Robin’s Review of Abigail: The Terrible Twos

Abigail: The Terrible Twos

Two years have passed since the night Adrian Billard found baby Abigail left on his front steps.

Unlike any child he had ever seen, Adrian devoted his life to protecting Abigail. But she’s so different, lined with gray scales, violet reptilian eyes, and tiny horns on the top of her head, Adrian was instantly drawn to her. But her appearance wasn’t the only thing different about Abigail. In the blink of an eye, with a flash of silver, Abigail is able to lull others into a hypnotic state, essentially altering their personalities, replacing bad intentions with good ones.

Robin’s Review

Triggers: Child endangerment, medical and government style experimentation, abduction attempts, violence, bigotry and prejudice, grief, mild body horror, references to homophobia.

What Did I Just Walk Into?

A chaotic, heartfelt, slightly unhinged toddler horror story where the kid can hypnotize you, the parents are exhausted, and the villains have clearly never heard the phrase “leave that baby alone.” It is Firestarter energy in tiny pajamas with a very sharp emotional core.

Here’s What Slapped:

Abigail as a toddler is perfection. She is putting phones in toilets, breaking things, and occasionally rewriting your entire personality. The contrast between normal two year old chaos and terrifying psychic power is delicious.

Adrian and Michael are the soft emotional center of the book. Two dads doing their absolute best to love and protect their not quite human child while the world tries to turn her into a weapon. Easy to root for, easy to ache for.

The conspiracy angle with other special kids and the people who want to control them adds great tension without losing the focus on family. When the danger hits, it feels personal, not just plot noise.

Mr. Manx keeps the pace snapping along. It is a short book, but it never feels thin. By the time you hit the midpoint, you are locked in and there is no “just one more chapter,” it is “apparently I am finishing this tonight.”

The horror sits right beside tenderness. One minute you are laughing at a very on brand toddler mess, the next minute you are in a scene that whispers “you are not ready for what is coming.” It works.

The ongoing thread about love, difference, and prejudice sneaks up on you. It never turns into a lecture. It just lives in the choices these characters make for each other.

What Could’ve Been Better:

This is absolutely a sequel. You can read it on its own, but the emotional punch hits harder if you have already met Abigail and watched Adrian fall for her in book one. Consider that required homework.

A few side characters are so interesting that I wanted just a bit more page time with them. Not a dealbreaker, more of a “please sir, may I have another” situation.

Perfect for Readers Who Love:

Found family horror with queer parents and strange kids

Short, punchy reads that mix heart with creeping dread

Stories where the monster might be the system, not the child

Firestarter, Carrie, and every “special child versus the people who want to own them” tale, with more warmth and a lot more heart

Book Series:

Abigail: Strange Things come in Small Packages

Book 1 of 2: Abigail

Abigail: The Terrible Twos

Book 2 of 2: Abigail

Reviewed by Robin for Robin’s Review

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