Stuck in Neutral

A guest review by Patrick Finnegan, in Mr. Greenbaum's English 9 class.

Trueman, Terry. Stuck in Neutral. 2012. 144p. ISBN 9780064472135. 

Stuck In Neutral by Terry Trueman is a fascinating book that follows the life of Shawn McDaniel, a 14 year old boy living in Seattle with Cerebral Palsy. Because of his condition, Shawn cannot control any of the muscles in his body. This means that he cannot do anything for himself, and he also cannot communicate with other people. Everybody Shawn meets just assumes that he is mentally "not there," and that he can't understand or hear anything they are saying to him. The truth is, Shawn is probably smarter than most of the people that he's ever encountered in his life. Shawn has the unique ability to remember everything he's ever heard. As a result of his talent, Shawn remembers any piece of information he's ever been taught, which makes him extremely smart. He's a genius, except nobody knows it, least of all his father. His father thinks that Shawn is a "vegetable", and it pains him to see Shawn live in like that on a day-to-day basis. After loving with Shawn's chronic seizures for a couple of years, he moved away from the family. It hurt him too much to see Shawn go through the pain. In reality, Shawn enjoyed his seizures, because they gave him an out-of-body experience, and the ability to control himself for a brief moment. Shawn's father decided to write a poem about him, and when he had an opportunity that share the poem publicly, it was such a hit that it was almost instantly published. The poem was so successful, that it launched Shawn's dad into stardom. Now, Shawn is the "world's most famous retard", but he isn't even mentally retarded at all. 

Shawn is now fourteen, and he's learned to deal with his condition on a day-to-day basis. Shawn has a routine that he goes through, and considering the circumstances, he has a pretty good life. His mom, brother, and sister love him very much, and even his dad still visits every once in a while. Shawn gets the feeling that something is wrong after his father's last visit. It appeared as though his father had lost his cool, and was acting overly concerned about Shawn and his safety. That wasn't even the startling part. Shawn gets the suspicion that his father is thinking about killing him to "end his suffering". Shawn doesn't want to get killed, but with no way of communicating, and no way of defending himself, he is essentially at the mercy of his father's decision. The book beautifully describes Shawn's emotions, and the fear of his father that slowly develops. Shawn is safe with his brother, who is much more athletic, and stronger than their father, and who is willing to protect Shawn, but he is worried about when nobody is home. Will that be when his father strikes, or will his father decide that killing Shawn won't end his suffering? Unfortunately, Shawn gets the opportunity to find out.

When his brother has a basketball tournament out of town, his mother and sister both go to watch it. Shawn cannot attend, and is forced to stay overnight with his babysitter. Just as Shawn is about to go to sleep, someone knocks on the door. It is his father. Why would his father be here? He's never at his house this late. Would this be the night that Shawn's father finally commits the crime that he had been thinking about for the last couple of months? Shawn's hope walked right out the door when his father offers to take care of Shawn for the night. His babysitter, not suspecting anything, leaves without anything to say, except for a requested autograph from Shawn's father. As the door closes, Shawn realizes that this is the first night that he and his dad have ever been alone together. Will it be his last? 

Air Gear, Vol. 3

Oh! Great. Air Gear, Vol. 3. 2007. 224p. ISBN 9780345492807. Available in the Graphic Novels section of the library.

In Air Gear, Vol. 2, Izzi has challenged Buccha to a Parts War so he can rebuild his Air Trecks, but Buccha is rated E, whereas Izzi is only an F rider. To win over Buccha, he will have to push beyond his abilities. Luckily for him, the battlefield is his and Buccha’s own school, and Izzy knows it intimately. But when his best friends end up in the hospital after trying to fight Buccha on their own, Izzi realizes that the stakes are higher than just parts.

With rebuilt Air Trecks, Izzi will attempt to perform the most dangerous race of his life. The prize? Control of East Side Junior High. With so much at stake, it’s no wonder that other Air Treckers are watching this event closely, including Simca … much to Ringo’s dismay!

The story continues in Air Gear, Vol. 4.

The Metamorphosis

Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis. 2011. 201p. 159 mins. ISBN 9781937028121. Available as an audiobook on Overdrive.

