The Black Market by Jed Alexander

What worked:

It’s challenging to find the Black Market, since it deals in the trading of illegal goods. Patrons must know a secret password, and it’s full of shady characters. The vagueness of the market will pique readers’ curiosity, as the possibilities of evil and wrongness are endless. Martin’s aunt is a strange character, since she travels the world to remote places and rarely makes live appearances at Martin’s home. She gives him the idea of the Black Market, and her description only makes him want to go. She’ll be available to answer his questions until she suddenly leaves town for an unknown destination. Martin and his best friend, Jess, are left to figure things out on their own, and readers will want to know what otherworldly events are yet to come.

The Black Market and the Bag of Dirty Tricks are mysterious, but the author adds other elements of uncertainty. Martin recognizes the voice of a costumed character at the market, but he can’t remember the person’s identity. Readers know this person will reemerge later, and they’re left to wonder about the significance. Is it a coincidence that a stern librarian has taken over for the kind one the kids are used to? Sure, he’s scary, but a connection seems too obvious. Perhaps the voice’s owner is the new kid that Martin has run into a couple of times. Then, there’s the Bag of Dirty Tricks. Martin and Jess think the tricks are devious, and some of them are downright dangerous. How dangerous are they, and who deserves to become the victim of mean tricks?

Jess is an intelligent, loyal friend, and readers may think she’ll be a positive influence on Martin. She does that at times, but she also encourages him to make some ill-fated decisions. Jess is anxious to use one of the dirty tricks, but admits that it’s hard to think of someone they dislike strongly. She also recognizes that some of the tricks may be evil, so how do they choose one that’s bad, but not too bad?  Jess is the one who reads the rules and recipes about the tricks, and that knowledge will be important later in the plot. Martin and Jess decide to play a trick on Martin’s father first, but it doesn’t go as planned. They don’t know for sure if the effects will ever go away, but Jess is ready to pull another prank right away. Her influence on Martin is supportive, but perhaps she’s too enthusiastic.

What didn’t work as well:

It’s unclear why the author includes Malcolm in the story.  He always has a frown on his face and lurks on the periphery of the action. He helps Jess and Martin find a missing dog and makes an appearance at the very end, but he doesn’t contribute much toward the plot. The story wouldn’t be any different if he were removed from it.

The final verdict:

Like the Bag of Dirty Tricks, the book is spooky, but not too spooky. Once again, young characters make ill-conceived choices and decide they can’t ask anyone for help. It’s an appropriate book for Halloween or for readers who enjoy creepy stories, like the Goosebumps books. I recommend you try this book for yourself.