"Class is Not Dismissed! (School of Fear #2)" by Gitty Daneshvari

256 pages

Madeleine, Theo, Lulu, and Garrison thought they'd gotten over their phobias after a summer at the School of Fear. When they got home, however, they all learned that their fears were more ingrained than they realized. Sure, they made progress, but Madeleine still has to coat herself in bug spray to keep insects away; Theo is compelled to check on his family members dozens of times a day because he's afraid someone will die; Lulu can hardly ride in an elevator due to her crippling claustrophobia; and although Garrison may act like a surfer, he's still deathly afraid of getting in the water. Mrs. Wellington has been spying--oops, I mean, checking up on them, so she knows they've regressed, and she insists they return to School of Fear for a second summer. The kids are looking forward to seeing each other, but the addition of an annoying new student who's afraid to be alone threatens their fun. Then they get the bad news that due to Mrs. Wellington's unconventional teaching methods, the school might be shut down. Maddie, Theo, Lulu, and Garrison can't let that happen...but stopping it will require facing their fears like never before.

This is a fun, cute follow up to School of Fear, although I think I liked the first one a little more. The plot is a little more far-fetched with this one, but I still really liked it. The characters are as charming and goofy as ever (though I'm sure they'd be pretty irritating in real life), and the way they interact with each other cracks me up. I enjoyed learning more about one of the mysterious characters from the first book and getting to know Mrs. Wellington's background a bit. The story ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, so I'm looking forward to reading the conclusion of the trilogy.