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professor_dinosaur's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I enjoyed myself, which I think is the single most important element of a book like this. It has a heart, and I think fans of Scooby-Doo who can stomach a lot of cheese will enjoy themselves too.
The biggest nick to my enjoyment was the stiffness of the characters. Though distinct and fun, they struggle to feel round in the way the narrative seems to ask of them, more “caricature” than “character.” I think the source material does a lot of leg work for this book. Without having the background knowledge of the Scooby-Doo cast, much of the characterization is fairly flat (ex. the term “jock” had considerable economy). Many of the interpersonal conflict feels stilted as a result, subservient to the action-plot. The prose can be very clever at times, and then too clever, almost like a charming but metaphor-bloated college essay. Action scenes got increasingly hard to follow, not impossible to understand but maybe too nitty-gritty-detail-heavy.
I know it’s a toss-up, but I found the switch between prose and the “play” style nice. I can see its utility - what would the author really do in between these snappy scenes anyways, write dialogue tags? When it came to the more self-aware parts of this fourth-wall-flirtation, I was skeptical. Especially references to “the camera” and whatnot. Really just felt out of place - there’s no cameras in Scooby-Doo.
Maybe I wasn’t the target demographic, but I felt the Big Bad was trite. The book can’t help this, if you are going to write “Children’s Property Meets Lovecraft,” you need Lovecraft there. It’s difficult to make that fresh, I respect that. The accomplice to the Big Bad, now she was fun (albeit again corny, but who really minds a corny villain?). She did a lot for the story, but she’s not in the story much. Oh, and “le epic twist” regarding her is not very rewarding. In fact, most of the “le epic twists” aren’t. A reader has scant opportunity to suspect that we were even meant to be looking for a deception. Y’know, like clues… like in Scooby-Doo. I found myself saying things more like “okay, sure, that’s plausible” than the much better “ah, I should’ve known!” Is this meant to be in the fashion of actual Scooby-Doo villains? Maybe. That’s where I give those elements a little leniency.
The whole “Scooby-Doo for adults” pitch was dicey with me the second Andy kicked those guys in the nuts. I never felt like the book treated its more serious “adult” themes with disrespect, but there were times (ex. Arkham Asylum, just about anything involving Peter) where the cartoon-ifying of adult (and traumatic) experiences gave me tonal vertigo. Maybe I can compare it to an Adult Swim program. This is where the prose did the book a disservice. It’s a difficult tightrope to walk, when you put “edgy” (read: adult) material into an otherwise playful book it can be hard not to fall back on “edgy” (read: angsty) prose. I think this issue is a symptom of the quirky prose and overwhelming identity of the book (Scooby-Doo x Lovecraft, you won’t forget this for a single page), and not one that spoiled the book for me. For the record, the scene where Andy kicked those guys in the nuts felt sort of like a Reddit comment, if that makes sense. I feel like Andy uses Reddit. That’s all.
The biggest nick to my enjoyment was the stiffness of the characters. Though distinct and fun, they struggle to feel round in the way the narrative seems to ask of them, more “caricature” than “character.” I think the source material does a lot of leg work for this book. Without having the background knowledge of the Scooby-Doo cast, much of the characterization is fairly flat (ex. the term “jock” had considerable economy). Many of the interpersonal conflict feels stilted as a result, subservient to the action-plot. The prose can be very clever at times, and then too clever, almost like a charming but metaphor-bloated college essay. Action scenes got increasingly hard to follow, not impossible to understand but maybe too nitty-gritty-detail-heavy.
I know it’s a toss-up, but I found the switch between prose and the “play” style nice. I can see its utility - what would the author really do in between these snappy scenes anyways, write dialogue tags? When it came to the more self-aware parts of this fourth-wall-flirtation, I was skeptical. Especially references to “the camera” and whatnot. Really just felt out of place - there’s no cameras in Scooby-Doo.
The whole “Scooby-Doo for adults” pitch was dicey with me the second Andy kicked those guys in the nuts. I never felt like the book treated its more serious “adult” themes with disrespect, but there were times (ex. Arkham Asylum, just about anything involving Peter) where the cartoon-ifying of adult (and traumatic) experiences gave me tonal vertigo. Maybe I can compare it to an Adult Swim program. This is where the prose did the book a disservice. It’s a difficult tightrope to walk, when you put “edgy” (read: adult) material into an otherwise playful book it can be hard not to fall back on “edgy” (read: angsty) prose. I think this issue is a symptom of the quirky prose and overwhelming identity of the book (Scooby-Doo x Lovecraft, you won’t forget this for a single page), and not one that spoiled the book for me. For the record, the scene where Andy kicked those guys in the nuts felt sort of like a Reddit comment, if that makes sense.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Racism, Suicide, Kidnapping, and Murder
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, and Classism
sajetheherb's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Such a fun read that mixed the nostalgia of Scooby-Doo mysteries with the grittiness of adulthood and trauma.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, and Transphobia
tak_everlasting's review
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
I liked the ambition with the mixed writing styles, but it didn't ulimately serve a purpose or add to the story. Also, this author clearly thinks that he is not writing women in a way that objectifies them- he totally is. The way they described themselves was iffy, but the way they described each other was worse. Especially the romance between Kerri and Andy.
