Skulduggery Pleasant -- Derek Landy

I adore the cover, right down to the tagline:  AND HE'S THE GOOD GUY.

From Chapter Two:

Life in the Edgely household had always been fairly uneventful.  Stephanie's mother worked in a bank, and her father owned a construction company, and she had no brothers or sisters, so the routine they had settled into was one of amiable convenience.  But even so, there was always the voice in the back of her mind telling her that there should be more to life that this, more to her life than the small town of Haggard, which was tucked quietly into the east coast of Ireland.  She just couldn't figure out what that something was.

Then her uncle dies and leaves almost everything to Stephanie, much to the surprise and dismay of her father's other brother.  During her first night alone in her uncle's house, a man breaks in and attacks her, demanding that she give him some sort of key.

In the nick of time, the front door explodes open and in bursts Skulduggery Pleasant, a suit-wearing, Bentley-driving, walking, talking, shooting, boxing detective skeleton.

Stephanie joins him, and is introduced to a whole new world -- a world of magic and secret wars and politics, of murder and more magic and a whole new version of history.  And, yes, you guessed it.  Between the two of them, they have to Save The World.

Skulduggery Pleasant is an action movie of a book*.  As with most action movies, I didn't really get attached to any of the characters.  I LIKED them, and lots of them (especially, of course, Skulduggery) were really COOL, but I was never particularly worried about who'd live and who'd die.  But remember -- it's an action movie of a book.  All that really matters is whether or not it's fun.

It is. 

I enjoyed Stephanie's ongoing introduction to the world-behind-our-world (within, really, we just don't notice it), the magic system is easily explained but has real potential to be flashy and fun, and I loved the Lovecraft bit, especially since the mentions of "The Faceless Ones" him on my brain anyway.  The dialogue is mostly pretty snappy, with lots of fun buddy-action-movie-type squabbling, but Landy doesn't seem to go for the guffaws too much -- he goes for the 'heh' laugh, which I tend to prefer:

"Funny.  I wouldn't have thought that a living skeleton would be such a skeptic.  So what's our next move?"

He was silent for a bit.  "Right, well, we've got to work out what we need.  We've got to work out what we need, how we get it, and what we need to get to get what we need."

"I think I actually understood that," Stephanie said slowly.  The car went over a bump.  "No, it's gone again."

It's very violent -- you've got your torture, your multiple murders -- deaths galore, really.  That said, I think there are a lot of middle school boys out there who'll like it a whole lot.  Specifically Artemis Fowl fans, maybe Looking Glass Wars and Death Collector fans.  And, wow.  It looks to me like HarperC is pushing it pretty hard**.  As it's apparently the first of a nine-book series, I'm not surprised.

*Warner Brothers already bought the movie rights, so I doubt I'm the only one who thinks so.

**The website is fun, but the video is just bizarre.  I mean, I like the dancing skeleton, but it seemed a bit too playful for Skulduggery's character.

Comments

[Kelly Fineman]

My sixth-grade daughter loved it. As in LOVED IT. As in "oh-my-God-mommy-this-is-the-best-book-ever" loved it. Of course, she says that about a lot of books, but still.

[Leila]

And there you have it, folks! Middle school GIRLS will also like it!

Rock on, Kelly. Have you read it yet?

[Jessica]

I'm going into High School, and I absolutely adore this book. I've read it over and over again, and Im not done yet!

[Cassidy]

i loved this book! im really exsited about the other books and now know that the secound one is called Raising Cain and im also exsited bout the movie it sounds like it will b really good and should b out in 2010. and this was THE BEST BOOK EVER!!! in my strange little world of mine amyway.

[Vikki]

yes! after i was done reading this book i said to myself "there better be a movie comin' out". i'm super pumped and am gonna be super old when it finally comes out...but who cares :)

[Chelsea]

This is thrilling and all characters were magnificent!I can't wait to see the movie!

[Sylvía O. Arnardóttir]

This is just the best book I have read for a good time. I just LOVE IT! I am trying to get my friends to read it... Not working that well.
I think Skulduggery is the best character. But you don't need to say that.

[Aisling]

After reading this book, almost every other book seems RUBBISH! I almost
SCREAMED when I heard it was going to be a nine-book series!

[hope cates]

I LOVED THIS BOOK

[hope cates]

OMG I thought the automatic detective was the best book i ever read but this is just...cant explain...i have read it more then once...AWSOME BOOK EVA!

[Helena Davies]

I was just wondering if anyone could tell me the details of the auditions in the movie because I ABSOLUTELY ADORED the book and might wanna auition. Thanks!!!

[Savannah]

I've read it four times. I'm such a geek.
But honestly, best book ever written. I'm running right to Borders when Playing with Fire comes out on May 6th.

[Angela Whitson]

This book is by FAR the BEST book EVA!!!!!!!! My mum practically had to drag me away from it to have tea!! I give it a definite 10/10!!!!

[Angela Whitson]

Skulduggery Pleasant was a book i'd only discovered about 2 weeks ago, and I've already read it twice! My mum is reading it now, too!! I got the 2nd book today, and was SO excited to hear there is more books coming AND a movie!!

[patrick]

i liked this book alot i especially liked the part when skulduggery and stephanie go to the museum with the vampires, im 12 years and i tried to get 1 of my friends to read it but no luck, he has the second book and i really want to borry it off him.

[Shelby]

I am in 7th grade and this is the BEST book I have ever read, and the best book I ever will read. I got attached to the characters, and it was exciting, funny, and I never wanted to put the book down. My favorite character is Skulduggery, and I am really looking forward to the second book, Playing With Fire. Also the movie, I LOVE this book!

[me]

Skulduggery is kinda cute...sorry, what were you saying?

[Hannah Banana]

Seriously, the guy's a genius! It's got it's own genre. Screwball Fantasy! I've read both of them at least twenty times each. Hey, does anyone know about auditions to the movie? It's supposed to be out in 2010. Not a very popular book over here in the states, but here comes the next harry potter. *fanfare!* New book due out April of '09! YAY! Skulduggery! (Does anyone think that him and Tanith should totally go out)

[Mez]

I absolutely LOVE Skulduggery Pleasant! I am hanging out for the third book and now I here that theres going to be a movie!! I am a year nine student at the moment and I really can't see myself getting tired of waiting on the next book...right down to number nine! Go Skulduggery!!

[angie w]

Hey, has anyone here chosen a name? :)

[Mez]

Yes! :-P How bout you?

[angie w]

certainly have! wouldn't miss that chance for the WORLD!! (well, maybe, but you get what i mean)

[angie w]

i think the title of the 3rd book is called Skulduggery Pleasant: Raising Cain, but i'm not sure. but i hear that Derek Landy was half-way through the 3rd book ages ago though, so hopefully it'll be on the shelves sooner then expected!!

[New Stephanie Edgley]

Okay, I was just wondering when the auditions 4 Stephanie are because I'm very interested in being her. Hope to hear back from someone soon!

[i love chocolate]

hi every one!!!

i asked wiki anwser when the audisions were and it said to write fan mail to Derek Landy and ask so i asked what his address was and they didnt know. Sorry new Stephani Edgley but i dont know your anwser but dont give up. i was genna ordision to but then i remembered im from london and Stephani Edgley is from ireland. :) :) :)