The final book in Tyler Whitesides’ “Janitors” series is out. “Heroes of the Dustbin” picks up where “Strike of the Sweepers” left off, with Spencer, Daisy, Dez and gang in deep doo-doo. The witches, who they had hoped would set everything right, have returned, but they are only interested in taking over. The odds were already stacked against the Rebel Janitors, but with the witches and the BEM combined against them, things are looking bleak. And now Rebel janitors are disappearing.
Whitesides finishes the series in fine form, throwing in plenty of twists and turns while presenting readers with even more magical cleaning supplies. One of my sons had a discussion afterward about which of all the various glopified supplies we most wished were real, and we had a really hard time deciding. They’re all highly cool and useful!
Pretty much all the threads are tied up (I can’t think of any that aren’t) in this book, and Whitesides says he has no plans for sequels or companion novels. I was satisfied with the ending–as satisfied as I could be, knowing there won’t be any more. And the ending is a doozy. While I saw many other twists coming, there’s no way I could have seen that one.
It’s hard to discuss the book without giving away spoilers for others, so I’ll just say it was a fitting end to a fun series my kids and I have enjoyed reading through the years. It’s aimed at middle grade readers, but the younger YA set will find it fun as well. My boys have re-read the books several times. I can’t speak for all parents (I’ve been a janitor, and was raised by janitors), but I had a lot of fun with these books as well.
Whitesides finds a good mix of action, tension, humor, and coolness. His setting is very much urban fantasy with emphasis on the fantastic, but within the concept he keeps everything consistent, and everything fits nicely across the series. Either he was really good at planning in advance or he’s really good at retrofitting his ideas to fit into what’s gone before, but I was impressed at how well the setting and plot holds together across five novels.
If you haven’t read the Janitors books yet, I’d recommend them. And if you have been following the series thus far you probably don’t need me to tell you to get this last book. For me the only questions that remain are these: What’s Whitesides going to do next, and where do I buy a copy?