Revenge of the Beast (2) (The Beast and the Bethany)

Lemony Snicket meets Roald Dahl in this “wickedly funny” ( Kirkus Reviews ), deliciously macabre, and highly illustrated sequel to The Beast and the Bethany in which Bethany and Ebenezer try to turn over a new leaf, only to have someone—or some thing— thwart them at every turn. Once upon a very badly behaved time, 511-year-old Ebenezer kept a beast in his attic. He would feed the beast all manner of objects and creatures and in return the beast would vomit him up expensive presents. But then the Bethany arrived. Now notorious prankster Bethany, along with her new feathery friend Claudette, is determined that she and Ebenezer are going to de-beast their lives and Do Good. But Bethany finds that being a former prankster makes it hard to get taken on for voluntary work. And Ebenezer secretly misses the beast’s vomity gifts. And neither of them is all that sure what “good people” do anyway. Then there’s Claudette, who’s not been feeling herself recently. Has she eaten something that has disagreed with her?