The setting is very much the real star of this novel, with readers getting to visit places as magical as a bookstore that dispenses just the book you need, or a diner with food that will have your mouth watering. However, this will not bother readers who are delighted simply to be able to visit Eerie-on-Sea, with all its quirky locales and odd characters. Since it is written for a middle grade audience, The Malamander does have a plot that is easy to predict.

Their somewhat mismatched pairing, along with the narrative voice, sets the tone of the book–a bit odd, but in the best possible way. However, he finds himself pulled into one by the spirited Violet Parma, a girl who leaps before she looks. It turns out our narrator is Herbie Lemon, a twelve-ish employee at a seaside hotel, who is rather determined not to get into any mishaps, shenanigans, or adventures, thank you very much. The very opening, told by a narrator who thinks they are rather clever, promised the kind of light-hearted mystery/adventure I was looking for. Quirky middle grade books are among my favorite reads–and I was pleased that The Malamander does not disappoint. By turns mysterious, action-packed, and just a little weird, The Malamander is a sheer delight. Her past, however, is tangled up with the legend of a local sea monster, the malamander, and soon Herbie and Violet are fighting for their lives. It follows Herbie Lemon, Lost and Founder at the Grand Nautilus Hotel, as he teams up with Violet, a mysterious girl determined to find her long-lost parents. The Malamander is a fast-paced adventure story, perfect for readers who love quirky middle grade. “If the impossible is possible anywhere, it’ll be possible in Eerie-on-Sea.”

The malamander book