In a wild ride suitable for all ages, Zoomarble is a nonstop comedy action tornado with a literary flare. Siblings arriving in a quirky new town are quickly entangled in an absurd mission to save the Earth. With what Kirkus Reviews calls, “Swetnam’s deliberately nonsensical plot…”, Joey and Clarissa team up with the aliens who are trying to protect the planet from other, more sinister, aliens. Saving the planet is always more difficult when trying to stay on budget for the investors.
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: Swetnam’s plot is unpredictable and high-speed, as 12-year-old Joey and his sister Clarissa join forces to help a topsy-turvy group of aliens save Earth. Their leader, Cleocatra, sends the siblings on puzzling tasks that seem to make no sense, all in the name of galaxy-saving, and the ride is equal parts wild and sensational, a perfect fit for middle grade readers.
Prose: The prose is as quirky as the storyline, and Swetnam writes with a dry sense of humor that permeates throughout, making the book entertaining and witty.
Originality: The mix of space hijinks, humorous prose, and untamed adventure here is a winning combination, boosted with endless originality and pizzazz.
Character/Execution: Swetnam’s characters are engaging and fun, each with an important role that moves the plot forward. Cleo is, quite literally, the cat’s meow, surrounded by a galvanic cast of aliens and humans who make a compelling group.
Date Submitted: May 08, 2024
Siblings in a new, gleefully bizarre city have the chance to protect Earth from an interplanetary threat in Swetnam’s debut and SF series launch.
Clarissa and Joey Straw know right away that the city they’re moving to is a bit offbeat: On the train ride into Fennario, the teen and her little brother meet Cleocatra, a talking cat. She’s definitely someone they’ll need to talk to, since Cleo is in charge of Fennario,and her banning of ribbons prohibits the kids’ seamstress mother from opening her new shop. Cleo’s willing to lift that ban, provided Clarissa and Joey complete a mission to “deal” with The Mostly Monster. This is actually the first of several tasks Cleo assigns the siblings, who mingle with the likes of Donnie the Dogicorn and a spaceship-piloting, trench coat–donning figure called the Medic. Something big is underway: Cleo and others are trying to stop nefarious aliens from attacking Earth. The siblings join this undaunted group, whose plan for safeguarding their planet entails a lot of precision and trickery. Swetnam’s deliberately nonsensical plot drops Clarissa and Joey into perplexing circumstances as they endeavor to fulfill their tasks’ rather odd purposes. This opening installment initiates a story with nominal character development, with Cleo overtly listing the siblings’ individual traits. Still, the abundance of silliness on display is great fun, from the zany cast (including magic pirates and the Clown Collective) to characters impulsively naming things (like dubbing an essential planet Fuzzybutt or the evil aliens Filthbuckets). The narrative gradually sharpens its focus once everyone works together to protect Earth; the settings alternate between earthly regions and outer space. Swetnam wisely opts for simplicity in many descriptions, as in the case of The Mostly Monster, who’s primarily huge and clawed. (“The beast stood upright and wrapped his large clawed hand entirely around the wolf’s head and popped it off like he was pulling the petal from a flower.”) A spaceship’s interior resembles that of a private jet’s. Mysteries surrounding the peculiar city of Fennario and the Straw family will surely be expanded upon in sequels.
A wholeheartedly charming cast steers this witty and preposterous SF comedy.
