Thomcat
4/15/2017
Some YA fiction is aimed at the younger set - this is one. Bonus, it is science fiction, though far from the hard-SF that I enjoyed as a youth. Most of the high ratings are for nostalgia, where this is my first time. Not sure I can recommend this book.
The scooby doo mystery takes a few chapters to get rolling. After that, most chapters kept my interest, though there were slow patches. At other times, important action happened in just half a page. The pace was ragged.
The plot worked, and wasn't predictable or narrow - though the focus was quite linear. No side story, no romance, and very soft science fiction. As the protagonist was fond of sci fi (and shown reading The Puppet Masters early on), I am surprised he didn't ask more questions when he had the chance.
I don't plan to seek out the sequel (written 18 years later), but would welcome a conversation with someone who loved this book. For me, it was just OK.