“Five delinquent Girl Scouts, a million hungry rats, one secret city beneath Manhattan, and a butt-kicking girl superspy. Welcome to the world of Kiki Strike.”

This description appears on the back of Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City, a book I stumbled upon. I recently spent a relaxing Friday afternoon by the pool with Kiki and Quen-tone. Although the novel is recommended for 9-12 year olds, I was entertained for hours (and I have the sunburn to prove it).

First, consider the lovely book jacket:



Second, consider that each chapter ends with a helpful topic such as “How To Follow Someone Without Getting Caught”, “How To Catch a Lie” and “How To Be a Master of Disguise”. Third, consider that a sequel is on the horizon. Fourth, consider that Kiki is more enigmatic (and likeable) than John Galt.

Who is John Galt? Only the most underrated Objectivist in modern literature! Yep. If you thought ol’ John was safely secluded in Galt’s Gulch these many years, you would be wrong, my friend. It appears that he moved to the Bronx and started an inept demolition company. A full report appeared on the front page of the New York Times last week. Weird.
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Filed under: slowblogger by Eliza Doolittle 1 Comment »