Book Review: Skulduggery Pleasant

Skulduggery Pleasant
by Derek Landy

When Stephanie's Uncle Gordon dies, Stephanie's life is changed forever. Not because she misses him, although she's almost the only one who does, and not because she inherits his fortune, which she does, but because she discovers the existence of magic. Stephanie meets a mysterious stranger at Gordon's funeral, a stranger who claims to have been her uncle's friend. The stranger, who calls himself Skulduggery Pleasant, turns out to be a walking, talking skeleton! Skulduggery is a detective and an elemental mage, and Stephanie soon teams up with him to solve the mystery of her uncle's death. Suddenly, breaking and entering, battling monsters, and confronting evil mages is all part of a days work for Stephanie.

Skulduggery Pleasant is one of those books that you just can't put down. It's exciting, it's funny, and it's filled with interesting characters doing interesting things. You just can't help but like Stephanie - her stubbornness, courage, and impulsivity make her a character to be reckoned with. The witty repartee between Skulduggery and Stephanie is hilarious and one of the delights of the book:

"So why do they want me to be there? Aren't I the innocent young girl being led astray?"

"See, I don't really want them to view you as the innocent young girl. I want them to view you as the rebellious, insubordinate, troublesome rapscallion who has made herself my partner. Then maybe they'll take pity on me."

Skulduggery Pleasant is a fun, fun book that will appeal to kids and adults who love adventure, excitement, magic, and humor.

Younger and more sensitive readers should know that there is a fairly high level of violence in this book. The humor takes the edge off of it, but some people may still be disturbed by it.

Book Review: The Penguins of Doom (From the Desk of Septina Nash)

The Penguins of Doom: From the Desk of Septina Nash
by Greg R. Fishbone

Either Septina Nash has a vivid imagination, or she is a magnet for strange happenings. How else to explain the disappearance of her triplet sister Sexta, the penguins stalking her, and the attacks by her mortal enemy, Doctor Fignizzi? Through her letters to teachers, guidance counselors, family members, and the police missing persons department, Septina documents her search for Sexta, her battles with Doctor Fignizzi, her olympic skateboard training, and her attempt to find a suitable romantic match for her math teacher.

The Penguins of Doom is a humorous, playful, and fun story with lots of preteen appeal. Septina's voice is what really makes the book enjoyable: she's smart, sassy, and has a delightfully refreshing attitude, whether she's berating the police for not being as good at finding people as Canadian Mounties, or questioning why the school counselor wants her to fix his door when he says it's "always open." The Penguins of Doom is an easy, fun read that has plenty of surprises as it rollicks along towards the climax.

The official release date for The Penguins of Doom is today, the triply lucky day of 07/07/07. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen delays, the book isn't actually available yet, but it should be soon. See author Greg Fishbone's post on the subject.