Toby thought he was getting a summer job and that it might conveniently give him some needed experience for his future dream job as a chef in his own restaurant. Little did he know what applying at and scoring a job at Killer Pizza would mean.
Two other teens, Annabel and Strobe, start training at Killer Pizza at the same time as Toby. A fourth teen, named Doug, seems like a reluctant future employee when he arrives to join their team. The training is intense as the four teens learn recipes, oven skills, and the general rules involved in working for the popular pizza joint. They seem like a pretty good team except for Doug. He just doesn't seem that into it.
During the early weeks at Killer Pizza, Toby gets home pretty beat, and when some spectacular nightmares start interrupting his sleep, he's unnerved. The dreams seem so real, and the glimpses of a terrifying monster he experiences soon take on a meaning he never imagined possible.
The innocent summer job turns out to be a cover operation for a group of monster hunters. Disinterested Doug turns out to be Harvey, the head of the whole operation. Toby, Annabel, and Strobe are being recruited as MCO's - Monster Combat Officers. Their employment at Killer Pizza has been a test to determine their suitability as candidates for the MCO Academy.
As soon as their participation begins, they learn that monsters really do exist. In fact, their small town may be infested with hideous monsters known as guttata. Disguised as humans, these guttata are attacking and infecting innocent citizens with the hope of taking over the place.
What follows is a fabulous monster hunt complete with crossbows, explosive devices, deadly talons and fangs, and intense battle scenes. The three MCO trainees are now involved in stakeouts, illegal breaking and entering, and car chases instead of kneading pizza dough and slicing pies.
KILLER PIZZA is an action-packed horror romp sure to interest middle grade readers and teens, especially fans of authors like Darren Shan and R.L. Stine. Author Greg Taylor uses his previous screenwriting experience to create scenes that crackle with excitement and leap off the pages. This first novel offers great summer reading potential.
Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"
