A review by bookishpriest
Starter Villain by John Scalzi

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was just so much fun. I really enjoy Scalzi's writing style. It's clever without being pretentious, funny, and moves along smoothly. I laughed out loud more than once.

The story follows Charlie who is torn out of his mundane, uncomfortable life and thrust into a world of James Bond style machinations. The danger and absurdity of that world comes at him just about as fast as he can manage.

There are great references to pop culture from various eras and a few taps on the fourth wall that land just right. There's also few critical shots fired about modern finance and economic systems and the very real absurdity they embody.

Definitely worth a read if you're looking for something entertaining, smart, and fast-moving!