Kirkusreviews iconKirkusreviewsSep 22, 2026 ~1 min source read

JAX FREEMAN AND THE GRAVEYARD FOREST

Jax has faced some truly creepy creatures in previous episodes, but none compares with the mysterious Wraith Queen—who has somehow escaped confinement through the otherworldly Doors of Gold and Bone. Wielding ropes of viciously thorny vines and other deadly flora, she's set out on a mad campaign of general destruction—all this just as his magic middle school's version of SATs are coming up, too.

JAX FREEMAN AND THE GRAVEYARD FOREST

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Jax has faced some truly creepy creatures in previous episodes, but none compares with the mysterious Wraith Queen—who has somehow escaped confinement through the otherworldly Doors of Gold and Bone.

Wielding ropes of viciously thorny vines and other deadly flora, she's set out on a mad campaign of general destruction—all this just as his magic middle school's version of SATs are coming up, too.

As events rush toward a desperate climactic battle, readers may wish for more scenes of Jax at school, where the meat loaf surprise at lunch actually shouts "Surprise!" (thanks to a mischievous student's...

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The useful part

Jax has faced some truly creepy creatures in previous episodes, but none compares with the mysterious Wraith Queen—who has somehow escaped confinement through the otherworldly Doors of Gold and Bone. Wielding ropes of viciously thorny vines and other deadly flora, she's set out on a mad campaign of general destruction—all this just as his magic middle school's version of SATs are coming up, too. As events rush toward a desperate climactic battle, readers may wish for more scenes of Jax at school, where the meat loaf surprise at lunch actually shouts "Surprise!" (thanks to a mischievous student's prank).

How it works

  • The unfolding horror of the Wraith Queen and her schemes come to the forefront, crowding out subplots.

Details worth keeping

Even as Jax emerges as a true hero in this world, his dives into the realms of both Irish and West African folk mythology, along with contacts with his own African American ancestors and heritage, leave him firmly rooted in the spiritual one too.

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