The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

Book Title: The Kaiju Preservation Society
Author: John Scalzi
Genre: Science Fiction Adventure
Source: Blog Tour (Thank you to Black Crow PR for the copy!)

Goodreads, Amazon UK

Plot: Jamie’s dream was to hit the big time at a New York tech start-up. Jamie’s reality was a humiliating lay-off, then a low wage job as a takeaway delivery driver. During a pandemic too. Things look beyond grim, until a chance delivery to an old acquaintance. Tom has an urgent vacancy on his team: the pay is great and Jamie has debts – it’s a no-brainer choice. Yet, once again, reality fails to match expectations. Only this time it could be fatal.
It seems Tom’s ‘animal rights organization’ is way more than it appears. The animals aren’t even on Earth – or not our Earth, anyway. In an alternate dimension, massive dinosaur-like creatures roam a tropical, human-free world. And although Kaiju are their universe’s largest and most dangerous animal, they need support to survive.
Tom’s ‘Kaiju Preservation Society’ wants to help. However, others want to profit. Unless they’re stopped, the walls between our worlds could fall – and the consequences would be devastating.

What did I think?

Lately I've found it hard to read. Have you seen the world? Bring me a tub of ice cream and let me weep.

Books require focus, a lot more than mindlessly watching Netflix (or worse TikTok), and at the same time they allow the mind to wander (unlike video games.)

I've opened dozens of books in 2022, read a few paragraphs, closed them again.

Along came Scalzi. Finally. I'm not kidding when I say I was really bloody grateful for this book!

I ended up reading the Kaiju Preservation Society in one afternoon. I didn't want to put it down. It was far too much fun. It made me forget about the world, my responsibilities, and I felt like a little kid watching a Godzilla movie at the cinema.

That's all you really need to know.

With his newest book Scalzi offers a vibrant world, dialogue filled with impeccable humour, giant beasts, alternate dimensions, and pages filled with light-hearted fun. The plot moves at a break-neck pace, the characters are authentic and likeable, and the villain is a total prick.

Overall, the Kaiju Preservation Society is silly entertainment much like a popcorn movie but in book-form. Filled with cultural references, and served with a dollop of genuine humour, this read is sure to bring some joy to a rainy afternoon.