Review: Unmasked by Lorien Lawrence

Author: Lorien Lawrence
Publisher: Amulet Books
Publication Date: August 2022

Having suffered from anxiety attacks since she was eight years old, creating monsters has become a sort of therapy for Marion Jones. When she sculpts and paints, her fingers don’t tingle, the heaviness lifts from her chest, and she can actually breathe. So instead of grabbing pizza and milkshakes after school like most other kids in South Haven, Marion holes up in her room, working away on her monsters. And it’s paid off, because she’s just finished her first full-face a gruesome sea monster she’s named Winston.

However, Halloween arrives with a Super Blue Blood Moon, and its powers somehow manage to bring Winston to life. To make matters worse, Marion’s crush, Tyler Dash, becomes the object of Winston’s possession as soon as he tries on the mask, turning him into a red-flannel-and Converse-high-top-wearing creature from Connecticut. Marion has no She has to follow Tyler to the Halloween dance to try and stop him. Will she be able to figure out what’s happened to Tyler and stop the monster from wreaking further havoc on the school? Or has she made a real-life monster that’s here to stay?

Unmasked is the third book in the Fright Watch series.  This one focuses more on Marion, a muddle schooler who is amazing at making monster masks and make-up.  She has suffered from anxiety since she was little and her craft is an outlet.  When Tyler steals her sea monster mask, Marion has no choice but to get it back.  That could prove to be very dangerous for Marion and the kids in her middle school.

I thought this was a fairly enjoyable follow up to the first two books. Quinn and Mike do play a big part in the book, but Marion is more of the protagonist.  I thought the portrayal of a child with anxiety was pretty accurate.  I didn't love the rubber band method but I guess it might work for some kids.  It was great for Marion to finally realize that she did have friends. People did genuinely liked her, not just for her monster make-up skills.  I didn't find this one as creepy as the first two.  The dance scene was a little cheesy, but not too cheesy to be off putting.  I hope that there is a 4th book because I love the idea of this trio having another paranormal adventure together.