MG Review of Carnival Catastrophe (The Problim Children #2) by Natalie Lloyd

Carnival Catastrophe (The Problim Children #2) by Natalie Lloyd
Format:  Hardcover

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Number of Pages: 320

Published  June 25th, 2019

Source:  Purchased

Opening Line "The wind came as a night visitor, sneaking through the town of Lost Cove like a clumsy bandit."

Carnival Catastrophe returns to House #7 in the town of Lost Cove.   Papa Problim has returned home but danger still lurks in their small town.  Desdemona O'Pinion continues to threaten to send the Problim children to seven different homes on seven different continents and Mama is still missing.  The Problim children are no closer in deciphering grandpa Problim's riddle to find the last three twigs they need to complete a water witch to find his lost treasure and hopefully Mama.  While they continued to search for clues, it became clear that the answers they seek are leading them toward Pirate Cove.  Could mama be in one of the caves?  Luckily this year's Corn Dog Carnival's grand prize is a trip to the Cove for all of the carnival's winner's.  Hoping to win one of the spots on the boat, each of the Problim's enter one of the contests.  Can they win the coveted prize and rescue mama?  

Mona continues to be my favorite character.  She reminds me a little of The Grinch, Pippi Longstocking, Matilda, and Wednesday from the Addams Family.  I love how Violet describes her as a "thundercloud, pretty but kind of scary."  The way she rolls her eyes, how she can be moody, sometimes blunt with her words, sneaky and how rain is her favorite weather.  And how she's always plotting her next dastardly deed.  Pranks are one of her specialties, and where Carly-Rue is concerned, she owes her rival a revenge prank for Carly-Rue and her mom trying to kick them out of town.   But when Mona's prank goes a bit too far, she starts to worry that she might be seen by her friends and family as a bully or a villain.  Usually, it's not in her nature to worry about what other people think of her, but now she's becoming more introspective, taking into account other people's feelings.  She really doesn't want to seem cruel or unkind.  As in the first book, I love the bond that the Problim children have with one another, each child has their own strengths, and are always looking out for one another.  There's even a fun riddle to solve, hijinks at the carnival and beautiful messaging about finding one "good truth" to tell someone, and that it's important to lead with the good.    

Favorite line:   "I believe everyone has their own song playing deep in their soul.  When you hear the music they make, you see a very vulnerable part of their heart."