It’s a fine line between mglit that’s age-appropriate scary, and those that skew younger. They’re both easy to wrangle because they have a cover that guides them to their audience. The Black Market is certainly in the correct category of mglit. Its content is the sort that upper-elementary will enjoy-to an extent. The cover has a spooky costume that’ll confuse those readers for just a moment. However, this is where mglit has varying lines of interest, with some crossing much higher than the name implies, and some sticking stubbornly to middle school, #67.
The Black Market is prank-driven mglit that will hit some seventh graders and eight grade boys. I’m teaching high school and just conducted an informal poll, asking them if they still watch prank videos. A couple of the boys, who are on the lower end of the maturity stick said that they do, with the others qualifying their answers with “No, but…”. Point being that pranks have jumped the shark for most audiences and need to be handled with care.
Martin and Jess are two best friends, this is a good start. Martin’s eccentric aunt Gabby gives him a mysterious pair of shoes, this builds on the good start. His aunt acquired them in a pop-up store that sells magical totems. This store, The Black Market is only open one night a year and this year the two friends are intent on finding it. As it’s a pop-up store, its location changes every year, will the duo be able to find it, if it’s even in their town?
Within short order, on Halloween night no less, the two find The Black Market and con their way inside. They find a “Bag of Dirty Tricks”, whose mysterious qualities and sealed container make it as attractive as buying a box of miscellany Amazon returns. In a scene straight out of Gremlins, the two are warned about obtaining the bag, but as expected, the pair end up making a trade, Martin’s new shoes for the bag.
Once they get home, they read the instructions and conduct one of the dirty tricks out of obligation, not expecting anything from it. The Devil’s Soap does what it’s meant to do. It turns whoever uses it red for a seven-day period. The two put it in their shower where Martin’s dad turns a dark-red almost immediately afterwards. The two kids then go about having licorice grow out of someone’s body, making their dog float like a balloon and other pranks.
The two are starting to feel a little guilty about their pranks. They attempt to bury the bag, but it fails. They ultimately return it to the pop-up store that’s only available one day a year. Is it possible that the person who traded them for the exotic shoes could be behind all of this?
The Black Market is mglit on the younger-skewing side of things. Older readers will find it challenging to like the characters. Martin and Jess are two selfish middle schoolers. Their pranks are overly cruel and pointless. Personally, as an older reader, I need the main characters to be somewhat likable. They must have something redeeming in order for me to care about them so that I will continue reading.
One aspect for my personal dislike of The Black Market was that, however, the book isn’t built for me or my demographic. Will upper-elementary or middle school kids like The Black Market? They might, but it’s that handful of kids who are still down with pranks. My current class of 11th graders are tacitly down with pranks, but they’re not interested in reading; ironically, this is their literature class…but that brings up the other thing.
The Black Market is missing a certain zip. Younger skewing scary books move faster and have a deeper sense of dread. It’s age-appropriate gothic literature that’s emblematic of the genre and has Goosebumps as its leader. Kidlit gothic literature has lots of room for competition. It’s a topic that is especially attractive to boys, who are infamous in their abilities to be reluctant readers. That is why The Black Market is especially frustrating. I really wanted to enjoy The Black Market because it has all of the ingredients for a book that I would personally enjoy, as would boys in upper-elementary through middle school. It’s an unfinished lasagna with everything needed for a great meal, but something happening to where it comes out as spaghetti that’s in need of parmesan cheese and more spices.
The Black Market is by Jed Alexander and is available on Union Square Kids, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
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