This is third in the series but the first I read, so it did take me a bit to totally understand and buy into the premise of the story. But once I did, this was a fun middle grade adventure, with a lot of middle grade humor. Faith is an assumed part of the lives of the characters without being the focus. My one concern: some very serious issues were skimmed over. For example, Doug, Arcade's best friend, appears to have been living on his own (at age 11 and a half) for two weeks when the story begins, even though there's a social worker involved because his caretaker grandma has ended up in a care institution. While Arcade's parents step in and give Doug a place to stay, no one seems overly concerned about how this was allowed to happen to begin with. Still, the basic story premise is fun; an enjoyable summer read.

I was not able to complete my reading of this book— I switched phones in the middle of my reading, and unfortunately could not use the same reader which had allowed me to open the file.
I did like the story and where it was headed. I really appreciated that there was a brother-sister team that had normal sibling dynamics— they bickered and teased, but never seemed cruel; you could tell they did care for one another. And I’ve just remembered the flamingo! I hope they have lots of fun feeding their new friend shrimp.

Rashad Jennings gives us a book that deserves to be read. It’s creative, written in a powerful voice for youth (and adults), and original. Great storytelling!