Title: The Kaiju Preservation Society
Author: John Scalzi
Publisher: Tor Books
Page Count: 264
Rep: non-binary, POC
Spice: None
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is the only book I've encountered so far that incorporates the pandemic without a too-close-to-reality jolt crashing through my escapism. Premise: Down-on-his-luck food delivery driver, Jamie Grey, catches a break in the midst of the pandemic when he bumps into an old classmate, who hires him as an emergency stand-in grunt for an organisation that “works with large animals”.
With a job description of “the guy who lifts things”, readers get to experience the wonder and excitement with Jamie as he crosses into a human-free alternate Earth populated with Godzilla-like monsters, the kaiju. From the banter between characters to the walking ecosystems that are kaiju, this story is overflowing with geeky fun.
Admittedly the plot was a little predictable, but honestly, I didn’t care. It’s all about the ride. By the end there was a lovely sense of found family and warm fuzzies—even with the kaiju stomping about. Reading it was a wonderful escape from the shitstorm that is the world at the moment.
All in all, The Kaiju Preservation Society is a story brimming with child-like excitement, hilarious banter and, of course, fun. This is a book that isn’t out to make us examine the depths of our psyche or the human condition, it exists to have a good old romp through an alternate dimension with monsters the size of skyscrapers. If you want to leave the horrors of the real-world behind for a few hours of wild entertainment, read this book.
Liked this review? Join Nikky's mailing list to recieve regular updates—and a free story!