As a traveling salesman, Gregor Samsa rarely sleeps at home. On the few occasions he gets to sleep in his bed, he relishes the experience. So when he awakens in his own bed one morning only to discover that he’s been transformed into a giant insect, Gregor is at first concerned that he is late for work. Somehow he slept through his alarm and missed his train for work, and surely his manager is already on his way here to see what the matter is and ask why Gregor is being such a bad employee. The metamorphosis from a human being to a bug is only of secondary importance to Gregor, who is the family’s sole breadwinner. He really must get ready for work.

But moving around as an insect is simply too hard, especially if one is not used to it. Soon the manager comes to Gregor’s bedroom door, and he orders that Gregor open his door. Encouraged by his parents through the left door as well as by his sister through the right door, Gregor struggles in his insect body to unlock, then open the door. His sudden appearance when the door finally opens shocks the manager, his parents, and his sister. Gregor quickly loses his job, has trouble finding food he likes, and finds himself unable to communicate with his loved ones.

As Gregor’s life slowly devolves, he remains as sharp as ever, but can only witness the absurd circumstances that rendered him even more of an outsider than he already was, alienated from all but his own thoughts. Gregor’s guilt and loneliness is not enough to encourage him to leave his family, and as he observes new family dynamics change, he realizes that he’s the one holding them back. A classic for the ages, Kafka’s story of alienation remains current even today.

Monument Men: Allied heroes, Nazi thieves, and the greatest treasure hunt in history

Edsel, Robert M. Monument Men: Allied heroes, Nazi thieves, and the greatest treasure hunt in history. 2009. 473p. 885 mins. ISBN 1599951495. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

As the German war machine was rolling through Europe during World War II, it became clear to museum curators and staff, as well as art experts around the world, that Hitler and his cadre of committed Nazis were systematically looting the art and historical collections of conquered countries and shipping it out to Germany for “safekeeping.” Hitler’s goal was to create the best art museum in the world in his hometown of Linz.

As early as 1940, plans were made by the museum community in the United States to help locate, retrieve, and return these works of art, but it wasn’t until 1943 that the U.S. Army recognized the need to have an official cultural policy and officers in charge of cultural preservation and recuperation that the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program was established. Led by George Stout, the head of the conservation department at Harvard University’s Fogg Art Museum, Monument Men landed with the invasion force on D-Day and spread throughout Europe as the Allies slowly pushed back the German armies towards Germany.

A lack of political will meant that the Monument Men were always under equipped, lacked basic necessities, did not receive proper recognition for their mission from military authorities, and had to fight tooth and nail to preserve and rescue the cultural heritage of Europe. Racing against time and the advancing Russians who were intent on extracting war repairs through capturing the art looted by the Germans, the Monument Men were able to save Western Europe’s most significant cultural masterpieces and worked tirelessly for decades to reunite art with their former owners.

This story of courage and undaunting drive from men who were in their forties, fighting a young man’s war, illustrate clearly why they are called the greatest generation. Without them, our cultural heritage would be significantly smaller.

Urban Legends

Stewart, Gail. Urban Legends. Part of The Mysterious & Unknown series. 2012. 96p. ISBN 978-1-60152-185-9. Available at 398.2 STE on the library shelves.

The growth of communication and social media has led to an explosion of false information. Some of it is done to confuse or obfuscate. Others are done for commercial or economic advantages. But some are fabricated to provide a moral or to explain specific circumstances. Known as urban legends, these arise with a kernel of truth and are just far out enough to be almost unbelievable yet provide enough convincing elements to make people believe they are true.

From the urban legend that dropping a penny from the top of the Empire State would kill a pedestrian on the sidewalk to the live cockroach growing in the tongue of someone who gave himself a papercut licking an envelope, urban legends are persistent, widely circulated, and often morph into other legends retaining the same lesson or moral. This book presents several urban legends and how they have evolved over time. These urban legends deal with stories that are too good to be true, stories that are meant to scare, stories about celebrities, stories about animals, and stories about food and drinks.

Readers who enjoy the paranormal or the thrill of the strange will appreciate the urban legends presented in this short book.

The Odyssey

Homer. The Odyssey. 2016. 37 mins. Abridged. Available as an audiobook on Overdrive.

Odysseus left to fight Troy, and he has now been missing for ten years. Nobles are swarming his wife Penelope, hoping to lay their hands on his lands and riches. His young son, Telemachus, grows up and becomes the leader of father’s kingdom in his absence, but his nobles still oppose him.

