The Horrible Bag of Terrible Things by Rob Renzetti

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Horrible Bag of Terrible Things by Rob Renzetti Jennifer Usovicz Renzetti, Rob The Horrible Bag of Terrible Things; illus. by M.S. Corley. Penguin Workshop, 2023 [224p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780593519523 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780593519547 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 3-6 Zenith, a mischievous eleven-year-old boy, allows his curiosity to get the better of him when a mysterious old bag appears on his front porch whilst his older sister Apogee is minding him. He brings the bag inside, examines it, and even sticks his whole head inside of it; relieved but somewhat disappointed with the bag's ordinariness, he clasps the bag shut, accidentally cutting his finger on the clasp of the bag. With a hearty laugh, the bag comes alive with the drop of blood from his finger, and then out springs a spidery monster, "Shlurp," as Zenith dubs him. Apogee comes to inspect the situation and ends up getting sucked into the bag, so now Zenith must travel through the bag's world filled with mythical creatures and monsters to [End Page 301] save his sister and figure his way out before Shlurp or one of many terrible things in GrahBhag gets to them. Along the way, he encounters a variety of sometimes silly, sometimes frightening creatures, including a gargoyle named Kreeble who prefers to feast upon ear wax for sport, and an eight-foot-tall patchwork doll. Renzetti weaves an impressive middle grade novel about two feuding siblings that bond over their adventure in an unknown land. Apogee is the typical older sister, convinced she's right about everything, while Zenith is adventurous to a fault and more prone to mischief. Each chapter leaves off on a cliffhanger (sometimes quite literally for the characters), making for a suspenseful dark fantasy tale, and the ending leaves the series perfectly set up for a sequel, ensuring this will not be Apogee and Zenith's last journey to GrahBhag. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois