336 pages
English language
Published March 14, 2022 by Doherty Associates, LLC, Tom.
Just like in "Starter Villain", there are plenty of fun ideas in this book. It's light and a quick read. Had a French version of the book.
As Scalzi says in his afterword, this is a three-minute pop song of a novel, not a complex symphony. However, even the lightest of pop songs needs effort to make it work, and this does work on its own terms. It's a fun book that rattles along at a good pace, throwing enough big ideas into the mix to keep you reading and not asking too many questions about whether it all makes sense. Spends a lot of time setting up for not much plot, and relies a lot on coincidences to give the ending a personal stake for the protagonist, but does what it says on the tin and people who like this sort of thing will like this.
At the end of the book, in the Author's note, Scalzi describes this book as a pop song, and it's a great description. It's about a secret organisation that looks after Kaiju. It's about billionaires being dicks. Best of all, it's hilarious.
to-read
I want a movie or a TV show based on this book!
The premise of this novel is comically brilliant and the early chapters have several laugh-out-loud moments.
It all slows down a bit once the plot gets going, but The Kaiju Preservation Society remains a fun romp throughout.
The premise of this novel is comically brilliant and the early chapters have several laugh-out-loud moments.
It all slows down a bit once the plot gets going, but The Kaiju Preservation Society remains a fun romp throughout.
KPS is not, and I say this with absolutely no slight intended, a brooding symphony of a novel. It’s a pop song. It’s meant to be light and catchy, with three minutes of hooks and choruses for you to sing along with, and then you’re done and you go on with your day, hopefully with a smile on your face.
Not much to add to that, really.
Well, that was a fun romp. As the author explains in the back matter, this isn't a brooding symphony; it's a pop song. It's not terribly serious, but it is fun. If you saw the title, did a double-take and thought, "Wait, is this... Jurassic Park but with Japanese monster movies?" then this book is for you.
