Bad Machinery Book 2: The Case of the Good Boy by John Allison

The Case of the Good Boy by John Allison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bad Machinery (Book 2)

Bad Machinery is a webcomic that is available online but has just now had its third book published. This is the second in the series and the first one I've read. You can read this for free at the website but the books have a lot of added content, are wide, huge things to behold and very fine quality. The book starts with a page that tells you who the characters are (like in many manga) and then jumps right into the story which is a mixture of genres. Two groups of teens consisting of 3 girls and 3 boys live realistic, yet satirical, teen lives, they try to solve a mystery (toddlers are disappearing at an alarming rate) and a magic pencil has brought two fantastical creatures to town. Humour, fantasy, mystery, magical realism and a plot that goes into to the absurd while maintaining a sense of decorum makes for a fantastic read. The characters all have specific quirks but are also genuinely real. The humour is quirky, dry, tongue-in-cheek and often makes fun of itself. Since this is originally published in comic strip format there are lots of one liners and gags but also themes and plots that carry over the entire book and I presume the series as a whole.