I always love stories set around fandom and conventions, and to see them in the middle-grade area is so exciting. The rep in this book was wonderful and it was a fun read.

Con Quest was generally very cute, especially for the crowd that are deep into fan culture, cons, and cosplay. The fan scene felt pretty accurate, but there were a lot of questionable things happening that made me, as an adult reader, pull back a bit. Some children may not feel the same, though. Good for libraries that need more geeky fare.

Cat is determined that this is the year she and her twin brother – Team DoubleTrouble – are going to win the Quest, giving her talented artist brother a shot at a mentorship, and giving her a whole week spending time with her favorite celebrity doing charity work. The Quest is the world’s biggest scavenger hunt. Its list of nearly impossible tasks is posted just before GeekiCon, which most definitely does not endorse the event. All they have to do is complete the most tasks without getting stopped by their parents (who are late to the panel on their own famous comic series), their older sister Fiona (who would rather be just about anywhere else), or Con staff (who take a dim view of this whole scavenger hunt business). Easy, right?

Alex would like the opportunity to be mentored by a professional artist, but the GeekiCon scene is overwhelming. He is much more interested in playing a video game to calm his anxiety about being in such a huge crowd. He’s generally let Cat lead the way, but he’s starting to feel like maybe he should stand up for himself a little more. Cat seems ready to do anything to win this year, but is victory worth the cost?

Fiona is going to watch her twin siblings all day while her parents are busy doing professional stuff at GeekiCon, in hopes that she will prove herself responsible enough for them to allow her to go on a camping trip with other teens. Spending the day cooped up inside a convention center full of obsessive fans is the opposite of her idea of a good time; she’d much rather be outdoors, playing soccer or spending time with Ethan and “the rest of the cool people in tenth grade”. When the twins give her the slip, she joins forces with an unlikely ally to track them down, and she might even have some fun.

Con Quest! is a love-letter to fandom. It is easy to identify the real world media franchises playfully presented as Star Worlds, Paranormal, and Adventure of Zenia. (My personal favorite is Whom, M.D.) Chapter narration rotates from Cat to Alex to Fiona, giving their individual takes on the action around them and each other. They all have their own flaws and strengths, as well as lessons to learn.

This is a fun romp with a big heart. Love and family are central themes, in all the glorious variety of ways human beings form families and show love. Be drawn into the story by the action, but don’t be surprised if you fall a little bit in love along the way.

A fun middle grade romp for anyone familiar with geek/fandom culture, Con Quest! also has great family dynamics, lots of inside jokes, and a sweet side romance between two girls that ends with holding hands and a kiss on the cheek.

Join the Gallo siblings as they join a scavenger hunt at the biggest comic convention in the world, Full of laughs, inside jokes, and references to real-life fandoms, nerds of all ages will enjoy this fast-paced adventure story.

The first book is Sam Maggs's middle grade novel, Con Quest. If you already know Sam Maggs, I welcome you, my geek friend. If you don't, this is a great place to start. She's a geek girl who's written comics, nonfiction about fandom, and awesome women in history, but this is her first middle grade novel. And what a novel it is. It's a love letter to fandom and con life; to Supernatural fans and quests for charity; to friendship, family, and that first blush of a new crush. If you dig fandom, are in fandom, or are fandom-adjacent, you'll recognize the players here. At a con that's remarkably similar to San Diego Comic Con, twin siblings Cat and Alex are competing in an intense quest, run by one of their fave celebs, to benefit a charity. The big prize is getting to meet the celeb, but first, they have a gauntlet of geeky challenges to complete, all while dodging their older sister, who is SUCH a drag. There are great, realistic characters here - con life is truly stranger than fiction, friends - and moments you'll recognize and love. The characters are fun and diverse, with a diversity in gender identity and culture; one of the main characters, Alex, is autistic and Sam does a good job at describing how he experiences things, as opposed to his slightly intense (and sometimes frustrating) sister, Cat. 

Introduce Cat and Alex to your readers, then get a (virtual) library con up and running to introduce them to the joy that is fandom. Hey, Free Comic Book Day is running for most of the summer!

Alex and Cat have to face various obstacles and get into trouble while completing the scavenger hunt during a comic con. All of the characters in this story experience so much growth throughout the story. They really learn a lot about each other and themselves. I enjoyed the story of what defines a "real nerd" and the joy of being yourself.

I also really liked the alternating points of view. I've never been to a comic con, but this book really made me feel like I was at one. Overall, I think this will be a great read for those who love comics and all things nerdy. This is a fun, fast moving story that makes you really want to dive into the world of comics and fandom!

BOOK REVIEW: CON QUEST! BY SAM MAGGS (MIDDLE-GRADE)
JUNE 5, 2020 MELISSA VILLY LEAVE A COMMENT
Melissa joins twins Alex and Cat for an adventure through fandom as they compete to win the Quest at their favorite convention.

Every year, twins Alex and Cat attend the biggest comics convention in the world, Geekicon, with their comics creator parents. This year, they are determined to win The Quest, a con-wide scavenger hunt where the winner gets to hang with the cast of hit show Paranormal. Unfortunately, they have to outrun their older sister Fi, a convention worker who thinks kids have no place at cons, as well as older, more experienced questers if they’re going to win. One thing’s for sure, they are going to have one hell of an adventure.

This book is a love letter to cons and fandom. While it may be geared towards younger fans, that in no way makes the story inferior. If you’ve been to a big con, whether it’s Star Wars Celebration, San Diego Comic-Con, or New York City Comic-Con, you know what a con can be like, and this book describes it perfectly. The wonder at everything, the rush to panels, the excitement of meeting your idols. It’s all here.

