Okay, before I start, overall I liked (not loved, not really liked) this book. The main character is likable, and the concept is pretty interesting. But I felt lost throughout the entire book.
When I finished the book, I realized that this was completely my fault that I didn’t understand it. You know why? Because at the back of the book there is a GLOSSARY of all the mythical creatures and objects discussed throughout the book. I have made a point over the last few months of making myself NOT read the end of the book as soon as I pick it up, so I missed the glossary that would have made reading the book so much easier.
Charlie is the main character, if you couldn’t guess that from the title. We learn early on in the book that his parents have gone missing, and his house was completely burned to the ground. While waiting on the foster care system to find him a placement, he hangs out at the police station and sprouts horns! Yes, horns. A few days later, he starts growing feathers. He has no idea what is happening to him. Luckily, he makes friends with Violet – a pretty, popular girl who is in charge of the school’s newspaper and loves investigating stories. They partner up to find out what has happened to his parents, and to figure out why he is producing animal parts out of his body. Their adventure is (literally) out of this world.
The book is very well written and intriguing, but I highly recommend reading through the glossary and maybe referring to it throughout the book to make better sense of what is happening. There are brief descriptions of some of the mythological things in the novel itself, but it wasn’t enough to keep me from getting confused. So, use the glossary!
Michelle Reads & Writes 