Me and Marvin Gardens

Starred review from October 24, 2016
Obe Devlin, 11, lost his only friend when new kids moved into subdivisions named for the things their homes displaced—Pheasant’s Nest, Oak Trail, the Orchards—on farmland that once belonged to his family. A perceptive narrator, Obe finds solace at the creek that runs through the slice of property his parents still own, which is where he first spots a strange animal whose most notable feature is his diet: plastic litter. Obe, whose father employs a win-at-all-costs strategy during family Monopoly games, names the critter Marvin Gardens but keeps him a secret—which turns out to be an especially wise move once he realizes that the animal produces highly noxious (and possibly toxic) scat. King (Still Life with Tornado) leavens a story replete with brutal environmental facts with a magical friendship between a boy and his “pretty gross pet.” A provocative exploration of human action and interaction on both local and global levels, as well as the interplay between past, present, and future, King’s novel will leave readers pondering how we treat each other and the planet. Ages 8–12. Agent: Michael Bourret, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret.

Pollution and other serious themes dominate this contemplative middle-grade novel. Obe Devlin wishes for the days before the new housing development destroyed the places he loved to play, before his best friend became his enemy, before his family lost their land. Kirby Heyborne narrates with a quiet deliberateness well suited to Obe's thoughtful personality, but his narration creates an underlying tension that is sometimes warranted, as when Obe is drawn into a turf war with the new kids and when Obe discovers a strange new species of animal that eats plastic--an animal he names Marvin Gardens. Sometimes, however, Heyborne's dark tone is misplaced. Even enjoyable moments with his sister; his new friend, Annie; or the remarkable Marvin Gardens often feel anxious and fraught. L.T. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine