, but they are not your normal June bugs. This species is huge and mean and they are looking for something. As the harbingers of something more sinister Harper, Niall, and Pius along with a few goth newcomers to the town attempt to decipher the diary of a long dead witch so the new threat can be thwarted. But finding and eradicating the “Butt Monkeys” will not be easy with mysterious Russian assassins and their own government trying to unravel the clues first.
Revenge of the Space Surfing Butt Monkeys is the second in the Gale Harbor themed series of books by author CD Gallant King. With the action taking place about a year after Psycho Hose Beast from Outer Space the core teen friend group remains pretty much intact with the addition of one-time bully Keith Doucette. Harper and Niall are exploring feelings other than friendship but when sparks fly in a not so endearing way, this becomes a bit concerning. Pius is navigating issues of his own when his attempts to help his father better his career results in potential disaster for his family. It really seems as if these kids can’t catch a normal break. When Anna and Keenan appear out of nowhere and are aware of the entire Psycho Hose Beast drama from last year at least the kids feel like they are not crazy. Honestly, I liked the whole goth influence and couldn’t help but imagine what was currently playing on their cassette player as part of the soundtrack.
Goths aside, for me this just felt like this book was not up to the level that Psycho Hose Beast delivered. The first book in the series really pulled out all the stops resulting in a book that was as suspenseful as it was hilarious. While this one had its moments, I felt like I was left waiting for the big twist that would completely change the game. It almost felt as if the events of this book took place too close to the events of the first. With a few years or even decades between the events instead of a year, this could have allowed for a deeper story.
Even with that being said, Revenge of the Space Surfing Butt Monkeys is not a bad story, and I did enjoy reading it. I was already invested and familiar with the characters through the first book so was able to dive in quickly, but for all the drama and doom, this story just didn’t seem to pack the punch that the first book delivered.
Will I read more in this series if there are any? Absolutely. Gale Harbor is nothing if not a source for unique inhabitants and crazy scenarios in a time before cell phones and the world wide web. The nostalgic pull of this strange town and its inhabitants are a draw in itself. I just hope that if there are future books in this series that CD Gallant King is able to recover the unique spark of the first one again.
Jennly Reads 