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Der Orden Der Seltsamen Sonderlinge (2011)

by James Kennedy(Favorite Author)

3.99 of 5 Votes: 2

languge

English

genre

Fantasy

publisher

cbj

review 1: The Order of Odd-Fish is one of those little surprises that you come across from time to time. You're lingering on the Internet for no particular reason besides boredom, beginning to question why you're even there, when you come across something strange, new, and interesting. You're curious, because this is not something you knew about previously, so you begin to look into it. The facts check out and you decide that you'd like to experience it. Thus was I inducted into The Order of Odd-Fish, a YA fantasy book so unfortunately obscure that nobody I knew had even heard of it.I realize that in the past I've been somewhat rash in handing out five-star ratings, overselling books that aren't perfect (Ender's Game) or handing them out simply because I felt stunned by a book for r... moreeasons not entirely pertinent to the actual work (Insurgent). I confess I even played favorites at some point and gave most of the Robert Cormier novels I'd read five star ratings, despite only The Chocolate War actually deserving one (They are all good, by the way). I've grown more careful now, and I hesitate to give The Order of Odd-Fish four stars instead of five because I don't wish to undersell a book that has flown under the radar as is. Particularly because, given virtually everything else in YA fantasy (Graceling Realms, for example) The Order of Odd-Fish is fantastic. It's John Gardner's Grendel to Kristen Britain's Green Rider.The world of The Order of Odd-Fish is one of the most fascinating I've ever seen. Everything is strange and unexpected, from the tapestry grown out of moss to the flying ostriches that serve as knights' mounts to the gruesome induction rituals of the Silent Sisters. The characters follow suit. All of them are interesting and have distinctive personalities, to the point where I could easily name some of the minor characters that were put in seemingly just to develop the world. Certainly there's nothing like this cast in any other book in YA fantasy. There are just as many dark characters as there are good ones, and even some of the dark characters are really heroes were they viewed from the main character's perspective.What I have a hard time reconciling about the book, however, are its nearly epileptic changes in tone. The Order of Odd-Fish is a funny book that can alternate between an entirely humorous story and a vivid nightmare in the span of a few pages. The first time it does this is likely what took my rating down from five stars. The first third of the book is dedicated exclusively to humor such that when the darkness at the heart of The Order of Odd-Fish first rears its head it's such a jarring change that it puts one off. After that shift, however, the book can balance the ugly and the laughable very well. I can neither fully rationalize why this works nor replicate the technique, but it does work. The tonal shifts add much to the story and the fact that the book is unafraid to be dark is likely why the world is as fascinating as it is.Ultimately, The Order of Odd-Fish is one of the best fantasy books that YA has to offer. It's truly a shame that this book flew under the radar, because it has to offer more in the span of about 400 pages than most series can give: Humor, suspense, terror, and various other experiences are juxtaposed in this book, all to great effect. I highly recommend this book.
review 2: I really enjoyed this quirky book but I couldn't give it more than three stars because it took me almost 4 months to read it. It sat on my night table and I kept picking up other books instead of this one - not a good sign. In the end I'm glad I read it. I loved Jo the main character and found myself laughing out loud at the antics of the cockroach butlers. Maybe if it had about 100 fewer pages it could have held my attention. less

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