The goddess Athena advocates for Odysseus’ return to Ithaca, and Zeus finally consents. He returns home only to realize that his nobles are in open revolt and have been wasting his wealth. Disguised by Athena, he is recognized by his old nurse and by his valiant dog. Odysseus partakes of a meal in the palace before revealing himself in a feat of strength. Blood flows as the nobles are punished and Odysseus reclaims his throne, helped by Telemachus.

P.S.: I Like You

West, Kasie. P.S.: I Like You. 2016. 329p. 6 hours 56 minutes long. ISBN 978-0-545-85097-1. Available as an audiobook on Overdrive.

Lily stands out at her high school, and not for the better. Now a junior, her nemesis Cade gave her the nickname “Magnet” back in middle school, and it has stuck ever since. Cade is conceited, thinks he’s the most beautiful boy in the school, and bestows nicknames and insults to everyone that crosses his path. Her inability to catch a basketball was so funny to her classmates that they all kept passing her the ball, hence the nickname Magnet. Lily has never forgiven Cade, and when he dated her best friend Isabelle she did everything she could to undermine the relationship.

Lily wants to become a songwriter. She’s always writing lyrics and accompanying her songs on her trusted guitar. She’s not ready to share any of them, however, not even with Isabelle. Her home life is frantic and loud, with two younger brothers. She also has to share a bedroom with Ashley, her older sister who attends community college but stays at home. Her parents do their best, but there’s never peace at home.

During a moment of inattention in Chemistry, her teacher catches her writing away, and he tells her that from now on she cannot have her trusted green book in front of her. In her despair later on that week, she writes a song lyric on her desk. To her surprise, when she sits back down at her desk she discovers that someone completed the lyric. Soon, she’s exchanging old fashioned letters with an unknown male correspondent. With Chemistry classes taking place all day, it could be anyone. That guy is sensitive, with a distant father and a demanding stepfather. They share the same musical tastes, and they expose each other to new bands.

But when she discovers that Cade is her secret penpal, everything changes. How can the boy she’s falling in love with be the jerk that makes her life hell? Can Lily reconcile Cade’s two dramatically opposed persona into a person she can truly love and who will love her back?

Diary of a Wimpy Kid #7: The Third Wheel

Kinney, Jeff. Diary of a Wimpy Kid #7: The Third Wheel. Book 7 of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. 2012. 217p. ISBN 978-1-4197-0584-7. Available at FIC KIN on the library shelves.

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, Greg Heffley is hoping to secure a date to the dance. Being in middle school, however, is tough, and it is hard to attract the ladies without a trick up your sleeve. Greg reviews his life as a child to discover insights on how he should approach this problem. His uncle Gary, who’s a dead beat, suggests that Greg should use a wingman to help him in his quest. That’s perfect. Greg can use his best friend, Rowley, to help him secure a date, and, if there is time afterwards, he can help Rowley get his own date.

When Abigail’s date, Michael, cancels on her, Greg finds the opening he’s been waiting for. He asks her out, and she agrees to go as a group with Greg and Rowley. With the big night coming, Greg has a lot of plans. They’ll go out to dinner at a fancy restaurant, and Abigail will clearly see that Greg is the man of her dreams.

Unfortunately, one night can be a long time in a middle schooler’s life, and Greg is about to discover that you can’t buy love, even if you buy an expensive meal at a restaurant.

Stonehenge

Mass, Wendy. Stonehenge. Part of the Building History Series. 1998. 96p. ISBN 1-56006-432-3. Available at 936 MAS on the library shelves.

One of the world’s most mysterious structure is the stone array of Stonehenge. Built over two millenia, from 3,000 to 1,100 BCE, the purpose of Stonehenge remains unclear to this day. Speculations abound that it served as a calendar, as a holy site, as a druid gathering places, or to track eclipses. But how it was erected is as fascinating as what it is used for.

The blue and sarsen stones that were used in the construction of Stonehenge are not from the Salisbury Plains. They were taken and shaped miles away, then brought to the site. The blue stones, between 4 and 8 tons, came from Mount Prescelly, in Southern Wales, about 135 miles away and were probably transported by ship most of the way. In the case of the larger sarsen stones, they originated about 24 miles away, but as each rock weighed up to 40 tons, moving them over land would have been an engineering feet.

