Meddling Kids

by Edgar Cantero

[Beth C.]

As someone who grew watching "...those meddling kids.", I was curious about this book. What *did* happen when The Gang grew up, and was it as rosy as we all assumed? That answer is a distinct and resounding NO. The jock committed suicide, the brainiac became a deadbeat, the dork lives in an asylum, and the popular girl is wanted in two states and is gay. Definitely not what anyone would necessarily have expected.

There are so many ways this book could have gone wrong, but Cantero did an excellent job taking the darker aspects and running with them. A lot of that has to do with the dialogue of the characters, including the ghost of the jock who is currently haunting the dork - hence his commitment. As for the dog, whose character could have just degenerated into ridiculousness, he turned out to be my favorite. He was definitely not an in your face kind of character, but he certainly was an important member of the group, and picturing his thought bubbles sometimes had me laughing out loud.

Overall, this was an excellent read. I'm hoping there are more adventures to come, but even if there are not - it's well worth the time. It's fun and absurd and it embraces both of those things while showing that even in the dark, there can be love, laughter, friendships...and monsters.