Welcome to Snackland where the buffet is under threat. This place needs a hero and fast! Enter Obesseus, a burp-fuelled powerhouse of few words who may be limited in the thinking department but he has a whole lot of heart and courage (although there’s an argument to say that this is mainly propelled by his love of dumplings rather than any altruistic mindset).
A book written with middle graders in mind, this is all a bit bonkers. Fruit and vegetables are enemies, all with witty, descriptive or alliterative titles. There is also a Professor Math who wants to divide any unity and split the inhabitants into rival factions (or fractions). All are keen to gain control of Snackland but all have underestimated the determination and ultimately, appetite of Obesseus!
This is action-packed. As Obesseus manages to munch his way to victory in one conflict so another one arises and the stakes get higher. Obesseus is an action hero, reacting to his circumstances in anger at possibly having his favourite foods taken away. He is impulsive but it seems to work, his gung ho attitude is just what Snackland needs in order to stem the aspirations of evil fruits and vegetables in their bid to control its inhabitants and what they eat.
Obesseus is at times more than just an heroic tool but rarely: his blunt caveman impulsiveness leads him to speak like an angry toddler especially when he is enraged and about to launch himself at an enemy. There are interactions with other characters when he is calmer which flesh him out a bit (pun unintended) but he feels more construct than character. That said, in a book of this type, that works.
I found Tucker’s writing witty and engaging and full of puns and although there’s not a lot of plot development – baddy comes along, Obesseus pushes back, allows new threat in, Obesseus combats them, etc – it’s presented fluidly. There is a comic book feeling to it, similar to the books by Dav Pilkey, and this sort of narrative would lend itself well to a graphic form.
I liked it.
Rachel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
This review was first published on Reedsy Discovery where I was privileged to read it as an ARC.
Scuffed Granny 