The construction of the site followed four distinct stages, with the third stage being further separated in three separate phases. Each time, the arrangement of the stones were shifted around to accommodate different uses. The erection of the lintels, the piece of stone that sat on top of two parallel sarsens, required extensive engineering and manpower to accomplish.

By the time the Romans conquered England, Stonehenge was already over a thousand years old, and its purpose had disappeared along with the inhabitants who created it. Since then, there have been much speculation about what it was used for. As these continue, however, the site is deteriorating due to weather, pollution, and human activities. Efforts are taking place to preserve the site for future generations, so they too can enjoy the mystery and the quiet majesty that is Stonehenge.

Arena 3

Rice, Morgan. Arena 3. Book 3 of the Survival Trilogy. 2016. 240p. ISBN 0984975373. Available as an eBook on Overdrive.

When Brooke and her friends managed to escape Arena 2, they fled northward towards Canada, propelled by rumors that there was a sanctuary city that had been spared by the war. The trek almost killed them, but at the beginning of Arena 3 they reach Fort Noix, in Quebec. Fort Noix runs like a military operation, and residents must obey military orders. After many discussions, the Fort’s commander allows Brooke, Ben, Bree and Charlie to join in exchange for work and obedience.

Thrilled to be finally safe after years in the wilderness running away from slavers, Brooke meet other teenagers her age and immediately joins the patrols. The two kids adapt quickly to life in the Fort, but Ben, however, continues to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and remains distant. For months, they get stronger and better. But then the Fort receives a cryptic message from Texas. Another base has survived and is trying to contact other pockets of survivors. There are doubts, however. How old is the message? Who is sending it? Could it be a trap?

The message gives Brooke hope, because the voice sounds like that of her father, who left at the beginning of the war in Arena 1. She is so convinced that she decides to do the unthinkable. She will leave the safety of Fort Noix and travel all the way down to Texas to locate this other base. Three of the local teenagers agree to accompany her, and they are soon joined by Ben and the children. Back in the wilderness, Brooke and her friends are once again facing the unforgiving environment of an America ruined by war as they head down to Texas. Will they be able to avoid the crazies and the slaverunners who are looking for them?

Careers in the US Army

Rice, Earle Jr. Careers in the US Army. Part of the Careers in the US Armed Forces series. 2016. 128p. ISBN 978-0-7660-6943-5. Available at 355 RIC on the library shelves.

Soldiers are the oldest armed profession. In the British colonies, the minutemen ambushed the British soldiers heading to Lexington to collect weapons, firing the shots heard around the world and igniting the American Revolution. From that crucible of violence first rose the Continental Army, which was then replaced by the United States Army. The U.S. Army has fought in more conflicts than any of the other armed services. From wars against Native tribes to conflicts against Mexico, Spain, and participation in the First and Second World Wars, the Army evolved to become a highly trained and efficient fighting machine able to take on any threat to the United States and its allies. The Army possesses some of the best trained and equipped soldiers in the world.

This book provides a detailed introduction to the history of the U.S. Army. It also discusses the various roles it serves in the era of global terrorism, from conducting ground operations in Iraq and Afghanistan to protecting the homeland. The various career paths for soldiers are examined, and the differences between Active and Reserve Forces are explored. Short biographies of famous soldiers are peppered throughout. Finally, possibility for the Army of the future are presented. Anyone interested in joining the Army will appreciate the range of material available in this book.

Titles in this series include:

• Careers in the US Air Force
• Careers in the US Navy
• Careers in the US Marine Corps
• Careers in the US Coast Guard

Manipulating Light: Reflection, Refraction and Absorption

Stille, Darlene R. Manipulating Light: Reflection, Refraction and Absorption. 2006. 48p. ISBN 0-7565-1258-1. Available at 535 STI on the library shelves.

Light is one of the more mysterious scientific concept. It provides us with the ability to see shapes and colors. It can sharpen a view, from the extremely large telescopes gazing at the stars to the microscope observing the smallest building blocks of matter. It can distort a view, from mirrors in your car to carnival rides. It can transmit information instantly around the globe through fiber optics, and it can scan numbers through barcodes and lasers. It represents a standard that in theory cannot be broken, the speed of light. But what is light?

