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intrepidheroine

Our Intrepid Heroine

I'm a multitasking, knitting, cooking, voraciously-reading library worker who wants to spread her bibliomania as far as possible.

Currently reading

Ash and Silver: A Sanctuary Novel
Carol Berg
The Sleeping Partner
Madeleine E. Robins
Kraken
China Mieville

The True Meaning of Smekday

The True Meaning of Smekday - Adam Rex I read this book today.

I woke up at 3am for no discernible reason, and after half an hour tossing and turning, I gave up and finished The Silver Chair. At 5, when it was apparent that I wasn't sleeping anytime soon, I picked up The True Meaning of Smekday.

And it was brilliant.

The True Meaning of Smekday features two kinds of aliens: the ones whose paternalism (and wish to "civilize" a "savage" planet) allows them to justify a relatively peaceful takeover, and the ones who promise treaties while intending to turn humans into posh office furniture. One race loves cats. One race hates cats. One is tiny and strange-looking; the other large with vocal chords set to a permanent "BOOM" register.

The best parts, though? The narrator, Gratuity "Tip" Tucci, is a kid. And she acts, talks, and thinks like a kid. The Boov who took over the Earth aren't evil; they just didn't think Earth's inhabitants would mind being shoved into one state (think Indian reservation). Racism, sexism, ageism, and homophobia don't end just because of a hostile takeover. The Boov and humans are both imperfect and make mistakes throughout the book. The dialog is great and the characters act like people.

This is the most enjoyable new book I've picked up in months. I can't even really explain it. Just go read it, because it is awesome.