Review: Dread Detention

By Jennifer Killick

New York: Delacorte Press, 2024. Fiction. 198 pages.

Hallie, Naira, Angelo, and Gus are all given detention because of their participation in a food fight at school. They all meet Saturday morning at the school gate where the grounds keeper, Mr. Larrick, let's them inside the school grounds. He instructs them to find their teacher, Mr. Canton. They can't wait for this horrible day to be over with, but the day slowly goes from bad to worse. First, Mr. Canton takes their cell phones, leaves them to take care of the school pigs, and then disappears. They find themselves locked in the school with no way to call for help and running for their lives from man-eating spiders that want to destroy them.

I really enjoyed this book, it was both funny, suspenseful, action-based and it had a heartfelt message. I would recommend giving this book to any middle grade reader who likes horror books full of fast-paced action and creepy spiders.

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