Light behaves according to a set of principles known as the law of reflection. How light bounces, bends, and gets absorbed dictates what will be seen. This short book describes the process by which light provides colors and enable scientific accomplishments such as the photographic camera and the most advanced telescopes. Without light, we could not read these words.

The Curse of King Tut

Netzley, Patricia D. The Curse of King Tut. Part of the Mystery Library series. 2000. 96p. ISBN 978-1-56006-684-9. Available at 932 NET on the library shelves.

One of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the 20th century was the unearthing of Pharaoh Tutankhamen’s tomb in the Valley of Kings. Long forgotten, the boy king’s tomb is located in an area filled with the tombs of rulers and nobles of Ancient Egypt,but all of these burials sites have been plundered over the last four thousand years. Tutankhamen’s last resting place, however, was forgotten by history and by plunderers and contained objects and murals that helped understand an entire period in history.

Born to King Amenhotep IV, Tutankhamen ascended the throne early in his life following a period of decline and neglect. Though young, he set forth to create reforms and to return Egypt to its former glory. But Tut died young, most likely murdered by his advisors. He was given the proper burial rights and he was laid to rest in a tomb. All aspects of his life were erased from Egyptian records, and he soon was forgotten.

When Howard Carter began looking for tombs in Egypt in the 1920s, he was convinced that the few references to Tut found in old records indicated that there was a tomb that had not been found. He led an expedition that explored the Valley of Kings and eventually located King Tut’s tomb buried under dozens of feet of dirt. But soon, people related to the expedition began to die, and the curse of King Tut was born.

This fascinating book presents information on the expedition that discovered King Tut’s tomb. It describes Egyptian burial rituals, and reviews the King’s history. Several possible explanations for the curse are explored, from fungus to deadly gases and mosquito bites, but ultimately there appears to be no link between the many victims aside from their participation or exposure to members of King Tut’s expedition. Is there a curse? Read this book and reach your own conclusion.

Aftermath

Kensie, Clara. Aftermath. 2016. 256p. ISBN 978-1440598708. Available at FIC KEN on the library shelves.

Twelve-years-old Charlotte was a cheerleader at a baseball game when she walked away with a stranger. He kidnapped her and kept her confined in his attic. For four years, Charlotte was sexually abused by the man she calls the Keeper. Found alive after the Keeper fell down his stairs and got hurt, Charlotte is reunited with her parents and her twin sister, Alexa.

During her captivity, she imagined Alexa fulfilling the dreams from the Dream Book they wrote together. Instead, her father had a memorial service for her, divorced, remarried to a woman barely ten years older than herself and they have a baby named after her. Her mother became an alcoholic and hoped she was still alive. Her sister stopped cheerleading, fell in with the bad crowd, just returned from detox, and thought she was better off dead.

Her Keeper has arrested but he refuses to talk about the girl he murdered before catching Charlotte. Charlotte can’t stop imagining his hands closing on her throat. Can Charlotte free herself of her demons and make things right? How do you reconnect to the life you left behind after so much time and so much trauma?

It’s Not Me, It’s You

Strohm Stephanie Kate. It’s Not Me, It’s You. 2016. 288p. ISBN 9780545952583. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

Avery Dennis is the social queen of her school. For as long as she can remember, she’s never been single. Not even in kindergarten. But with less than a week to go before prom, Avery finds herself unexpectedly single when Luke breaks up with her. This breakup takes place in public and suddenly Avery is the subject of everyone’s conversation at her small school. What will she do? It would be unthinkable to go to the prom alone.

At the same time, Avery is assigned an oral history project she must complete to graduate. Clever girl that she is, she decides to research her history of dating by interviewing each and every boy she dated to see how the relationship evolved and how it ended, to help her draw conclusions about why Luke dumped her. In this endeavor, she will be assisted by her best friend Coco, whom she has known since before her birth, and by Hutch, the smartest guy in her school and her lab partner for the last four years.

As Avery starts to question every boy she has ever dated, and many of the girls, an unflattering but strong portrait of the teen emerges. And as she pursues her goal of talking to everyone involved in her dating life, she begins to discover patterns and hints that the boy she should have been dating all along has been closer than she ever thought.

Told in the form of a series of interviews and interjections by Avery, the editor of the oral history project, the reader is able to explore Avery’s dating scene and the stereotypical guys and girls that surround her, from the dumb jock to the super-smart budding scientist with a few patents already to his name to the mean girl and her cronies. Absolutely hilarious, the story redeems Avery’s perceived shallowness and make her a better person in the end. Will it be enough for her to find a date just in time for prom?

