"Atlantis is dead!
Long live Atlantis!" said the
caramel apple shill.
The jacket copy calls this middle-grade Douglas Adams, but I don't think that is the case at all. It isn't pun-laden or filled with the same mild mannered absurdity. Really what it most reminds me of is the middle grade books from my own youth. I mean that in a good way! I think there is a level of weirdness that a lot of middle grade lacks these days. I'm not saying sliding in mythology & the paranormal is a bad thing, but it does dominate the market these days. Kid Vs. Squid hearkens back to the surreal oddity of the Choose Your Own Adventure books, or works like Interstellar Pig. Just the story of a boy going on some goofy adventure. He's threatened & menaced by some pretty horrible piscine stuff, he makes friends that are useful & cool, he takes his character "flaws" (like having a big mouth) & spins them into positive character traits-- it really is a solid read. The plot moves along, the language keeps you hooked, the moral isn't shoved down your throat-- yeah. I liked it. Fun little bit of action-adventure, with a heaping dose of strange tales & humor.
