School Library Journal (Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2013)

Gr 6-8 Freak, River, and Fiona assume that the sofa sitting near their bus stop one morning is just a discarded piece of furniture from the creepy old Underhill mansion. Soon, though, they learn that it's sentient, self-propelling, and nourished by dust bunnies. The junk they find between the cushions (an old crayon, a weird coin, and a single domino) holds the key to saving the world from evil invaders from another dimension. The children are skeptical at first, but Alf, the eccentric person living in the mansion, convinces them that the couch is connected to the coal-seam fire that has been burning in their town for 12 years. He also explains that the strange flash mobs that almost everyone seems to be participating in-a roomful of people stand up and sing show tunes in unison, then go about business as usual and deny that anything strange has happened-are, in fact, experiments in a sinister mind-control plot. Fast paced and entertaining, this sci-fi novel strains credulity but is still an exciting, suspenseful adventure with many unexpected twists. Commentary on both corporate interests and middle-school social dynamics adds depth without seeming heavy-handed. This debut novel may be a hard sell to reluctant readers, but those willing to take a chance on something odd will be rewarded. Kyle Lukoff, Corlears School, New York City

ALA Booklist (Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2014)

The action in Clark's debut starts with one of the most universal of all human experiences: finding something weird beneath the couch cushions. Middle-schooler River and his best friends, Freak and Fiona, live in Cheshire, a city plagued by inexplicable phenomena, like spontaneous flash mobs and smoldering coal fires in the abandoned mines beneath town. One day at the bus stop, they discover a zucchini-colored crayon in the recesses of an abandoned couch. Their seemingly mundane discovery touches off a series of events that will take them though intergalactic portals to battle dangerous villains intent on creating evil clones, and befriend beings with artificial intelligence. Corporate meddling and environmental irresponsibility appear as themes but don't predominate the novel's upbeat and quirky tone. With subtle winks and nods at Madeleine L'Engle, the plot and well-developed characters successfully reconcile science fiction and realistic middle-school drama in a way that will satisfy readers of both genres.

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

Clark-s debut, a complicated and often goofy SF fantasy about an evil power trying to take over the world, brandishes his background as a former Mad magazine contributor. Starring a Harry Potter-like triumvirate-two boys, Freak and River, and sharp, smart Fiona-the story begins with a sofa that has been mysteriously abandoned by their bus stop, in which the children find a rare zucchini-colored crayon. Their discovery launches a complex narrative involving a long-burning underground coal fire and an abandoned chemical plant, which turns out to be a portal to another universe. Offbeat plot elements include mind control through cellular phones and food additives, flash mobs, artificial intelligence in the form of furniture and a domino, an elderly axe-wielding ghost, and human spies wearing dog hats as disguises. The kids- uncertainty about who to trust and the novel-s swift pace create unyielding suspense. Readers without much taste for this genre may find it too over-the-top, but for those destined to become Douglas Adams fans it will be hilarious and gripping. Ages 8-12. Agent: Kate Epstein, Epstein Literary Agency. (July)

Kirkus Reviews

Can a crayon save the world? Maybe with the help of a domino and a sofa…. River lives with his aunt Bernie outside the town of Cheshire. He and his friends Freak and Fiona live in the last three houses still inhabited in the Sunnyside development. The rest were abandoned or obliterated by the local coal-seam fire that's been burning for 12 years…long enough to get its own name: Hellsboro. When a beat-up green sofa appears at their bus stop in front of Old Man Underhill's house, the three make use of it as a lounging spot…until they find a rare zucchini-colored crayon between the cushions and discover that the Underhill house has a new and more than slightly bizarre occupant. Alf (and his sentient sofa) enlist the trio's help in trying to stop a takeover of Earth by a dictator from another realm. What do the local chemical plant, mysterious flash mobs and the deaths of River's parents have to do with the dictator's plans for Earth? Clark's debut is refreshingly bonkers. It offers thinking kids humor that is neither afraid of the potty nor confined to it. Most of the characters (and some of the furniture) have their quirks, but there is a realism at the core that readers will respond to. Puns and wordplay abound in this droll science-y/fantasy adventure that's sure to please...and is, one hopes, the first of many from Clark. (Humor. 9-14)