Scan barcode
stowne01's review against another edition
5.0
During my senoir year at high school i volunteered to help out at the Missouri Lit fest at UCM. i spent the whole day in a ballroom full of books ,paradise to be put simply. i had a little bit of money for lunch that i of course blew on books. Order of the Odd Fish kept jumping out at me , though i had no idea why. The description on the back seemed at the time a ok book , a little screwy but good. before i knew it i had already bought it. it was a few months before i read it , school distractions ya know but all the while i knew that what i had sitting on my shelf was going to be my new obbsession. i met James Kennedy at the fair and got him to autograph my copy. he showed us pictures and art work for the book and even did a reading ( Which was amazing , seriously if he wasnt such a gifted writer i say he should be a actor!). i was the oldest person in that room ( the rest were middle school age and lower) and they all looked bored out of their minds. i was on the edge of my seat , i hadnet been that engrossed in a book since the first time i read Harry potter when i was 10. to needless to say when i was asked what my favorite book was for a while there i immediatley said O.O.T.O.F and i hadnt even read it yet. So when school ended and i could finally sit down and give every inch of my attention to O.O.T.O.F , i was in heaven . a crazy , nonsinsical , pyschotic heaven. there comes a time when a reader picks up a book and without even reading the description KNOWS that there is something magical in their hands and probably will be their own new special kind of crack. Order of the Odd Fish is my kind of crack.
gcgulick's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. It was the kind of YA novel that wasn't fluff and it felt like something kids would read and then grow up and stumble upon once again.
It reminded me a lot of Terry Gilliam, in terms of darkness and strangeness. If they ever made a film adaptation I could see him directing it. I really liked Eldritch City, and I hope someday to know more about the people / things that inhabit it. Ken Kiang was hilarious a secondary villain, again if they ever made a film I swear Ken Jeong would be PERFECT, if you imagine him being as villainous and maniacal as he was in Community as Senor Chang.
There were a few things I would've liked to see more of / know more about. One is Jo's friends, I liked the charasmatic friend of hers that was the star of Teenage Icthala and would change costumes in an instant, though her other friends seemed to fall flat, like I tried to picture them in my mind but I couldn't think of any distinguishing features. Also I'm curious how people arrive at Eldritch city, maybe through various means? I won't go into spoilers but I would love to see that explored.
The whole mythology of the All-Devouring Mother was great, again I won't spoil that but I think it's a great origin of the universe story.
Anyways, great read! I can't wait for more from Mr. Kennedy!
It reminded me a lot of Terry Gilliam, in terms of darkness and strangeness. If they ever made a film adaptation I could see him directing it. I really liked Eldritch City, and I hope someday to know more about the people / things that inhabit it. Ken Kiang was hilarious a secondary villain, again if they ever made a film I swear Ken Jeong would be PERFECT, if you imagine him being as villainous and maniacal as he was in Community as Senor Chang.
There were a few things I would've liked to see more of / know more about. One is Jo's friends, I liked the charasmatic friend of hers that was the star of Teenage Icthala and would change costumes in an instant, though her other friends seemed to fall flat, like I tried to picture them in my mind but I couldn't think of any distinguishing features. Also I'm curious how people arrive at Eldritch city, maybe through various means? I won't go into spoilers but I would love to see that explored.
The whole mythology of the All-Devouring Mother was great, again I won't spoil that but I think it's a great origin of the universe story.
Anyways, great read! I can't wait for more from Mr. Kennedy!
mayonessa's review against another edition
5.0
This book is one that I hold near and dear to me. I read it in seventh grade, which was more than ten years ago, and it has held the top spot in 'My favorite books of all time list' since then.
I am incredibly biased, but if you are someone who enjoys the works of Jim Henson such as the "Labyrinth" or "Jim Henson's The Storyteller" and the movies made by the company Laika, then I feel this book is a good fit for you. It's a great read for kids ages 10-14 and I highly recommend this as reading material for elementary and middle school teachers to utilize in their classroom (it's how I got my hands on the book), and maybe some adventurous adults who are willing to embrace their inner child once again.
Order of Odd Fish offers a refreshing take on the chosen one trope, while still sticking to the story cues that make it feel familiar and comforting. I will admit that this book isn't for everyone. There are some scenes in the book that may come off as a little too grotesque for child and adult audiences alike, and the pacing drags in certain areas and can come off as being a little "too" quirky, but I think there is a layer of authenticity and excitement that makes the book very enjoyable.
This book is incredibly special to me, but I know that it is not for everyone's taste.
But, if you're looking for something different to try and are looking for a nice break from most YA or even children's books "The Order of Odd Fish" can fit the bill if you let it.
