Author: Eric Laster
Publisher: Opsimath Press (no website found)
Rating: WORTHY!
DISCLOSURE: Unlike the majority of reviews in this blog, I've neither bought this book nor borrowed it from the library. This is a "galley" copy ebook, supplied by Net Galley. I'm not receiving (nor will I expect to receive or accept) remuneration for this review.
Welfy Q is a young guy of otherwise almost indeterminate age - maybe twelve, thirteen? He's homeless having lost both his mom and his dad. Some people might call that irresponsible. I call it unlucky, but therein lies a story! He's been in endless foster homes and none of them have worked, but we're offered no explanation as to why that is. He wangles himself a job in Morton's deli and his whole life turns around, not to say 'spins around'. During a trip to the basement carrying a case of Green Giant® peas, he falls, and instead of ending up with a broken neck, as he expected to, he ends up on a different planet where the Good Brundeedles are being slowly wiped out by the evil Ceparids, an insect-like race who spawn from a queen.
Welfy Q discovers, much to his dismay, that he was predicted in this world - as the savior of the Brundeedles. Also, he can pull all manner of useful items from his deli apron pocket, including weapons (which bizarrely revert to ordinary items, such as a bottle of Windex® when he returns to the deli) as well a a choice salami or a slice of bologna. This is relevant, because it misled me as to how this novel would be resolved, and it may mislead you, too! Working with his good friend, homeless Harlan and Harlan's good friend who is a homeful girl whom Harlan met while free-loading from a Star Trek convention in a hotel, Welfy Q, who initially begins his adventure with grave doubts, eventually mans-up and leads (well, kinda leads!) his adoptive alien people to a great victory
This novel is completely off the wall, with one out-of-left-field event or item jumping-up as soon as another has gone away. The most oddball things persisted in happening, with Welfy Q continually wrong-footed by events and discoveries. This novel seems to be an unholy cross between something out of Frances Hardinge's playbook, and something out of the Men in Black comic books. If you like either of those, you'll probably like this, but keep in mind that it's for the pre-young adult generation, so don't expect miracles from it if you're not in that age-range. I am most certainly not in that age-range, but I still rate this novel to be a worthy read!
