Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sweetness, monsters, gore in darkly appealing fantasy.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In present-day Boston, Penhallow, a stone sculpture inhabited by a guardian spirit, becomes THE LAST GARGOYLE in town when his two friends are incinerated by an unknown monster. Penhallow has been keeping watch over an apartment building ever since his Maker put him there back in the 1800s, making sure no dark spirits and undead beings get near the humans he guards. But the Boneless King, the latest evil lord on the scene, is after a family in Penhallow's care, and may be a stronger opponent than he can defeat. Maybe Viola, the odd young girl with the violin case, can help?
Is It Any Good?
Paul Durham's darkly sweet tale of a stone sculpture tasked with keeping evil forces from the Boston apartment building he guards is quirky, engaging, and often gory. The devouring, slashing, dismemberment, and the like are often related with wry humor by narrator Penhallow, aka The Last Gargoyle, but may be a bit much for sensitive readers. There's a lot of appeal as the hero battles monsters, seeks to learn more of his own origins, strives to do his job well, and struggles with the possibility of friendship in a world where he's the only one of his kind.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about gargoyles and how they're portrayed in The Last Gargoyle. Have you ever heard of them before? Are there any where you live? If you made one of your own, what would it look like?
Do you recognize some of the places and scenes in Boston that come up in the story? Would you like to go explore them? (There's a handy list at the end of the book.)
Do you know any kids who've lost a parent, like Hetty in The Last Gargoyle, whose father has died recently? How are they coping? Do you think there's anything you can do to make things easier for them?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Friendship , History
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Crown Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : January 9, 2018
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 288
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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