Thanks NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.  So this was actually quite enjoyable, not at all what I expected.  I actually went back to read the first 2 in the series as well.  So I love that it centers around an oddball, a kid who doesn't necessarily fit in to the societal norms, I also love that the kid is pretty proud to be a christian and uses his faith to sift through the chaos that is life!  The adventure he and his friends get into are pretty wild as well.  I really did enjoy this, and it was interesting that I had a patron who asked about a "good christian series for children" and BOOM, I had this treasure lined up and waiting!  I can't wait to see what he does next!

This is third in the series but the first I read, so it did take me a bit to totally understand and buy into the premise of the story.  But once I did, this was a fun middle grade adventure, with  a lot of middle grade humor.  Faith is an assumed part of the lives of the characters without being the focus.  My one concern:  some very serious issues were skimmed over.  For example, Doug, Arcade's best friend, appears to have been living on his own (at age 11 and a half) for two weeks when the story begins, even though there's a social worker involved because his caretaker grandma has ended up in a care institution.  While Arcade's parents step in and give Doug a place to stay, no one seems overly concerned about how this was allowed to happen to begin with.  Still, the basic story premise is fun; an enjoyable summer read.

I was not able to complete my reading of this book— I switched phones in the middle of my reading, and unfortunately could not use the same reader which had allowed me to open the file.
I did like the story and where it was headed. I really appreciated that there was a brother-sister team that had normal sibling dynamics— they bickered and teased, but never seemed cruel; you could tell they did care for one another. And I’ve just remembered the flamingo! I hope they have lots of fun feeding their new friend shrimp.

Rashad Jennings gives us a book that deserves to be read. It’s creative, written in a powerful voice for youth (and adults), and original. Great storytelling!