The Princess of Neptune, by Quentin Dodd (Farrar Straus Giroux, 2004)

Think your life is weird? Try being teenage heroine Theora Theremin, whose last-minute idea for a science project, to study the possible existence of local legendary lake monster, Big Phil, throws her head-first into an adventure like none other. First she and her brother Verb meet up with ultrafamous scientist Dr. Ubermind and his loyal assistant, Melvin. A chance encounter with some bats that turn out to be giant moon cockroaches provides the next step in an increasingly strange journey leading all the way to Neptune, where Theora finds herself entered in the Calvacade of Loveliness, an intergalactic beauty pageant. Once there, she’s enlisted to hunt down the dreaded Beast of the Mall, participate in a musical contest with impossible stakes, and face off against an unexpected foe from her past. One thing’s for certain: in The Princess of Neptune, nothing is predictable.

While on some levels, the concept is familiar (normal Earth person plucked from their normal life and thrust into alien society, see the following review for another example of this), The Princess of Neptune still manages to come off as fresh and fun. It’s strongly reminiscent of Daniel Pinkwater’s work, and is sure to appeal to those with a sense of whimsy.


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