Review: Grounded for All Eternity

By Darcy Marks

New York : Aladdin, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, 2022. Fiction. 375 pgs.

Malachi, Crowley, and Lilith are just your average, normal, middle-school kids. That is, if you consider living in the suburbs of Hell and having black feathered wings normal. They want to enjoy their school free vacation, but Hell is on lock down after the soul of Reverend Samuel Paris, leader of the 1693 Salem witch trials, escapes. Malachi and his friends travel to Earth, looking for some fun, but accidentally bring the Reverend's soul with them to modern day Salem, Massachusetts. Chaos ensues, and Malachi meets many new types of characters, such as witches, angels, and humans. Malachi and his friends must work together to return Reverend Sam's soul to Hell, or else all of Salem will be destroyed. Or worse, be grounded for all eternity.

Read this book for the ultimate Halloween experience, and if you want to revisit the story of the Salem witch trials in an exciting new light. Malachi and his friends are charming, witty, and this book will be enjoyable for boys and girls. This book has some tense moments that will leave you on the edge of your seat, hoping that Malachi and his team will succeed. Overall, I thought this was an enjoyable read, and I loved the underlying theme of choosing one's destiny, no matter their origin.

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