Book Review: Starter Villian by John Scalzi

Reviewed by Kamryn Kronschnabel

Every year around this time, we hear about finding a summer “beach read” - a book that’s usually described as “lighthearted,” “easy-to-read,” and “enjoyable” for someone who might be on vacation (or is dreaming of taking one soon). Whenever I hear the term, I think of a contemporary romance or the latest thriller, and most people who throw the term around are likely to agree with me. But if thrillers or romance aren’t your cup of tea, I think you should consider John Scalzi’s Starter Villain, a quick novel about a man who suddenly finds himself inheriting a villainy business that has most of its management positions populated by cats. 

 

That sentence was wild, I know, but hear me out. While technically fitting into the sci-fi genre, this book is grounded in a protagonist whose plight we can all understand. Said protagonist, named Charlie, begins this book when he’s really down on his luck: he’s lost his full-time job, recently gotten a divorce, and about to lose the roof over his head. When his estranged billionaire uncle dies, he gets a small windfall with a few conditions attached: if he takes care of the funeral arrangements, he’ll have enough of an inheritance to buy both the house he’s living in and the local pub he’s been dreaming of running. Problems solved, right? 

 

What happens to Charlie over the next few days - stretching into the next several weeks over the course of the book - is a bit of a whirlwind. Mysterious funeral attendees try to stab his uncle’s corpse. Multiple buildings in the Chicago suburbs blow up. Charlie suddenly has a fake passport in his hand, a scarily competent cat assistant, and access to a villain's lair - his villain lair - next to a volcano on an island in the Caribbean. All of this would be great except for one obvious problem: the people out to stab his uncle’s corpse are just as eager to get rid of Charlie. 

 

Even with the cover and premise immediately catching my attention, I admit I was a little skeptical of this novel going into it. For a book with a plot like this to be any good, it really has to nail the tone and jokes. Scalzi, though, absolutely proved himself as an author I should keep an eye on; rest assured that Starter Villain had me in hysterics several times, although I won’t spoil any specific scenes or jokes. While unorthodox, it’s really a perfect beach read as we head into summer - lighthearted, easy-to-read, and very, very enjoyable. 

If you’d like to see how Charlie handles suddenly inheriting a supervillain business, Starter Villain is available both in Charles City Public Library’s physical collection and through BRIDGES and Libby as an ebook. Check it out in an electronic format by logging on to Libby, or come in or call to check out our print copy!