A review by sunn_bleach
The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.25

A light and fun “pop song” of sci-fi, in Scalzi’s own words. And sometimes that’s what you need. My one criticism is that all of Scalzi’s characters talk like Discord users. Everything is a quip and a snide comment - people don’t talk that way off the Internet, and Scalzi is so desperate to make sure you get every single one of his references rather than just trust the reader to also be in on the joke.

edit: as time has gone on, I think this is one of the worst books I've read in sci-fi. Scalzi so desperately wants you to think he's funny, but all his characters come off as huge assholes who try their hardest to be the funniest guy in the room. The book is written like a bunch of Tumblr quotes from 2008, with everyone trying to one-up one another. It's a cloying and intensely annoying book, and good god I hate every one of these characters.
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