honu_girl's review against another edition
4.0
What a fun book!
Our hero, codename "Kangaroo," is an interplanetary undercover agent, with a special talent. He can open an interdimensional pocket where items can be stored and retrieved (thus the codename). But, he's a bit young and often impulsive and just unlucky at times. After his latest snafu, he gets sent on his most difficult assignment yet - vacation.
Anything more would be spoilers! Trust me, this is definitely worth your time!
Our hero, codename "Kangaroo," is an interplanetary undercover agent, with a special talent. He can open an interdimensional pocket where items can be stored and retrieved (thus the codename). But, he's a bit young and often impulsive and just unlucky at times. After his latest snafu, he gets sent on his most difficult assignment yet - vacation.
Anything more would be spoilers! Trust me, this is definitely worth your time!
trike's review against another edition
3.0
This is a fun spy romp that mashes together a bunch of genres.
We have Kangaroo, a young spy with the superpower of being able to open a portal to an empty universe, giving him the ability to store anything in pure vacuum for retrieval later. He essentially has the magic medicine bag of Shaman from Marvel’s [b:Alpha Flight by John Byrne: Omnibus|30621671|Alpha Flight by John Byrne Omnibus|John Byrne|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1470293667s/30621671.jpg|51153229]. Or perhaps the book from Jim Hines’ [b:Libriomancer|12844699|Libriomancer (Magic Ex Libris, #1)|Jim C. Hines|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1318277038s/12844699.jpg|17995680]. This duplicates the ability characters have in video games to carry multiple objects that would otherwise require a semi to haul around. He has access to a pocket universe, hence his code name, Kangaroo. Kangaroo is young and snarky and a little rough around the edges.
He’s told to go on vacation by his boss in order to avoid being interviewed during an internal audit. They want Kangaroo out of town... waaaay out of town. So they send him up the space elevator to catch a ride on the Princess of Mars cruise spaceship “Dejah Thoris” (named after Edgar Rice Burroughs’ [b:A Princess of Mars|40395|A Princess of Mars (Barsoom, #1)|Edgar Rice Burroughs|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1332272118s/40395.jpg|1129624], of course), on a nice trip to the red planet.
Unfortunately for the cruise, but fortunately for Kangaroo, who doesn’t know how to vacation, there is a murderous hijacker aboard the ship. Kangaroo is in a unique position to help, but he can’t reveal his secret or divulge who he really works for.
So yeah, hijinks ensue.
Personally, I would’ve dialed back on the murder parts of the story. The hijacking and threat to the passengers and Mars is enough stakes. Show the one murder to prove the guy means business, but don’t go slaughtering people left and right.
There’s also a part where we get the backstory of the bad guy, but it comes just as the tension increases and the action should really kick into high gear, thus defusing the intensity and downshifting the story into neutral for a bit. The information really could have come much earlier, thus preserving the story’s momentum. But that’s a fairly minor quibble.
I enjoyed this enough to read the next one.
We have Kangaroo, a young spy with the superpower of being able to open a portal to an empty universe, giving him the ability to store anything in pure vacuum for retrieval later. He essentially has the magic medicine bag of Shaman from Marvel’s [b:Alpha Flight by John Byrne: Omnibus|30621671|Alpha Flight by John Byrne Omnibus|John Byrne|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1470293667s/30621671.jpg|51153229]. Or perhaps the book from Jim Hines’ [b:Libriomancer|12844699|Libriomancer (Magic Ex Libris, #1)|Jim C. Hines|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1318277038s/12844699.jpg|17995680]. This duplicates the ability characters have in video games to carry multiple objects that would otherwise require a semi to haul around. He has access to a pocket universe, hence his code name, Kangaroo. Kangaroo is young and snarky and a little rough around the edges.
He’s told to go on vacation by his boss in order to avoid being interviewed during an internal audit. They want Kangaroo out of town... waaaay out of town. So they send him up the space elevator to catch a ride on the Princess of Mars cruise spaceship “Dejah Thoris” (named after Edgar Rice Burroughs’ [b:A Princess of Mars|40395|A Princess of Mars (Barsoom, #1)|Edgar Rice Burroughs|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1332272118s/40395.jpg|1129624], of course), on a nice trip to the red planet.
Unfortunately for the cruise, but fortunately for Kangaroo, who doesn’t know how to vacation, there is a murderous hijacker aboard the ship. Kangaroo is in a unique position to help, but he can’t reveal his secret or divulge who he really works for.
So yeah, hijinks ensue.
Personally, I would’ve dialed back on the murder parts of the story. The hijacking and threat to the passengers and Mars is enough stakes. Show the one murder to prove the guy means business, but don’t go slaughtering people left and right.
