The Glorkian Warrior Eats Adventure Pie

Reviewed by: Jill O'Connor - North Yarmouth Academy, Yarmouth, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 13, 2015

Review

As an adult, even one who loves graphic novels, science fiction, and silliness, I have a hard time loving the Glorkian Warrior books. They do have their appeal: to reluctant readers, to those readers with a video game sensibility, to young readers who are drawn in by the bright illustrations and low-brow humor.

In this second book in the series, the Glorkian warrior is fighting a space snake when his nemesis comes by and interrupts him, thereby causing the snake to escape. Meanwhile, the warrior's backpack loses its charge, and his baby alien decides to suck his brain causing him to head home to recharge and figure out a new course of action for vanquishing that space snake.

The language is very simplistic, which is helpful to those reluctant readers, but the grammar is colloquial and not always correct. Gonk is supposed to be a child-alien and, as such, his grammar is terrible. This could be charming, but instead it falls flat. If the appeal is to a non-reader, why not slip in some proper grammar - it could be done without losing the feeling of the story. There is an over-use of name calling, the word "stupid" and "idiot", and mentions of "tootering" when an alien fights off a foe with his flatulence. This is a popular series and has its appeal, but it is the high fructose corn syrup of the genre and I would like to demand more for my readers.

Overall Book Score: fair