Seán Cullen (1965–)

A decent enough story, set very firmly in Toronto (enough so that I felt as if having Google Street View open while reading would be helpful). The boy coming into his inheritance theme was fairly well done, although the way he discovers a new faerie superpower every time things get sticky was a bit too neat. I personally found the flaky, condescending "Narrator" annoying; another reader said that it annoyed her so much she didn't make it past the Prologue. However, the author is a stand-up comedian and, assuming the Narrator is his comedic voice, familiarity with that side of his work might make the Narrator acceptable if not enjoyable. Personally, I can't imagine how it could.possibly be considered to enhance rather than detract from the story. Averaging a 4-star story and a 1-star narration (both generous assessments) gives 2.5 stars for this one. Not a keeper, but it's a quick read despite its size and I might pick up the sequel (The Prince of Two Tribes) if I come across it.… (mer)

I have seen Sean Cullen do stand up. He is a strange man. This book for kids is also a strange book. You can kind of hear him talking to you through it with these funny little footnotes. Another story about orphans and kids against adults. It ends but leaves questions and plenty of room for a sequel. Made me think about how to write for kids who read books with mostly words but some pictures. People do get killed in this story. But no swearing. The role of the narrator as a character reminds me of Lemony Snicket. Cheese!… (mer)