Crap Kingdom

Author D.C. Pierson performs his own work. Tom Parking is plucked out of his very ordinary life and told he has a destiny: He will be the savior of an entire otherworldly kingdom. The problem is that the kingdom, which has no name, is not grand and glorious. In fact, it's rather primitive and, well, shabby. Pierson makes Tom sound like a high-school slacker more concerned with girls than saving a world--a reverse Harry Potter. He shifts effortlessly between numerous bizarre characters like the officious king of the place-with-no-name, the friendly idiot who helps Tom adjust, and a plethora of weird animals that make strange sounds. Transporting the listener to a magical world he creates with skillful acting and vocal fireworks, Pierson makes the imaginary seem real. M.S. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

February 4, 2013
Adult author Pierson (The Boy Who Couldn’t Sleep and Never Had To) delivers a cutting sendup of a traditional portal fantasy in this story of a Chosen One who fails to live up to his legend. Tenth-grader Tom Parking’s life is perfectly average and acceptable until he’s taken away to a mystical kingdom where he’s destined to do great things. But the kingdom, which doesn’t even have a name, stinks, in Tom’s opinion. It’s boring, dirty, and filled with trash, and its inhabitants are jerks (worse still, the prophecy about Tom is written in Times New Roman, and not even centered properly). Disappointed, Tom turns his back on the whole thing, but he’s flabbergasted when his best friend Kyle is picked as the new Chosen One—and turns out to be a much better choice. There’s a subtly cynical, almost mean-spirited feel to the humor, as though Pierson is not-so-affectionately mocking the source material even as he mines it for inspiration. Luckily, some narrative twists and surprises redeem the story, shedding light on a bigger picture. Ages 12–up. Agent: Daniel Greenberg, Levine Greenberg Literary Agency.