Illuminae

Kaufman, Amie and Jay Kristoff. Illuminae. Book 1 of the Illuminae Files. 2015. 599p. ISBN  978-0-553-49911-7. Available at FIC KAU on the library shelves.

The world ends today. Literally. Kady is breaking up with Ezra over their plans post graduation. She wants to leave this rock of a planet on the far corner of the galaxy, and he wishes to stay here. He’s got his reasons, but he won’t tell her what those are. But as if breaking up wasn’t hard enough, the planet is invaded by Beitech troops ready to kill the illegal settlers of this mining colony. Beitech fighters roar overhead and drop bombs while ground soldiers fire on civilians. Ezra and Kady manage to escape the planet and are brought about a United Terrean Alliance fleet, consisting of a battle cruiser, the Alexander, a science vessel, the Hypatia,  and a cargo ship, the Copernicus. Several thousands colonists are rescued. Unfortunately, the colony was bombed with a prototype biogenetic weapon, and many of the colonists are infected.

The evacuation of Kerenza proceeded while the Alexander was busy defending the fleet from four Beitech warships. The Alexander suffered significant damage, and its artificial intelligence, Aidan, is damaged and is making erratic decisions. With the ship unable to jump in hyperspace, the entire fleet must travel to Heimdall space station where a permanent jumpgate awaits. Unfortunately, one of the Beitech warships, the Lincoln, survived and is in pursuit.

At the end of the day, two people who did not want to talk to each other are now together on a spaceship being chased. With the death of military personnel in the battle colonists are conscripted in the military, and Ezra is sent to the Alexander to become a pilot. Though a great computer hacker, Kady is judged to be too volatile and remains on the Hypatia. But as the plague spreads throughout the fleet, as the Lincoln slowly catches up, and as Aidan’s health and processing deteriorates, the prognostic for survival is low. Kady hacks into the computer grid and realizes that the fleet’s chances to successfully reach Heimdall are dwindling, and that military command is not being honest with the troops. With the situation worsening and Aidan making autonomous deadly decisions, Kady has no choice but to reconnect with Ezra in an attempt to salvage what’s left of the Kerenza colonists. Can she forget Ezra long enough to help save the fleet?

Beijing

Pellegrini, Nancy. Beijing. Part of the Global Cities series. 2007. 60p. ISBN 978-0-7910-8848-0. Available on the library shelves at 951 PEL.

The second most populous city in China, Beijing is also the country’s capital. With over 12 million people, Beijing’s population has exploded in the last quarter century, which has brought both challenges and success stories. The capital on and off for over a thousand years, Beijing lies in an arid plain not far away from mountains. It sat at the intersection of major trade routes and was protected by the Great Wall. With the economic liberation that followed the death of Mao, the country’s standard of living as increased and residents of cities have benefited the most. Hundred of millions of peasants have flocked to cities, and Beijing has seen more of its share.

An increase in population brings more economic opportunities, but also severe environmental and infrastructure costs for a city spreading faster than what is sustainable. Major projects such as canals to bring water, high speed trains, metros, highways, and pollution control are all designed to help the capital grow while ensuring that the basic needs of citizens are taken care off. As old Beijing is being demolished to make way for a new Beijing, tensions between those who are rich and those who aren’t are growing, and the local government will have to manage what has been unbridled growth.

Black Butler, Vol 7

Toboso, Yana. Black Butler, Vol 7. 2011. 176p. ISBN 978-0-316-18963-7. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

In Black Butler, Vol 6, Earl Ciel Phantomhive and his butler Sebastian joined Noah’s Ark Circus so they could investigate the disappearance of children. During their search, Ciel discovered a letter from Baron Kelvin indicating that he knew of Ciel’s origins and secrets. Now, in this volume, Phantomhive manages to extricate himself from the Circus and from the Grim Reaper only to fall sick with a fever. Having recovered and trying to escape from Prince Soma's tender care, Ciel and Sebastian travel to the Baron’s estate to confront him. Kelvin has captured the children and is using them for his own sordid purposes, one of which is to recreate the devilish ritual Ciel was involved in as a youngster, with Ciel as the victim again...

The story continues in Black Butler, Vol. 8.