There’s also a part where we get the backstory of the bad guy
Spoiler
and the ship’s captainSpoiler
The hijacker calls Captain Santamaria (clearly an Adama analog) the name “Hades”, a reference to the captain’s actions during the Mars-Earth War a decade earlier, which no one talks about until the reveal later. But Kangaroo was analyst during the war, with access to classified material, so he could have easily recognized the code word and realized who the captain was and what he did in the war, thus doling out the information before the action increases. Then have the captain’s connection to the hijacker revealed later, which we would then be primed for, making it hit home harder rather than stalling the rising action.I enjoyed this enough to read the next one.
metaphorosis's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars - Metaphorosis Reviews
A spy with his own pocket universe to stash things in goes on vacation. But his all-expenses paid luxury cruise to Mars doesn't turn out quite like he'd expected.
I've met Curtis Chen, in a casual, convention-y sitting at the same table way. He seemed quiet, reserved, unassuming. I'd never read any of his work. But apparently, under that calm demeanour is a trenchant wit and a great sense of storytelling.
Waypoint Kangaroo is the epitome of formula - from the moment the goofy but talented hero goes on vacation, you know exactly how this is going to go; we've seen it many times before. Chen touches all the required ... waypoints (sorry) - the surprising danger, the beautiful woman, the life and death stakes. In concept, there's not a lot that's new here.
What Chen brings is exactly the right balance of humor, technology, romance, and adventure. Yes, it's a familiar plot, in the same way that all Bond films are familiar. That doesn't mean some of them can't be good, and Chen's take on an oldy-but-goody is very good. I went into this book thinking "this won't work". I came out of it thinking "Hey! I want to read the next one."
Chen relies on one simple, unexplained gimmick - the pocket universe in which our hero can stash anything he likes, and get it out in clever ways. Beyond that, though is a well-thought out world and backstory of inter-planetary war, carefully and smoothly introduced at just the right moments, in just the right amounts to complement the main story and not overwhelm it. The hero is roughly the right amount of brave, modest, and foolish. Maybe a bit on the callow side, but he's meant to be young and sheltered. Ditto the anachronistic and slightly chauvinist attitude.
All in all, a surprisingly fun book. There aren't many moments where you'll say "I never thought of that," but innovation aside, Waypoint Kangaroo is well worth a read, and I recommend it.
A spy with his own pocket universe to stash things in goes on vacation. But his all-expenses paid luxury cruise to Mars doesn't turn out quite like he'd expected.
I've met Curtis Chen, in a casual, convention-y sitting at the same table way. He seemed quiet, reserved, unassuming. I'd never read any of his work. But apparently, under that calm demeanour is a trenchant wit and a great sense of storytelling.
Waypoint Kangaroo is the epitome of formula - from the moment the goofy but talented hero goes on vacation, you know exactly how this is going to go; we've seen it many times before. Chen touches all the required ... waypoints (sorry) - the surprising danger, the beautiful woman, the life and death stakes. In concept, there's not a lot that's new here.
What Chen brings is exactly the right balance of humor, technology, romance, and adventure. Yes, it's a familiar plot, in the same way that all Bond films are familiar. That doesn't mean some of them can't be good, and Chen's take on an oldy-but-goody is very good. I went into this book thinking "this won't work". I came out of it thinking "Hey! I want to read the next one."
Chen relies on one simple, unexplained gimmick - the pocket universe in which our hero can stash anything he likes, and get it out in clever ways. Beyond that, though is a well-thought out world and backstory of inter-planetary war, carefully and smoothly introduced at just the right moments, in just the right amounts to complement the main story and not overwhelm it. The hero is roughly the right amount of brave, modest, and foolish. Maybe a bit on the callow side, but he's meant to be young and sheltered. Ditto the anachronistic and slightly chauvinist attitude.
All in all, a surprisingly fun book. There aren't many moments where you'll say "I never thought of that," but innovation aside, Waypoint Kangaroo is well worth a read, and I recommend it.
lyndiane's review against another edition
5.0
What an entertaining and satisfying read! I found this by accident, when I was looking for something completely unrelated.
Kangaroo is a trouble magnet with the ability to open a multidimensional pocket (something like Rincewind's luggage, but without the homicidal tendencies). He's a bit mouthy, so when the ultra secret agency he works for is faced with a major security audit, Kangaroo is sent on an all-expenses-paid trip to Mars to keep him away from any unwelcome scrutiny.
It's not long before a lot of brown stuff hits a VERY big fan and Kangaroo is up to his neck in a conspiracy, plots and counter plots, not to mention a planet-sized... going to stop here, you'll have to read it yourself.
Really, really hope the author doesn't limit himself to just 2 books; I want a lot MORE please!!!
