Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

A motley assortment of human experimental subjects and faerie exiles take on a New Jersey cereal company run by eldritch management for nefarious purposes. With an off-the-wall sensibility that fans of the author's True Meaning of Smekday (2007) will recognize with delight, Rex kicks off a planned trilogy. He brings together sixth-grade outsider Scottish Play Doe (an actor's son, surprise), young genius Erno Utz and his even brighter supposed twin Emily, a crusty old leprechaun and like unconventional allies to be hunted by agents of the huge Goodco Cereal Company--producers of Burlap Crispâ„¢, Honey Frosted Snoxâ„¢. These and similar products enjoy a wild popularity that can be ascribed to the literal truth of the company motto: "There's a Little Bit of Magic in Every Box!" The author tucks in portrait illustrations and hilariously odd TV-commercial storyboards, along with a hooded Secret Society, figures from Arthurian legend, magical spells and potions, a certain amount of violence, many wonderful throwaway lines ("Yeh may have a tarnished glamour about yeh, sure. Like a celebrity's daughter.") and tests of character with often surprising outcomes. All in all, it's a mad scramble that culminates in the revelation of a dastardly plot that will require sequels to foil. A massive explosion at the end only sets that evil scheme back a bit; stay tuned for further strange and exhilarating developments. (Fantasy. 11-13)

School Library Journal Starred Review

Gr 8 Up-Mishalla and Kayla have been best friends for as long as they can remember, but as they near their 15th birthdays, they know they may never see each other again. In their world, GEN's (short for Genetically Engineered Non-Humans) are given their work assignments at that age and are not allowed any contact with former friends or nurture parents. What the girls do not realize is just how dangerous their assignments are about to become as both of them get embroiled in a plot to uncover decades-old information regarding genetic manipulation, scientific scandal, and corruption at the highest levels of government. In her first novel for teens, Sandler has created a fascinating dystopian world in which a caste system, supported by manipulated historical records and a religion based solely on insuring the obedience of the GENs, was manufactured by their ancestors who escaped a dying Earth two centuries earlier. The author's speculative vision of the darker side of future possibilities in genetic engineering and mind control is both chilling and thought-provoking. This is a dark novel that will appeal to those who enjoyed M.T. Anderson's Feed (Candlewick, 2002), and it would make a good stepping-stone to Anthony Burgess's classic, A Clockwork Orange (W.W. Norton, 1963).— Jane Henriksen Baird, Anchorage Public Library, AK

ALA Booklist

On his first day of school, Scott Doe accompanies his new sixth-grade class on a field trip to the Goodco Cereal Factory re, he encounters a leprechaun whom nobody else can see. Meanwhile, in a parallel story, twin orphans Erno and Emily Utz undertake their latest game, which is foisted upon them by their foster father, and which is supposed to test their intelligence. Eventually the stories converge, bringing together magical experiments, chase scenes, Merle Lynn and a colorful variety of fay, from a pink dragon to a Bigfoot nanny. The children unite and, with the help of friends fairy and real, attempt to thwart the cereal company's dastardly plans. Rex supports his centrifugal imagination with tight storytelling, effervescent characterization, and strong imagery and metaphor (plus black-and-white illustrations). The result is a story that's simultaneously dense and frothy, like chocolate perforated with bubbles. And while his imagined world is fully realized, he's careful not to explain too much, building a sense of mystery that will leave eager readers anxious for the sequel.

Horn Book

In a zany adventure filled with Arthurian references and sly parodies, new kid Scott and twins Erno and Emily set out to find the connection between their town's megalomaniac cereal company and magical enslaved beings. Reader interest and suspension of disbelief never flag in this humorous, consistently entertaining, well-spun yarn, supplemented by cartoon illustrations and drawn panels accompanying TV commercial scripts.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

A motley assortment of human experimental subjects and faerie exiles take on a New Jersey cereal company run by eldritch management for nefarious purposes. With an off-the-wall sensibility that fans of the author's True Meaning of Smekday (2007) will recognize with delight, Rex kicks off a planned trilogy. He brings together sixth-grade outsider Scottish Play Doe (an actor's son, surprise), young genius Erno Utz and his even brighter supposed twin Emily, a crusty old leprechaun and like unconventional allies to be hunted by agents of the huge Goodco Cereal Company--producers of Burlap Crispâ„¢, Honey Frosted Snoxâ„¢. These and similar products enjoy a wild popularity that can be ascribed to the literal truth of the company motto: "There's a Little Bit of Magic in Every Box!" The author tucks in portrait illustrations and hilariously odd TV-commercial storyboards, along with a hooded Secret Society, figures from Arthurian legend, magical spells and potions, a certain amount of violence, many wonderful throwaway lines ("Yeh may have a tarnished glamour about yeh, sure. Like a celebrity's daughter.") and tests of character with often surprising outcomes. All in all, it's a mad scramble that culminates in the revelation of a dastardly plot that will require sequels to foil. A massive explosion at the end only sets that evil scheme back a bit; stay tuned for further strange and exhilarating developments. (Fantasy. 11-13)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Mythology and magic collide with breakfast cereal in this dry-humored adventure from Rex (Fat Vampire), first in