Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Molly Moon Stops the World
Fiction Series
For ages 8 to 12
HarperCollins, 2005 ISBN: 978-0060514150
Molly Moon is back in the orphanage where she grew up, and things have improved radically thanks to her. The children now have a pleasant, kind person to look after them, and they are well cared for. Molly is very happy with her life, except that she does miss hypnotizing people. Unfortunately, she has promised her friend Rocky that she will not use her considerable hypnotizing skills again.
Molly is thoroughly delighted therefore when she hears from the woman, Lucy Logan, who got her interested in hypnotizing in the first place. Molly Hopes that Lucy will tell her all about her adventures in hypnotizing. Molly is not so pleased however when Lucy tells her that she needs Molly to go to Los Angeles to stop a powerful and ruthless man called Primo Cell from using his hypnotizing abilities for evil purposes. Molly is not too keen on the idea of dealing with this man. After all, if he is as powerful as Lucy says he is, what is to stop him from hypnotizing Molly? However, Molly is persuaded to go and soon Lucy, Molly, her best friend Rocky, and their orphanage 'family' are off to Los Angeles.
Molly and Rocky soon determine that Primo Cell has indeed hypnotized a lot of people. He began with Hollywood stars and then used the stars to get access to people in powerful political positions. He clearly hopes to use the stars and his other hypnotized victims to get voted for president, and the idea is a terrifying one.
This second Molly Moon title is just as delightful and full of surprises as the first. This time round Molly discovers that her gift for hypnotism is even greater than she ever imagined, though she is not sure if it is enough to defeat Primo Cell. With numerous unexpected storyline twists and turns, Georgia Byng keeps her readers guessing right up to the last minute. She also sets the stage for Molly to finally meet the people she has always wondered about, her parents.
