Monday, September 17, 2012

They're always after me lucky charms!


4 Stars:
Have you ever picked up a book on a sheer whim? Maybe it wasn't a whim exactly which led me to read, "Cold Cereal" but the book's odd brand of whimsy radiated from the moment I laid eyes on the cover.

In a plot that might delight fans of Terry Pratchet, Lemony Snicket and Monty Python, a clash of fairies, knights and breakfast cereals come together in a hodgepodge of humor and adventure that makes up the first in what appears to be a new series. 

Scottish Play Doe (Scott) is the son of a movie star father and a physicist mother who had split years ago. Since then, Scott's mom has collected boyfriends, jobs and new addresses. This would be stressful enough if Scott didn't seem to suffer from delusional visions of mythical creatures. When Scott and his sister (Polly AKA Polly Esther Doe) relocate to accommodate their mother's new job at the Goodco cereal company, Scott's delusions begin to spiral out of hand. On his way to his first day of school he encounters a Rabbit-Man wearing pants who begs Scott to hide him from some mysterious enemy. Scott ignores what he believes to be a figment of his imagination (especially since the Rabbit-Man is followed by the vision of a unicat. Sort of like a unicorn but a cat) which somehow seems even more insane than the talking Rabbit.

However when Scott rescues a lephrechaun from capture while on a field trip who suggests Scott himself may be a changeling the story surges forward at a madcap pace with grins and action at every turn. 

Along with orphaned twins Erno Utz (genius) and Emily Utz (super genius and mysterious outcast) who have been wards of Goodco as long as they can recall, Scott and his magical companions uncover a mystery which began in the days of King Arthur. 

I will be recommending this one to my avid readers who adore a little oddness with their brand of fantasy