I am incredibly biased, but if you are someone who enjoys the works of Jim Henson such as the "Labyrinth" or "Jim Henson's The Storyteller" and the movies made by the company Laika, then I feel this book is a good fit for you. It's a great read for kids ages 10-14 and I highly recommend this as reading material for elementary and middle school teachers to utilize in their classroom (it's how I got my hands on the book), and maybe some adventurous adults who are willing to embrace their inner child once again.
Order of Odd Fish offers a refreshing take on the chosen one trope, while still sticking to the story cues that make it feel familiar and comforting. I will admit that this book isn't for everyone. There are some scenes in the book that may come off as a little too grotesque for child and adult audiences alike, and the pacing drags in certain areas and can come off as being a little "too" quirky, but I think there is a layer of authenticity and excitement that makes the book very enjoyable.
This book is incredibly special to me, but I know that it is not for everyone's taste.
But, if you're looking for something different to try and are looking for a nice break from most YA or even children's books "The Order of Odd Fish" can fit the bill if you let it.
3ofclubs's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A downright silly book. Possibly the weirdest book I've ever read (but not so weird that it loses the reader or is off-putting at all).
burkeg's review against another edition
5.0
This book made me laugh until I cried a cup full of tears, which I then used to make a salty, bitter cup of tea to drink in the moonlight.
meghan111's review against another edition
4.0
Thirteen years ago, a baby was left outside the door of an eccentric elderly movie starlet, with a note reading: "This is Jo. Please take care of her. But beware - this is a dangerous baby."
Jo grows up into a young teenager and one day, is engulfed by a mad fantasy world, where she might learn who her parents were and why everyone thinks she is dangerous. Like a Phantom Tollbooth for teenagers with strains of Terry Pratchett, this is an excellent read for its clever and hilarious writing (which some might find off-putting.)
James Kennedy, the author, also has an insane blog entry chronicling his experiences at the ALA Midwinter Conference, which contains this totally factually accurate description of Loriene Roy, President of the ALA:
"...a great throne was carried into the room—a throne upon which sat what could have only been the chief of this scabbed, snuffling throng—a twenty-foot-tall, vulture-like, twelve-armed lizard, lolling on a writhing chair made of living librarians, their groaning, sweating bodies bound together with leather straps!
Loriene Roy: President of the ALA!
I hasten to clarify that what I beheld was not the popular 'Loriene Roy' America has admired in photographs or fallen in love with on the hit series Librarians Ahoy! Thursday nights on NBC. That 'Loriene Roy' is in fact the actress Kendra Bennison, whose winsome antics have made the ALA beloved the world over.
No, the actual Loriene Roy is a superannuated toad tricked out in stolen finery, a shriveled iguana draped in the kingly robes of better, stronger generations, now grown moth-eaten and dingy..."
Jo grows up into a young teenager and one day, is engulfed by a mad fantasy world, where she might learn who her parents were and why everyone thinks she is dangerous. Like a Phantom Tollbooth for teenagers with strains of Terry Pratchett, this is an excellent read for its clever and hilarious writing (which some might find off-putting.)
James Kennedy, the author, also has an insane blog entry chronicling his experiences at the ALA Midwinter Conference, which contains this totally factually accurate description of Loriene Roy, President of the ALA:
"...a great throne was carried into the room—a throne upon which sat what could have only been the chief of this scabbed, snuffling throng—a twenty-foot-tall, vulture-like, twelve-armed lizard, lolling on a writhing chair made of living librarians, their groaning, sweating bodies bound together with leather straps!
Loriene Roy: President of the ALA!
I hasten to clarify that what I beheld was not the popular 'Loriene Roy' America has admired in photographs or fallen in love with on the hit series Librarians Ahoy! Thursday nights on NBC. That 'Loriene Roy' is in fact the actress Kendra Bennison, whose winsome antics have made the ALA beloved the world over.
No, the actual Loriene Roy is a superannuated toad tricked out in stolen finery, a shriveled iguana draped in the kingly robes of better, stronger generations, now grown moth-eaten and dingy..."
roseannmvp's review against another edition
5.0
This book is unique, queer, and decidedly odd. From talking cockroaches to flying, battling ostriches, to fish that transport houses, this is one wild ride, and frankly, I haven't determined if I really like or just like it because I waver from enjoyment to unbelievability all the time. I keep reading, and I am more than half-way done with the tome, and still not sure what to make of it!
Conclusion: It was weirdly enjoyable although a bit contrived, and I find myself craving pie. Enough said!
Conclusion: It was weirdly enjoyable although a bit contrived, and I find myself craving pie. Enough said!
neglet's review against another edition
Totally bizarre, and I mean that in a good way. I get the comparisons to Douglas Adams, but this had more weird, quirky details than snarky narrator action. It also had more plot; it was fun and became a real page-turner at the end.