Duncan Versus the Googleys by Kate Milner

The scary part of this story is it could come true.  Children are so taken with internet games and the toys that go with them, that while this all fiction and fantasy, there is a small nag at the back of my mind that says "Watch out!

Pushkin's Children's books and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published August 18th.

Duncan wants to stay home and play games on his phone this summer.  His parents are going on a trip so they take him over and drop him off at his aunt's apartment house.  There's no one there to greet him.  His parents leave assuring him he'll find his aunt.  He goes in and his aunt finds him.  She orders him out of the building!  When he explains why he's there, she shoves him in an unoccupied apartment and leaves him.  There are all kinds of boxes in the apartment.  They have Googleys in them.  He thinks about taking one for him but he wants his own back.  His aunt confiscated it.

This is the strangest situation he's ever been.  His aunt hates him.  There's a young girl about his age who lives in the walls so she can't be found.  She's the daughter of the maintenance man.  Then they find a monster in the walls.  He keeps growing.

His aunt is creating a big con.  The Googleys she has are spies.  She invites a bunch of criminals in.  She wants them to do the dirty work.

Can Duncan stop her?  Can Duncan survive the monster?  Read it and see.