Starter Villain
About the book
Author: John Scalzi
Publisher: Tor Books
More info:
The StoryGraph | Goodreads
Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the review.
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Bookshop.org (print)
My Review
As you would expect of a book with a cat wearing a suit on the cover, and as you would expect from John Scalzi in general, this book was a HELL of a good time. What a quick, fun read!!
Starter Villain is basically Despicable Me for adults. The main character finds out he’s inherited his estranged uncle’s villain business, complete with a spy network of hyperintelligent cats, a volcano lair, and a workforce of foul-mouthed, class-conscious unionized dolphins (they were my favorite). Then he finds out that all the other villains have it in for him, and he has to rely on his uncle’s team to help him outwit them all. WHAT’S NOT TO LIKE?
Truly, I could not have had a better time reading this book. The pacing was great (I read it in a day), the voice was great, the cats were great — just great all around. The perfect lighthearted read to squeeze in between heavier and/or thicker tomes. Highly recommend.
Content and Trigger Warnings
Gun violence
Murder/death
Death of a parent
Terminal illness