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somewheregirl7's review against another edition
3.0
I almost put this book down after making it through the first quarter of the book. The premise and characters and every little thing was wacky and absurd with seemingly little purpose. I don't like that style of writing and never have - odd for odd's sake doesn't appeal to me and *gasp* I am one of the few who is not a fervent fan of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. This book feels quite similar in tone and content with a bit of Lewis Carrol's whimsy thrown in.
However, after that first dismal quarter, I was firmly snagged and couldn't put the book down. The story only really started for me when Jo and Lilly reach Eldritch City. The character development, progression and conflict from that point forward are well done and more than offset the absurdity.
Kennedy's writing is full of rich details and grand sweeping gestures - boldly painted pictures that drip with description and detail. The dialogue is one of the strongest areas of the book and he captured many of the characters very well. Jo's character is the most interesting to me and the most developed.
The absurd tone and bizarre details and events continued throughout the story. Often doing little to add to the main narrative. Large passages were devoted to very graphic descriptions of bodily functions, carnage, etc. It was almost loving done and a bit disturbing.
Also, as an adult reader, I felt as though there was a lot of subtext beneath the main story. Some of it pretty disturbing. The Belgian Prankster, the book's villain, is psychotically over-done in the grand tradition of comic book villains and his interactions with Jo later in the book made me very uncomfortable.
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In the scene in the insane asylum where Jo goes to the Belgian Prankster it almost felt like a rape scene and that was the subtext I was reading into it. Also, the way that Ian is treated by Una, the mobster boss, is really disturbing. He's around Jo's age, so about 13, and here this middle-aged woman is actively pursing him and almost sexually assaulting the kid in public while openly saying how much she wants to have sex with him. And none of the characters other than Jo and Ian seem at all uncomfortable with that - it's just lightly passed off. Also, the redemption of Ken Kiang felt contrived as did most of the sections that involved him. Kiang is one characters that was very 2-dimensional and never really achieved any depth.
Despite my gripes above this was a fun, quick read and it had me smiling often. Kennedy occasionally surprises with an insightful statement hidden in a tangle of satirical comments. I was also glad that Kennedy did not magically bring Lily back to life - it would have cheapened her death scene which was very poignant.
However, after that first dismal quarter, I was firmly snagged and couldn't put the book down. The story only really started for me when Jo and Lilly reach Eldritch City. The character development, progression and conflict from that point forward are well done and more than offset the absurdity.
Kennedy's writing is full of rich details and grand sweeping gestures - boldly painted pictures that drip with description and detail. The dialogue is one of the strongest areas of the book and he captured many of the characters very well. Jo's character is the most interesting to me and the most developed.
The absurd tone and bizarre details and events continued throughout the story. Often doing little to add to the main narrative. Large passages were devoted to very graphic descriptions of bodily functions, carnage, etc. It was almost loving done and a bit disturbing.
Also, as an adult reader, I felt as though there was a lot of subtext beneath the main story. Some of it pretty disturbing. The Belgian Prankster, the book's villain, is psychotically over-done in the grand tradition of comic book villains and his interactions with Jo later in the book made me very uncomfortable.
SPOILERS BELOW
SPOILERS BELOW
SPOILERS BELOW
IN
1
2
3
In the scene in the insane asylum where Jo goes to the Belgian Prankster it almost felt like a rape scene and that was the subtext I was reading into it. Also, the way that Ian is treated by Una, the mobster boss, is really disturbing. He's around Jo's age, so about 13, and here this middle-aged woman is actively pursing him and almost sexually assaulting the kid in public while openly saying how much she wants to have sex with him. And none of the characters other than Jo and Ian seem at all uncomfortable with that - it's just lightly passed off. Also, the redemption of Ken Kiang felt contrived as did most of the sections that involved him. Kiang is one characters that was very 2-dimensional and never really achieved any depth.
Despite my gripes above this was a fun, quick read and it had me smiling often. Kennedy occasionally surprises with an insightful statement hidden in a tangle of satirical comments. I was also glad that Kennedy did not magically bring Lily back to life - it would have cheapened her death scene which was very poignant.
cinnachick's review against another edition
4.0
This is a wacky book. A little hard to get into, but once you're in, it's great. I would have fallen in love with this book when I was younger and would have become an addict of James Kennedy. I read this for the Gapers Block Book Club and he came and answered questions and referenced lots of books that inspired him and I'd read most of them as a younger reader. It was great to get to hear him mention all the people I thought about while reading this book.
book_nut's review against another edition
4.0
Delightfully surreal, wonderfully crazy, amazingly... odd. Think of it as a cross between Douglas Adams and Roald Dahl (sort of), with a dash of Monty Python and a pinch of Harry Potter. Makes no sense? Well... neither does the book, really, but it's an astounding lot of fun.
twocents's review against another edition
4.0
A certain kind of absurdity, and I mean that in the best possible way. Had a lot of fun with it. :)
libkatem's review against another edition
4.0
Absolutely wonderful. Give Kennedy the Newberry! Just for the long, blustery speeches. The characters were all so interesting, to the point where I want to learn the art of all of the Knights. I want to be an Odd Fish. Maybe Stephen Fry would be interested in opening a chapter? I loved the random facts (and non-facts). Jo was awesome, I loved following her, and I love that it's a fantasy book with a female character that spends very little time interested in boys.
Wonderful book, highly recommended.
Wonderful book, highly recommended.
dreamofbookspines's review against another edition
3.0
Re-read Review
I loved this when I first read it, because it reminded me of the absurdity of Alice in Wonderland. On re-reading though, it seems kinda try-hard. The ending is gross. Also are we not gonna talk about Oona Looch sexually harassing a KID?! Really? Double gross.
A creative story with a little bit too much effort to be "quirky".
I loved this when I first read it, because it reminded me of the absurdity of Alice in Wonderland. On re-reading though, it seems kinda try-hard. The ending is gross. Also are we not gonna talk about Oona Looch sexually harassing a KID?! Really? Double gross.
A creative story with a little bit too much effort to be "quirky".
mhall'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..."
zachariasm's review against another edition
5.0
This was my second time reading it, and I loved it even more than I did the first time. Good character development and brilliant plot!
cmcahill's review against another edition
4.0
According to the author, this book is a combination of Doug Adams, Roald Dahl, and Monty Python. Great language, crazy plot, I can already see the movie in my head-very few books do that for me. Also, I had to get out the dictionary several times, which is always fun. I had breakfast with the author at the Illinois School Library Media Conference. I can't wait to see what he writes next.
thatrabbitgirl's review against another edition
3.0
Lately, I've gotten into the habit of giving away or donating my books as I finish reading them, but this one is a keeper. Love Kennedy's language. The book has a rich vocabulary and an inventive sense of humor. Although I look forward to whatever Kennedy writes next, I hope we will see some further adventures of Jo and friends in Eldritch City.