Book review - The Genius factor: How to Capture an Invisible Cat

Title: How to Capture and Invisible Cat
Author: Paul Tobin
Genre: sci-fi/humor
Similar books: How Lunchbox Jones Saved Me from Robots, Traitors, and Missy the Cruel by Jennifer Brown
                     Ottoline and the Yellow Cat by Chris Riddell
Rating:

quirky and entertaining

Summary (provided by publisher): Every Friday the 13th, 6th grade genius and inventor extraordinaire Nate Bannister does three not-so-smart things to keep life interesting. This time, he taught a caterpillar math, mailed a love letter, and super-sized his cat Proton before turning him invisible.
As Nate and his new (well, only) friend Delphine race to stop Proton from crushing everyone and everything in town, they come face-to-face with Sir Jakob Maculte (the twenty-seventh lord of Mayberry Castle and leader of the nefarious Red Death Tea Society). Known for its criminal activity, killer tactics, and impressive tea brewing skills, the Red Death Tea Society will do anything to get in their way.
Nate and Delphine must pull out every mind-blowing gadget, half-perfected invention, and unproven but theoretically sound strategy they've got up their sleeves in order to survive to see Saturday the 14th!
Eisner winner Paul Tobin's extraordinarily madcap middle grade debut features black and white illustrations from film talent Thierry Lafontaine and is the first of five novels in the series.

My opinion: First of all, the plot of this novel is entirely ridiculous. A study in the absurd. What redeems it is the fact that it knows it is absurd. Tobin plays with the plot, escalating the ridiculous to the point that it becomes humorous instead of tiresome and unbelievable. It's almost a spoof while maintaining a (mostly) logical plot. This is not the best book you'll ever read. It relies a little too heavily on coincidence and toilet humor for my taste. Some will find the odd narration style, the unusual phrasing and occasional repetition annoying rather than humorous. Not for everyone but hose who enjoy the quirky and offbeat will likely get a kick out of this one.

More information: How to Capture and Invisible Cat releases March 1.
Advance Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.