Another review in, and it's not bad, from the Online Book Club.
Reviewer Casper says,
'The book alternates between a full blown horror story and black humour: more than a few of the characters are obvious comedians, or even caricatures, and some of the dialogue and Marvin's asides can be quite amusing. There are times when Ms Edwards creates real edge-of-the-seat suspense and she follows this up with vivid descriptions of the nauseating conditions that Marvin encounters which are quite repulsive - in the nicest possible way.
The author is certainly not afraid to touch on some pretty profound subjects on the way: life, death, loss, grief, and different ways of dealing with bereavement feature in the first few chapters. A strong secondary theme in the book is the relationship between step-parent and step-child, and the pressures this puts on the family, especially when mixed up with the usual teenage angst. Poor Marvin certainly has more than his fair share of problems to work his way through, but, as the adventure forces him to mature and take on responsibilities, some of his fondly held illusions are shattered and he realises the truth about many things including his own faults.'
Full review can be found here:
http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=13607
