This graphic novel is book two in the Bigfoot and Nessie series. It's a great follow up to the first book, but it could be read and enjoyed as a standalone for those who haven't read book one.

Bigfoot returns with Nessie to visit her home, which happens to be a huge underwater castle in Loch Ness. When they arrive, they are met by Nessie's mom, who's happy to see them. She's polite and friendly to Bigfoot and loving to Nessie, but also hyperfocused on Nessie's absence from her publicity schedule, not having made any videos over the time she was on vacation. She's worried Nessie's fans will forget her if she doesn't adhere to her "10 year plan" for building her reputation.

Once they get done visiting with her mum, Nessie begins to show Bigfoot around the castle. Bigfoot is excited by all the fantastic things to see and do in such a place, but also a little freaked out, since some of the castle is big and creepy feeling.

As they start checking out some of the interesting rooms, they feel like they're being watched, but they keep exploring. They stop to play in the room set up like a beach, sword fighting and building sandcastles and having a great time until a spooky-looking ghost shows up and scares them away.

Barely making it out, they run to Nessie's mom to let her know that there is a ghost in the castle, but she's so absorbed in getting Nessie's wardrobe created for an upcoming movie premiere to really pay attention. Stealing the moment to show Nessie the outfit she's created for her, even though Nessie tells her it's nice but really not her style, mom doesn't listen to what she's saying, being too involved with her plans.

Our duo realize that if they want to get rid of the ghost, they'll have to do it themselves. They visit the large library room, which as Bigfoot puts it, is "like the internet, before the internet existed." While looking for a book to help them out, they discuss why Nessie's mom is so fixated on her future and Nessie tells Bigfoot that her mom had gotten a lot more focused on that after her parents’ divorce a few years ago.

Their research tells them to look for an item that the spirit might be attached to and destroy it, which should get rid of the ghost. They finally find the item they are looking for in the dungeon when the ghost shows up to stop them, telling them how she got there and why she's been chasing them around.

Here, dear readers, I shall leave you, not wanting to give the whole story away. You'll need to get yourselves a copy to find out how Bigfoot and Nessie deal with the ghost, how they deal with Nessie's mom and her fans, and somehow enjoy the rest of their summer vacation.

The illustration panels are well-laid-out and full of fun details, even down to the little spiders who keep pestering Bigfoot.

After reading the first book, we followed up with this one, and my nine-year-old granddaughter read it to me and her six-year-old sister, stopping here and there while we speculated on what would happen next and looking at the illustrations. After we finished we discussed the story and which of the two books we liked the best. My older granddaughter liked this book better because it had a creepy, spooky vibe and she tends to enjoy that more in a story. Both books are enjoyable reads but I think this one had a deeper storyline and life lessons to offer. My granddaughters and I highly recommend it. ~~ Dee Astell with input from Aubrey & Paisely Hernandez

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