All Noah wants to do is ride motor-cross. But when the local course is shut down and sold to a developer, what’s a boy to do? His life is boring: mom gardens, dad makes coffins in the garage and his younger sister Andi is annoying and full of snark. His life is boring UNTIL he discovers he’s got a genetic mutation that turns him into all different kinds of animal life. Unfortunately this happens in front of Sahara, she of the gymnastics team and possible “love” interest. Also along for this hilarious romp is Noah’s best friend Ogden, who carries the weight of humor throughout the novel. Oh, did I mention the aliens, who rely heavily on MOVIES to understand humanity, that come to kill Noah? Let the adventures begin. Fun and adventurous middle grade SciFi story that has twists and turns to the end..oh wait, but is it the end? Thanks to NetGalley & Little Brown Books for Young Readers for the ARC. Can’t wait for the continued adventures of Noah…and Ogden!

2 1/2 stars

I am a big fan of Neal Shusterman, so that immediately attracted me to this title. Unfortunately, by the middle of the book, his name was the only reason that I was finishing it. Perhaps it was simply too far out there for me.

This book certainly isn't lacking in strangeness. The set-up allows for a fair amount of humor with a strong sci-fi leaning. Descriptions are strong. Not for the casual reader, though.

*Thank you to NetGalley, TBRBeyondTours and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for providing me this book in exchange for an honest review*

This book was EXCELLENT! I loved the banter between Noah and his friends, and I LOVED Noah. He was so funny and kind. Sometimes it read a little juvenile for me but other than that it was really good. Fans of Artemis Fowl will love this book.

Fun adventure of galactic proportions, but with such a sweet heart. Noah and his friends are an oddball group of kids dealing with huge issues, but outsmarting even their biggest foes. This witty and imaginative story will be perfect for younger teens, even more reluctant readers.

Thank you to TBR & Beyond yours, NetGalley and the publisher for my free copy. These opinions are my own.

Overall

At this point, I have successfully resigned myself to the fact that I need to read anything and everything that Neal Shusterman writes. Can’t help it. Simple fact of life. Or my life, at least (such as it is). So when I spotted that he had a new middle grade book coming out with Eric Elfman, of course I needed to read it. Duh. The fact that it’s humor at a time when I really wanted something light was really only the cherry on top.

I Am The Walrus is a fast-paced, action-packed book where anything can (and will) happen, written in a humorous tone reminiscent of Terry Pratchett that kids will love.

This book is obviously not going to be for everyone, because it leads heavily into some absurd, unrealistic events (which is not only what makes it so fun but also, you know, fantasy). Still, it’s the sort of humor that I realize up front won’t work for everyone. Anyone who is a fan of books like Artemis Fowl and similar humor books, though, will recognize and enjoy the style! I sure did. Middle grade humor, for me, is always a treat, because it’s simply light-hearted and fun, and I Am The Walrus is no exception to that. It also happens to be jam-packed full of interesting characters and action, too.

My Thoughts

- When it comes to I Am The Walrus, the first book in the N.O.A.H. Files, expect the unexpected. If you have one takeaway from this review, it should be that. Of course, I went into the story mostly blind, other than having seen the cover, so I actually had absolutely no expectations whatsoever, and it was delightful. Even if I’d had expectations, I doubt it would’ve compared to the book. I’m going to do my best in this review to not give too much away. Why? Because this book is absurd, but in the best possible way. The sort that keeps you trying to guess what’s going to happen next (and probably failing, honestly), but also the sort that catches you off-guard and drags a laugh out of you. Yes, this book is, at times, absolutely random. And as someone with ADHD who is also highly random, I can appreciate that. In other words, if you’re looking for a serious read, this book isn’t for you. If you want something light-hearted and fun that’ll make you chuckle, pick this up.

- Something isn’t quite right with Noah Prime. He just can’t quite put his finger on what it is. Noah isn’t the first person to realize his weirdness. Though, to be fair, Noah isn’t the type to be the first person to realize anything. However, even he notices when he starts acting weird in high-stress situations. Who can blame him, though? Stress is . . . well . . . stressful. For Noah, it’s all downhill from there, though. Again, I don’t want to delve too much into the details, because that’s half the fun of this book. Suffice it to say, Noah isn’t a regular preteen. He’s . . . something else. Now he just has to figure out what.

- As one might expect from a humor book, Noah and his friends (and family) have a delightful bit of charm in the way they banter, argue, and snark at each other. The tone and writing style is, by far, my favorite thing about this book. It’s just so fun, filled with both absurd humor and dry humor, which paired really well together in this case. While the fast pace and action really carry the plot forward, it’s the humor that absolutely hooked me and had me wanting more. This was the perfect time for something light and funny, and I Am The Walrus delivered on that. Combine that with the action and all the unexpected surprises, and it’s a pretty quick, interesting read.

