A review by anna_hepworth
The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This treads a fine line between parody of and love-letter to B-grade giant monster movies, as well as a somewhat random set of science fictional tropes. It also does it very well -- very readably book, at no point was I strongly invested, but the writing flies along and drags the story and the reader with it. There are a couple of points where the plot beats were just enough off that I concluded that it was satire/parody, and then something more tongue in cheek would happen. 

Scalzi has done a significant amount of scientific handwaving, while still maintaining at least some plausible deniability. This is helped by having our viewpoint character be the one with higher education experience in arts, while the rest of the cohort we get much time with are all serious scientists. Go in with low expectations on the scientific plausibility, and high on the entertaining bullshit, and you should be fine. 

Having said that, there are some serious moments, and some 'well, the mega-rich really are arseholes' sections. The opening, focusing on unstable work at the beginning of a pandemic is relevant, but unsettling. 
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