A Monster Lurks Around Eerie-on-Sea [MG Review]

Malamander by Thomas Taylor

Herbert Lemon, Lost-and-Founder at the Grand Nautilus Hotel, knows that returning lost things to their rightful owners is not easy – especially when the lost thing is not a thing at all, but a girl. No one knows what happened to Violet Parma’s parents twelve years ago, and when she engages Herbie to help her find them, the pair discover that their disappearance might have something to do with the legendary sea-monster, the Malamander. Eerie-on-Sea has always been a mysteriously chilling place, where strange stories seem to wash up. And it just got stranger…

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Review

Reviews from middle grade bloggers Charlotte and Alex put Malamander on my radar. It’s a title that would have completely slipped by me otherwise, and I would be worse off for it.

A Series of Unfortunate Events vs. Malamander

Over the years since A Series of Unfortunate Events (ASOUE) was published (the final book was released 14 years ago!), many books have been described as readalikes for the series because of their off kilter settings, cleverly resourceful protagonists, and/or useless grown ups. I have read a few of those books over the years. None of them impressed me, until Malamander.

Some of the similarities are surface level: orphan protagonists, mysteries about what happened to their parents, a child in a role they wouldn’t typically be in, a seaside town setting with that odd atmosphere I’m never sure how to describe. But Taylor takes these elements and makes them his own in Malamander. Herbie’s narration is quite different from Snicket’s in ASOUE. Malamander’s adults are also on the whole more pleasant and helpful, though their personalities would be right at home in ASOUE. And of course, there’s the pure fantasy element of the Malamander itself. Similarities and differences aside, the point I want to make is that Malamander hits the same notes (albeit lighter ones) for me that ASOUE did, which no other books have.

Herbert “Herbie” Lemon

Herbert “Herbie” Lemon stands out as the narrator of this lightly fantastical tale. I often find middle grade protagonists blur together in my mind – how they speak, how they think, how they act. But Herbie’s first person narration was a highlight for me. His dry humour made me laugh more than once. He’s a bit of a troublemaker, thought not in an overt way. He reads almost more like a side character in his behaviour – somewhat reluctant to adventure, main plot is about another character and not him, etc.

Although Herbie tells the story, he doesn’t let the reader completely in. You get a good sense of his personality through the way he speaks and acts, not through what he tells you about himself. If there is one flaw I see too often in middle grade novels, it’s kid narrators who explain too much or tell you everything they’re thinking. (Well, perhaps that’s more personal preference than true flaw…).

“Amber, I swear to you, on my honor as Lost-and-Founder, that I will never, ever, pass up the chance to annoy that whiny old whinge-bag Mollusc. And I think you already know that.”

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Book One Exemplar

This is the first book in a series. I almost hesitated to read it because of that. But again I was impressed. Malamander should serve as an example of how to strike a perfect balance between telling a complete and satisfying story while leaving questions unexplored with room to grow. You can enjoy Malamander as a stand alone if you wish, one that explores the question of the Malamander’s existence. But if you want to learn about Herbie’s past, you will likely have to keep reading the series.

The Bottom Line

Certainly hand this book to fans of ASOUE (do kids still read it??) but also to those who can appreciate a great narrator and well-crafted story in an offbeat seaside town. ★★★★½

Further Reading

• Read an excerpt
• Book website
• Interview @ MG Book Village
• Review by Charlotte @ Charlotte’s Library
• Review by Alex @ Randomly Reading
• Review @ The Times