- Though Noah takes center stage in this book, there are quite a few characters, many whose perspectives we get, and they all bring something interesting and unique to the table. Since Noah is such a character, it makes sense that he’d be surrounded by other equally interesting characters. Otherwise, he’d outshine them far too quickly, wouldn’t he? Not to fear on that part, though. Take Noah’s best friend, for instance. Ogden is, for lack of a better word, a genius. Also heavily into really weird, random conspiracy theories (though, as it turns out, not always entirely wrong, no matter how absurd). His sort-of-crush Sahara also comes along for the ride, and she’s one determined, head-strong girl who’s just trying to make sense of the world around her (and aren’t we all?). Together, they make a rather interesting (if not quite entirely capable) trio.

I have read quite a few Neal Shusterman books (this is my first by Eric Elfman) and it always baffles me that he can come up with so many new and original stories. The writing is exquisite and always keeps me coming back. This was a thrill ride from start to finish and I was reading as quickly as possible to see what happened next. I am eager to see what comes next with The N.O.A.H Files.

Plot: 4
Characters: 4
Writing Style: 4
Cover: 3
Enjoyment: 5
Buyable/Re-readable?: Yes, it's worth continuing the series.

▶▶ Third person POV via Noah, and his friends Sahara and Ogden, as well as two other vital characters, giving a look at both sides of the conflict.
▶ Set in Arbuckle, Oregon, & Albion, Iowa, & Rapid City, South Dakota,
▶▶ There is a plausible and acceptable reason for Noah appearing to be a Gary Stu.
▶ Just a tad corny, but nothing so over-the-top that it belittles the story. I honestly felt the book has some major Lemony Snicket vibes in tone, style, chapter names, etc. EX: "—complete with traffic cones, lookie-loos, and that one mysterious shoe that always seems to be there in the aftermath of any accident." And the character of Dr Kratz has heavy Mr Crocker (from 'Fairly Odd Parents') vibes. It made for a very fun read. There are consequences and a difficult choice ahead.
▶▶ Contains: Cutesy middle grade romance, enhanced multi-species DNA, androids, aliens, an Office of Interstellar Research, wormholes, temporal shifts, memory erasure, replicas, biomass bombs, dimensional stretching, hypercube of stolen memories, more futuristic tech, etc
▶ There is an important scene near the end involving fellow student, Kaleb, that I didn't think was properly executed. It goes too well, resulting in Kaleb hardly needing any convincing despite the seriousness of Noah's request. Though there is a disclaimer before it, it still felt too quick and easy for me.

★ But if it's not a 'Parks & Rec' reference, I send it back - "Noah Prime’s friend would be here. Odin, or Orin, or whatever his name was."

Shusterman is a gem and, again, I had a lot of fun reading this. I'm looking forward to the next installment and seeing how this plays out.

I love Neal Shusterman as a writer. I love his voice and his stories and I think he is one of the best in the YA world. He has some odd stories, but they all have a message that exceeds the surface and I love that about him and his storytelling.

And now we have I Am the Walrus. Which has a message there, but man, is it a story that is sort of overkilled by details and happenings that don't really need to happen, ever. There is a heavy Hithckiker's Guide vibe to this novel. Lots of silly things happening. Characters have foibles and are trying to find out the truth of many situations. Even the beginning which starts at the end gets overwhelmed by the storytelling and as a reader, you sort of forget that this thing happened and then it came back around to it at the end of the book.

I like the general approach, but there are several parts that are ripped right from pop culture, the biggest offense was when one of the characters uses the words to open the Necronomicon as their native language. Klaatu Barada Niktu, really? Now I know that those were ripped from the Star Wars Universe, but come on.

And then when one of the characters is dealing with a clogged toilet and tells their minions that they're dealing with a "code brown"... it just felt cheap or silly.

Anyway, Shusterman gets my 5 stars almost all the time, and those of you who read my reviews know that I pretty much 5 stars for every book I read, and for this one I just can't go 5 stars. It's probably a 3.5 rating, but even that feels like I betraying my man. Regardless, if you're a fan of Shusterman you'll probably dig this read, but it's no Scythe.

“I am the Walrus” by Neal Shusterman and Eric Elfman is an upper grade/middle school science fiction novel. It will be released on April 12, 2023.

I received an eARC from NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company.

I’ve read several of Neal’s books- and met him at a children’s literature conference at WWU in 2019. Let’s just say that I’m a fan.

I’d recommend “I am the Walrus” for advanced readers in upper elementary to middle school and into high school. This story would make an amazing movie- and it appears that this is book 1 in a series. I am all about books in a series!

If you like "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", then you will love this book. The plot is a bit absurd, but creative and interesting.