From Goodreads: Toonopolis is a cartoon city that is home to the thoughts and ideas of all sentient beings in the universe. As the center of the Tooniverse, it acts as an other-worldly rest stop for these creations.

Gemini is a teenage human boy who is thrust into Toonopolis through his father’s scientific research program. He loses part of himself in the process and immediately begins a quest to regain his lost memories with the help of his Tooniverse guide named Jimbob the Talking Eggplant.

After an altercation with a mysterious Shadowy Figure, Gemini’s mission is changed, and he begins a new quest to defeat Shadowy Figure and protect Toonopolis from his nefarious destruction. Along the way, he meets new friends, discovers just how diverse and strange Toonopolis is, and learns lessons about compassion, forgiveness, redemption, and being true to oneself.

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I really enjoyed this novel.  Rodden has taken the toon world a created a wonderful story about their universe—it’s completely original and something we don’t think about much: what is life like for a toon?  I found this novel to be extremely humorous and well written, and Rodden’s explanations of toon life and abilities is fascinating.  For instance, I’ve never thought about why toons can run off cliffs and not fall until they look down, but Rodden explains why this is so, and it’s an ingenious explanation!  I found this a lot as I read—Rodden is very thorough and it’s obvious that he’s spent a lot of time thinking about, and refining, explanations for the strange capabilities toons possess. 

I loved the writing style Rodden uses.  It’s told from two different perspectives, one from Special Agent Mimic, from the human world, and one from Gemini, the human boy sent to Toonopolis for research purposes.  It was enlightening to read about Mimic’s plans and thoughts as he read up on the research being conducted, and I liked that it switched viewpoints so the reader can see inside both Gemini’s and Special Agent Mimic’s mind.  I think this is a very interesting way to present a story, and I highly enjoyed it, especially the revelation about the Shadowy figure at the end of the novel—I never saw it coming!

The characters within the novel are hilarious, and I especially liked Jimbob the talking eggplant.  As I was reading the novel I kept snorting with laughter, and my students, who were taking a test, were highly alarmed at the guffaws and snorts I kept making.  I just couldn’t control myself, it was highly funny, and for some reason I kept thinking about Animaniacs; that same sense of humor permeates this novel and makes it an awesome read. 

I love that this novel is age appropriate, for MG and YA, but it can also make adults laugh, and so it transpires the age gaps and is, in my opinion, appropriate for all ages.  Check it out; you won’t be disappointed!  Four stars!

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.