Sunday, July 26, 2009

The Order of the Odd-Fish

The Order of the Odd-Fish by James Kennedy is a fantastic book by an author who is clearly influenced by Monty-Python and Roald Dahl. His book contains all of the fantastic whimsical ideas that they could dream up along with the dark and scary too. But at no time is the dark and scary overwhelmingly dark and scary. The book was recommended to me by the author who described it as Monty-Python meets Roald Dahl, and it was. It is the story of the Odd-Fish, a society that studies the appendix to the encyclopedia, which is everything you think it should be, it is the science of smells, unusual creatures, and dithering. The book is a bit of a harrowing ride at the beginning, but as Jo (the main character) settles into her new life, you settle in to expecting the unexpected, and to me that is the only throwback. I figured out the end of the book shortly after the start, but wasn't disappointed by having done that. As the book crashes around corners you find yourself cheering on even the guy who is set out to be one of the villains in the start of the book. Death and destruction is present but dealt with much as Roald Dahl did, just a fact of life and to celebrate the life of, rather than mourn the loss of. So I suggest you head to the California Desert, Lily Larouche and her niece Jo, but beware, when Jo was found there was a note warning that she is a very dangerous baby.

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