''The Order of Odd-Fish'' is a 2008

debut Debut or début (the first public appearance of a person or thing) may refer to: * Debut (society), the formal introduction of young upper-class women to society * Debut novel, an author's first published novel Film and television * ''The Debu ...

children's novel by James Kennedy. The book was first published on August 12, 2008 through

Delacorte Books for Young Readers Dell Publishing Company, Inc. is an American publisher of books, magazines and comic books, that was founded in 1921 by George T. Delacorte Jr. with $10,000 (approx. $145,000 in 2021), two employees and one magazine title, ''I Confess'', and s ...

, and focused upon a young girl discovering her true identity. ''The Order of Odd-Fish'' was named a ''Smithsonian Notable Books for Children'' for 2008, and in 2013 the character of Ken Kiang was named by Daniel Kraus as one of the "most evil characters in literature".

Synopsis

Thirteen-year-old Jo Larouche has spent her entire life with her Aunt Lily in the deserts of California. Left with Lily as a baby, the only real clues she has about her origins are a note with the name "Jo" and a warning that she was a dangerous baby. After the events of a Christmas party prompt Lily and Jo to leave California for the surreal and outlandish Eldritch City, Jo finally begins to learn some of the truth behind her mysterious past. The two join a group known as the ''Order of Odd-Fish'' that researches information others would see as useless. But, even as they spend their days going on unconventional quests and dealing with the eccentric Odd-Fish knights, threats from a dangerous and enigmatic source will prompt Jo to claim her true destiny.

Marketing

While ''The Order of Odd-Fish'' was released in 2008, Kennedy began promoting the book more heavily in 2009 after reading that a fan had created a hat based upon his book. Kennedy then released a series of satirical blogs and videos, most notably one where he "whimsically insulted

Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gr ...

". The post was well received by Gaiman, who in turn promoted the blog. In 2010 Kennedy held an art show at a

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

gallery, where he showcased

fanart Fan art or fanart is artwork created by fans of a work of fiction and derived from a series character or other aspect of that work. They are usually done by amateur artists, semi-professionals or professionals. As fan labor, fan art refers to ...

based on the book.

Reception

Critical reception for ''The Order of Odd-Fish'' was mixed while reader reaction was generally more positive. Reviewers for

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

and the

School Library Journal ''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with ...

both gave predominantly negative reviews for the book, with the School Library Journal stating that they doubted that many "teen fantasy fans will be willing to wade through the text, no matter how likable the heroine and how fascinating the world of Eldritch City". Booklist gave a more mixed review, saying that the book was good in "small doses" although "some might find it difficult to sustain interest in such determined high jinks".

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Order of Odd-Fish 2008 American novels American children's novels Novels set in California 2008 children's books 2008 debut novels