A review by gentlellama
Meddling Kids, by Edgar Cantero

challenging dark funny mysterious medium-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

5.0

This is a love letter to all the horror fiction and horror films that came before, mixed with a touch of Scooby-Doo, of course. I must admit that I got drawn in by the Scooby-Doo angle as I am not an avid reader or watcher of the horror genre. However, if you are, I think you’ll love the book even more. It plays with different tropes beautifully, twisting them into something new but still recognizable. The characters are l stereotypes but not the ones you’d expect, and I think this may make it hard for some readers to relate to them. I found them to be fascinating— broken weird misfits with an ennui that all 20-somethings experience. Plus there’s a dog. Cantero’s writing won’t be for everyone— his metaphors are weird, but remarkably apt and razor sharp, and his word choice absurd (I’ve never looked up so many words in a single book) but brilliant. There are parts where you go from narrative to screen play, and even though this initially took me out of the story, I came to appreciate it at the end when the book reached its cinematographic climax. I highly recommend it for a bizarre, trippy horror read. I want a sequel to it! 
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