The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp

Starred review from August 29, 2005
After his single mother dies, the oversized, underachieving, totally endearing narrator, Alfred Kropp, is sent to Tennessee to live with his uncle, a night watchman for a business titan. Uncle Farrell, chronically poor, can't refuse a $1 million offer to retrieve a sword from the executive suite. His 15-year-old nephew, however, has reservations—"I'm not too quick on the uptake... but this whole thing smells fishy to me"—until Uncle Farrell threatens to return Alfred to foster care if he refuses to help. The attempt ends disastrously: saber-wielding monks demand the sword, motorcycle thugs fire shotguns as Alfred races across the Interstate, and in Europe, he winds up in battles where heads fly—literally. Everyone and everything has a secret identity—the monks, the sword, the hero, just to name a few. The high-speed car chases, spectacularly gory deaths and Arthurian echoes seem tailor-made for a Hollywood action flick, but it's Alfred's naiveté and basic good nature that make this pageturner stand out in the crowded fantasy adventure genre. Like J.K. Rowling, first-time YA novelist Yancey (Confessions of a Tax Collector
, for adults) deftly leavens the heavier plot elements with humor; this story of a "big-headed loser" is as funny as it is scary. Alfred's adventures are not the only element of this tale that is extraordinary—the reluctant hero is, too. Ages 12-up.

Starred review from February 27, 2006
Suspense? Check. Humor? Check. Flashy cars? Check. Violent fight scenes? Oh yeah. Unlikely teenage hero? Yep. This recording of Yancey's action-filled first YA novel has plenty of the elements likely to round up a legion of listeners. Following the death of his mother, 15-year-old Alfred Kropp moves in with his Uncle Farrell, who's trying to make ends meet as night watchman at the offices of a business scion in Tennessee. When Uncle Farrell gets a lucrative offer to "retrieve" a valuable sword from his work building for a mysterious, rival businessman named Arthur Myers, the plot—and Farrell's "accomplice," Alfred—take off on a rip-roaring quest. Turns out the lifted sword is Excalibur of Arthurian legend and the quest involves battling sword-wielding monks and a pack of motorcycle riding shoot-'em-up thugs among other foes, as well as traveling to Europe, and meeting up with a mentor-ish descendant of the Round Table. Listeners never get too comfortable, as Arthur is among the many people and things that are not what they seem. Placing a good-hearted, funny, big lug of a kid into a hero's shoes is the fine premise that gives Michael an entertaining canvas to work with. The slight Southern drawl of Uncle Farrell, the nearly-hissing French accent of Arthur, the nasty notes of the British monks, Alfred's likeable, naïve tones—and yes, the high-octane story—will all keep listeners enthralled. Ages 12-up.