Kangaroo is a trouble magnet with the ability to open a multidimensional pocket (something like Rincewind's luggage, but without the homicidal tendencies). He's a bit mouthy, so when the ultra secret agency he works for is faced with a major security audit, Kangaroo is sent on an all-expenses-paid trip to Mars to keep him away from any unwelcome scrutiny.
It's not long before a lot of brown stuff hits a VERY big fan and Kangaroo is up to his neck in a conspiracy, plots and counter plots, not to mention a planet-sized... going to stop here, you'll have to read it yourself.
Really, really hope the author doesn't limit himself to just 2 books; I want a lot MORE please!!!
stoicloofah's review against another edition
3.0
Fun read! Chen really hits an interesting niche by combining spies, space, and cruises into one story. For me, the cruise setting really grounded it in a familiar and relatable experience.
He walks a thin line to make Kangaroo both extremely powerful but also comedically incompetent. If you go with it, though, the entire cast and story all fit together and make it enjoyable to the end.
He walks a thin line to make Kangaroo both extremely powerful but also comedically incompetent. If you go with it, though, the entire cast and story all fit together and make it enjoyable to the end.
achillea's review
i think people who want to read the book should know beforehand bc it was quite shitty but i'm putting it in a spoiler anyway:
overall this book was a fun read but ^^^ just leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth
Spoiler
a murder happens in this book and everyone is immediately "oh yeah, the brother with schizophrenia did it". and while they do quickly figure out that it was not, in fact, the brother, not once does anyone go "hey, you know, jumping to that conclusion was pretty shitty of us and we shouldn't have done that".overall this book was a fun read but ^^^ just leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Murder, Grief, and Violence
Minor: Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
bookscatsbikes's review against another edition
4.0
Kangaroo is an agent with an inexplicable gift - he can open up a 'pocket' to a parallel universe that is devoid of anything, including stars. None of the scientists who constantly test him can figure out how it works and he certainly can't explain his fun superpower but he has found useful methods to employ the pocket, such as storing food and water for long trips as well as a variety of weapons.
He is sent on a vacation to Mars to get him out of the office during an agency audit. Kangaroo doesn't do vacations and maneuvers his way into helping with a murder investigation. His imbedded technology is a boon for this cruise ship run by former military agents. Without meaning to, he gets a crush on the chief engineer and must stop a madman from crashing the ship and possibly starting a second interplantary war.
The worldbuilding is light which I enjoyed. There are references to the interplantary war and to an asteroid belt where presumably mining is happening. Earth seems similar enough to what we know and the implanted technology is plausible and not bogged down with logistics. The environment of a cruise ship is the same whether on water or in space. We get just enough information to understand what Kangaroo is dealing with.
Chen does a great job of raising the stakes for Kangaroo to keep him engaged in the action while keeping the stakes personal. He must save his newfound crush. His ego demands that he prove he is useful despite being sent away on a vaction. He actually cares about saving the lives of the vacationers on the cruise ship. I never doubted Kangaroo's motivations and that he would see this to the bitter end.
He is sent on a vacation to Mars to get him out of the office during an agency audit. Kangaroo doesn't do vacations and maneuvers his way into helping with a murder investigation. His imbedded technology is a boon for this cruise ship run by former military agents. Without meaning to, he gets a crush on the chief engineer and must stop a madman from crashing the ship and possibly starting a second interplantary war.
The worldbuilding is light which I enjoyed. There are references to the interplantary war and to an asteroid belt where presumably mining is happening. Earth seems similar enough to what we know and the implanted technology is plausible and not bogged down with logistics. The environment of a cruise ship is the same whether on water or in space. We get just enough information to understand what Kangaroo is dealing with.
Chen does a great job of raising the stakes for Kangaroo to keep him engaged in the action while keeping the stakes personal. He must save his newfound crush. His ego demands that he prove he is useful despite being sent away on a vaction. He actually cares about saving the lives of the vacationers on the cruise ship. I never doubted Kangaroo's motivations and that he would see this to the bitter end.
mompkin's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this far more than I thought I would! Very solid fun and well paced. Main char is endearing. Probably read the next one as well
sdramsey's review against another edition
5.0
The one and only reason it took me so long to read this book was the fact that it was a print copy and most nights it’s easier for me to read on my Kindle. I have a lot of print books languishing because of this, but this year I’m determined to work my way through them. Anyway, I loved this one and fortunately have the next one in the series ready to go!
tinkygirl's review against another edition
5.0
A first-person narrative sci-fi/murder mystery/spy novel where the narrator's dump stat is intelligence. Apparently this is my thing but if you're not into a complete moron telling you a complex story about pocket dimensions, potential suspects, and political intrigue; this book isn't for you.