Twins Ben and Jenny Renfro have been terrified of puppets since they were five. Now though, they're determined to get over that fear and beat their school rivals, Maria Salinas and Anna Richards, at their own game — the pair are doing a marionette act for the school's variety show, and Ben, Jenny and their friend Bird decide to use a trio of puppets from Bird's attic to one-up them. But soon, weird things begin to happen, and the puppet trio seem to be at the center of it all...
This book provides examples of:
- Alpha Bitch: Maria Salinas and Anna Richards, two mean girls who try to outdo the twins. Ben even says they feel like something out of a bad teen movie.
- Adults Are Useless: The twins' parents barely appear but Bird's dad somewhat averts this by actually knowing about the evil puppets and trying to get rid of them after telling them this so that they don't cause from harm.
- A Minor Kidroduction: There is a prologue that features the leads as younger kids, as they have a bad experience with puppets on their birthday. This establishes their fear of puppets.
- Asshole Victim: The bully characters get turned into puppets.
- Covers Always Lie: The puppets in the book do not look like the ones on the cover and there are more than two of them. It could possibly be Ben but his sister doesn't become a puppet.
- Evil Puppeteer: Eduardo Caleb, who created the puppet people and plans to turn Ben into a "good" puppet as he thinks he was simply full of bad "puppet cells" before.
- Frame-Up: Maria and Anna, the two bully characters, make a mess in the art room and frame Ben, Jenny and Bird for it, getting them kicked out of the variety show.
- In-Series Nickname: John Sparrow is called "Bird" due to his last name and bird-like features.
- Living Toys: The marionettes that the twins and Bird use in their act, which were filled with dark magic by their creator.
- Puppet Permutation: This happens to the protagonist. And the two bully girls whom he and his sister have been trying to one-up. Fortunately, Ben at least gets better.
- Talent Contest: The main characters are taking place in one for their school, with the winner receiving five hundred dollars.
