A Toaster on Mars

by Darrell Pitt

Overview

'This pseudo-science-fiction book provides laughs of all types: readers will progress from snickers to giggles to, finally, belly laughs and shouts of outrage...Puns, shaggy dog stories, snarky remarks, and hoaxes are just a few of the humorous elements used expertly here... The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Doctor Who fans are a natural audience for this story, but it may well build a broader readership once the word gets out. (Science fiction. 14 & up)— Kirkus

"An engaging series starter."— Booklist on The Firebird Mystery

Neo City, 2509. Some serious operational bungles, plus the accidental death of his partner, put Special Agent Blake Carter's career at the Planetary Bureau of Investigation in jeopardy. To make matters worse, his new partner happens to be a cyborg.

When infamous criminal Bartholomew Badde steals a weapon capable of awesome destruction, Blake and his partner must recover it. Their investigation takes them to all corners of the weird and wonderful galaxy.

But when Badde kidnaps Blake's teenage daughter Lisa, can Blake get things right and rescue her in time?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781922182869
Publisher:	Text Publishing Company
Publication date:	01/10/2017
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.70(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Darrell Pitt is the author of the Jack Mason Adventures, a series of five novels including The Firebird Mystery (a Notable Book in the 2015 CBCA awards) and, most recently, The Lost Sword. He lives in Melbourne.

Editorial Reviews

02/01/2017
Gr 10 Up—In this mash-up of a funny space tale and a detective story, Blake Carter, an agent with the Planetary Bureau of Investigation, has been assigned a new partner: a cyborg. Bartholomew Badde, an evil genius, has taken the world hostage by threatening electrical extinction via explosive device. Carter and his new partner must track down and stop Badde from destroying Earth. This narrative attempts to be as hilarious as Douglas Adams's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. With a zany futuristic world that closely mirrors that of The Jetsons, as well as a host of bizarre alien characters, the author tries to blend wit, mystery, and science fiction. Unfortunately, the humor is delivered in such a heavy-handed way that it often falls flat. The characters feel wooden, and although the novel is filled with interplanetary action sequences, the overall pacing is not compelling. Many of the references to classic television, such as Star Trek and Snakes on a Space Station, would not be understood by average teens. VERDICT Give readers The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or one of Terry Pratchett's "Discworld" novels instead.—Jenni Frencham, Columbus Public Library, WI

School Library Journal

2016-11-23
This pseudo-science-fiction book provides laughs of all types: readers will progress from snickers to giggles to, finally, belly laughs and shouts of outrage.A mismatched band of two adult humans, a self-activated car, and a golden-skinned cyborg begin a (seemingly) impossible task: capturing the most skillful thief in the planetary system before he destroys electrical service in 26th-century Neo City. In the Planetary Bureau of Investigation's vast building, big-time grouch Blake Carter has his own office. The irascible Blake is the world expert on Bartholomew Badde, but he has been removed from the search for the villain—and saddled with cyborg Nicki Steel as a partner. When Badde abducts Blake's daughter, Lisa, orders no longer count: Blake, Nicki, and Lisa's mother, Astrid—and the car—are off on a chase to save her. The group survives riots, radioactive tunnels, and a sentient, oversized, mutated cheese sandwich. Puns, shaggy dog stories, snarky remarks, and hoaxes are just a few of the humorous elements used expertly here. And the end of the novel promises at least one sequel for readers' delight. Nonhumans and outré skin colors are described, but there is little racial or ethnic detail provided otherwise, implying a mostly white human cast. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Doctor Who fans are a natural audience for this story, but it may well build a broader readership once the word gets out. (Science fiction. 14 & up)

Kirkus Reviews