The story itself was fun, although it was very much a play through of action movie tropes, which was then pointed out in numerous 4th wall breaks. The plot carried the characters, rather than the other way around.
The characters were functional, but their dynamic didn't feel complex enough to have been actual childhood friends. Also Peter, the dead guy, tends to be really slimey toward his supposed friends.This is somewhat weakly explained because we learn later that he isn't the real Peter. A twist dampened by the fact that Nate suspected that from the beginning, and never tells the rest of the team that he is seeing their dead 5th member.
Overall the writing felt underedited. The conclusion felt unfinished, especially with a lot of the stuff around Peter remaining unclearwhen did he start betraying them? was the "ghost" even part of him, or was it all manifested by the villain?
The strongest scene in the book is when they have to explain to their mentor figure that Peter died.which is unfortunate, because the mentor also dies and we feel nothing from them- either in the moment, or processing it after. the same goes for learning that their dead childhood friend had his corpse stolen and reanimated, with the express purpose of luring them to the lake and murdering them. is it just me? or should your characters have some complex and messy feelings about that?
The story itself was fun, although it was very much a play through of action movie tropes, which was then pointed out in numerous 4th wall breaks. The plot carried the characters, rather than the other way around.
The characters were functional, but their dynamic didn't feel complex enough to have been actual childhood friends. Also Peter, the dead guy, tends to be really slimey toward his supposed friends.
Overall the writing felt underedited. The conclusion felt unfinished, especially with a lot of the stuff around Peter remaining unclear
The strongest scene in the book is when they have to explain to their mentor figure that Peter died.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Drug abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Transphobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Gaslighting
Minor: Abortion and Acephobia/Arophobia
olma's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A great parody of Scooby Doo. Funny and quick-paced, Cantero has a fun voice packed with colorful descriptions.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore and Violence
Minor: Transphobia
disnelyse's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
It gives such Scooby Doo meets Stephen King's IT vibes and I love it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, and Violence
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, and Transphobia
courtwj's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
2.75
Interesting premise and mythology but terrible LGBTQIA+ rep and distracting writing style at times.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Lesbophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
ria_bee_3c's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Transphobia, and Sexual harassment
ilaxaria's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Death, and Transphobia
thechocolatefinger's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
It was written like a sequel to Scooby Doo and clearly inspired by it:
Peter = Fred (leader)
Kerri = Daphne (popular) + Velma (smart)
Nate = Shaggy (on drugs and vaguely mentally ill)
Tim = Scooby Doo (dog)
Andy was just a tomboy and didn’t reflect any of the characters tbh
The writing style was like half normal speech and then written like a script sometimes. It was inconsistent and annoying. There was some breaking-the-4th-wall metaphors and descriptions which were funny though
Overall it was bad and it was so clearly man writing lesbian relationship
The trans character wasn’t even trans unless it was so transphobic that the writer thinks trans people choose to be trans
it was aAce Ventura film vibe of transphobia
Peter = Fred (leader)
Kerri = Daphne (popular) + Velma (smart)
Nate = Shaggy (on drugs and vaguely mentally ill)
Tim = Scooby Doo (dog)
Andy was just a tomboy and didn’t reflect any of the characters tbh
The writing style was like half normal speech and then written like a script sometimes. It was inconsistent and annoying. There was some breaking-the-4th-wall metaphors and descriptions which were funny though
Overall it was bad and it was so clearly man writing lesbian relationship
The trans character wasn’t even trans unless it was so transphobic that the writer thinks trans people choose to be trans
it was a
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Gore, Gun violence, Sexual content, Suicide, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Outing
Minor: Bullying and Transphobia
The transphobia wasn’t even to a “real” trans character but they did out her and then misgendered her they were really annoying vibes to the tomboy girl and it was vaguely transphobic/homophobicdfrancis's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.0
I enjoyed the book. I sped through it and read it in two days, It was a bit confusing at times, but still fun. I feel like the characters were kind of one-dimensional. I saw someone else’s review that said they could tell when reading that the lesbian romance was written by a man and that rings true to me. The romantic storyline felt childish and incomplete. There seems to be some transphobia here, mainly (that I noticed), in the beginning there is repeated mention of a “hermaphrodite” that is totally random. It is kind of alluded to that Andy is trans but at other times it seems clear that she is simply a lesbian, her characterization around those issues felt not completely fleshed out. Not the best, but a fun little ride.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Mental illness
Moderate: Transphobia and Alcohol