ALA Booklist (Tue Jan 03 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Eleven-year-old Buddy is down on his luck, but what's new? Accidentally burning down his mother's bakery, however, seems like the perfect time to get out of town and go find his pop wild, charismatic man and ace Parsnit player. Unfortunately, Buddy's bad luck follows him to the swamplands where Pop lives, and no sooner are they happily reunited than some goons kidnap his father on the orders of the gangster-like Boss Authority. Without hesitation, Buddy strikes out after them, and his quest to rescue his pop becomes one fraught with danger, surprising d sometimes hurtful velations, and magic-touched, high-stakes Parsnit matches. Cajoleas' (Goldeline, 2017) new novel revels in storytelling and the magic that can be born (figuratively and literally) of a story told well. Central to this is Parsnit, a competitive card game rooted in orating the best tale. Buddy's frank, distinct voice narrates, and the novel's mysterious atmosphere leads to some wonderfully creepy moments, as well as tender ones. An imaginative, lightly fantastic tale that is as empowering as it is bewitching.

Kirkus Reviews (Tue Jan 03 00:00:00 CST 2023)

On an odyssey through the swamp to find his father, a boy discovers the magic of life, love, and storytelling.After accidentally setting fire to his mother's bakery, 11-year-old Buddy runs away to the swamp to be with the father he hasn't seen in five years. Pop's not only his hero, but the best Parsnit card player around. But no sooner does Buddy see Pop than his father is kidnapped by Boss Authority's henchmen for reasons revealed later in the novel. In a witty, conversational style and Southern cadence, Buddy narrates his journey to rescue Pop. While initially the setting feels like the American South, Cajoleas' lush worldbuilding reveals a multiracial community that does not seem to carry the region's racial history. In this community, Buddy meets an array of folkloric characters of varying races who heighten the swamp's spookiness. Brown-skinned Tally, one of the spider-folk, saves Buddy from eerie encounters, and he in turn helps his new friend see the beauty of her gift. Paralleling the journey are Buddy's descriptions of Parsnit. In this dueling card game, overseen by a witch, players test their Orating skill to recount the best stories. As Buddy learns Parsnit tricks, he realizes that loving a flawed parent is even trickier and that real life is more wonderful and mysterious than any story. A few characters are described as black or brown; the default is white.Vivid imagery and thought-provoking musings make this an ideal read-aloud adventure. (Fantasy. 8-12)

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

Buddy Pennington has -durn horrible luck- despite his scoundrel daddy-s legendary good fortune. After he accidentally burns down half of his mother-s bakery on his 11th birthday, Buddy sets off to river country to track down his beloved Pop, a -wild soul- and lauded card player. Just after he arrives, a crew of baddies sent by legendary crime lord Boss Authority kidnaps his dad, leaving him with little more than a knife and his father-s Parsnit cards. A meandering river pursuit brings Buddy an unlikely friend, Tally, one of the spider-folk, and the two make their way to a magical swamp, wherein lie the Creepy, rumored to snatch babies; a human head-shaped card den; and the truth about Buddy-s parents- past and his own rotten luck. As Buddy-s story moves toward a high-stakes duel, a riveting metanarrative details the game of Parsnit, in which players draw on bewitched decks to fashion a tale: -You Orate the story well enough and it might as well be real.- Flaws and redemption, rambling and heading home are at the heart of this colloquial swamp adventure by Carjoleas (The Good Demon), which considers the components of a real good tale all while telling one. Ages 8-12. (Mar.)