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Lizard Loopy by Ali Sparkes (view source)
Revision as of 12:04, 13 April 2012
, 12:04, 13 April 2012no edit summary
There has been a SWITCH. In the first season of these books, it was Josh and not Danny who preferred to turn into other animals, even though they were mostly creepy-crawlies and bugs. Josh likes that kind of animal, as much as all wildlife, and however many times they nearly got eaten, or ate something revolting themselves, or suffered loss of control of their brain, or did something slimey and disgusting, or even changed sex, Josh was more up for it. Here, however, Danny is more keen - now the science has evolved so they can become reptiles, he can't wait to be a cool-dude alligator. In the second book here, [http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0192732374?tag=thebookbag-21&camp=1406&creative=6394&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=0192732374&adid=00FFEDR4F5BE6YN65VW5&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thebookbag.co.uk%2Freviews%2Findex.php%3Ftitle%3DLizard_Loopy_by_Ali_Sparkes CHAMELEON CHAOS], they both want to turn, partly inspired by some school bullies. But who is in the background, forcing them to turn by dropping mysterious clues and pulling all their strings?
The first batch of titles had a similar structure - each book saw the lads become an animal, and while we learnt how gross or weird it might be, through [[:Category:Ali Sparkes|the author's]] punchy yet evocative writing, they just *had* to find a glass cube that their neighbourhood science freak, Petty Potts, needed to restore her knowledge. This series ramps that up a little - so much so that by book three, [http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0192732382?tag=thebookbag-21&camp=1406&creative=6394&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=0192732382&adid=10QE5CFJX2MKBZ2YB87Q&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thebookbag.co.uk%2Freviews%2Findex.php%3Ftitle%3DLizard_Loopy_by_Ali_Sparkes TURTLE TERROR], there seems no end to the unknown protagonist's power in compelling Josh and Danny to use the SWITCH sprays and change nature. But there is still a simple finding-things routine to follow.
The first block of volumes, for me, started off great, and had a couple of weaker titles nearer the end. This time, we start off fine, have a couple of average moments, and build to the end. Chameleon Chaos almost seems disposable in the over-arching scheme of things; GECKO GLADIATOR, book four, has little to further things either, but is very droll with Sparkes' inventive way of picking up gender foibles in the young and spinning fun fantasy from them, as the twins get stuck in a hellish nightmare of pink girls - who are far more vicious than their bug-eat-bug world ever was.