The Quest is an adventure through the con and fandom as the kids try to tackle all kinds of crazy things, like convince a cosplayer you know who they are even though you don’t and playing a sport down the escalators. They encounter fans of all ages and types, including a gate-keeping con worker who chases them around the con.

Fandom Shenanigans
Lots of fandoms are referenced in code here. Paranormal is obviously Supernatural, Wormhole and its star Bradley Dan Anders is Stargate SG-1 (the author’s favorite, as well as one of mine) and Richard Dean Anderson respectively, Star Worlds and its General Queen is Star Wars and General-Princess Leia, and Lunar Soldier is Sailor Moon. There’s also Star Trek, Avengers, and Justice League equivalents in this world. I loved every minute of the references and fandom fun. There’s a fandom reference for everyone, including the best ’80s teen movie, Adventures in Babysitting.

While the twins’ story is going on, their older jock sister Fi is learning to love geekdom after literally running into Rowan, a girl from school. There’s even a budding crush here as the girls get to know one another and Rowan helps Fi find her younger siblings and come to terms with her own geekiness. These two have their own adventure as they look for the twins, complete Quest items, and outrun not only the gate-keeping con worker but dodge texts from parents as well.

Fandom for All
Sam Maggs is the author of several non-fiction books, including The Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy, Wonder Women, and Girl Squads. She’s also the author of Marvel Action comics Captain Marvel from IDW. While this is her first novel, her other upcoming novels include The Unstoppable Wasp: Built on Hope (review to come), and the comics adaptation of Rainbow Rowell’s bestselling novel Fangirl. I look forward to more by Sam in the future.

While Con-Quest! is geared towards middle school students, it’s perfect for geeks of all ages. It would make a great family read-aloud/together. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and would love to see a sequel where Fi and Rowan join the twins. Con-Quest! will be released on June 23rd.

Con-Quest! by Sam Maggs is published by Imprint and will be available to buy on June 23rd!

An adorable geeky romp of a book! Between Sam Maggs being the author and the convention setting, I figured this book would have to be pretty great and it definitely was. A middle grade novel about three siblings racing around the worlds biggest con--GeekiCon--trying to win a massive unofficial scavenger hunt put on by one of their favorite TV stars. I loved all the sibling dynamics going on between the geeky twins and the older sister desperately trying to track them down who slowly learns that being true to yourself and the things you love is actually pretty cool. Pretty sure this is the kind of book I would've loved as a pre-teen myself--and definitely would've made me want to track down the nearest con!

Just because your parents are cult favorites, it doesn't automatically mean that their kids will be nerds as well. Fiona sure isn't. In fact, she's been invited to the popular kids camp trip. But she's only going to get to attend if she can keep her brother and sister in line while her parents attend their panel.
But Cat and Alex aren't interested. Instead, they want to compete in the unauthorized Quest that runs in the Con every year. But just because something is fun, it doesn't mean it won't be stressful. By the end of the day, all three of them will have some of their preconceived notions upended.
It took me awhile to get into this book but I did like the way the characters grew over the course of the book.

Three stars
This book comes out June 23rd
ARC kindly provided by Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Twins Alex and Cat go to Geekicon every year with their parents, who created a famous comic, and older sister Fi. Every year, a scavenger hunt is hosted at the con, with a huge grand prize at the end. This year, the twins are determined to win, but Fi has to watch them, and they could cause her more trouble.

This book was very fun and compelling throughout. Alex and Cat have to face a number of obstacles and get into trouble while completing the scavenger hunt. Along the way, all three siblings learn a lot about each other and themselves. It was a great family story. I really liked the alternating points of view as well. This book really made you feel like you were at a comic convention. My one problem was that I didn't connect with the characters are much as I wanted to, and found myself cringing at some of the situations they got into. Overall, I think this a great read for kids who love comic cons and all things nerdy. I will definitely recommend.

Ever been to a comics conference?! They are chaotic and wonderful. Con Quest follows the adventures of Cat and Alex as they attend GeekiCon, the most popular comics conference in the world!
Their one goal while at GeekiCon is to compete in and win The Quest, a giant scavenger hunt. This scavenger hunt requires participants to complete odd and bizarre tasks while at GeekiCon. If they win Cat and Alex, or Team DoubleTrouble, get to meet one of their favorite celebrities!
All the characters in this story experience so much growth in such a quick story. The author, Sam Maggs, does a wonderful job as providing an educational experience with spelling lessons, positivity and representation. Maggs does all of this without it feeling forced, and uses each teaching moment to help move the story along.
This is a fun, fast moving story that makes you really want to dive into the world of fandoms!
My favorite part?! Trying to identify all the fandoms represented throughout this book, and chuckling at the cleverness
5/5 stars!

Thank you to Netgalley and Imprint for this Advanced eGalley!

This book is plain fun from start to finish! Students who know about ComicCon will eat this up - and the themes behind finding people who have the same interests are great. I liked the alternating view points and relationship between the three siblings. Kids will enjoy the fast pace and no fluff.

E ARC provided by Netgalley



Cat and Alex Gallo are at GeekiCon because their parents are the authors of the cult favorite Ducky McFowl and are participating in a panel discussion. Cat loves comics and is determined to win Con Quest, a slightly illegal contest that awards the winners time with a famous celebrity but is not sanctioned by the con. Alex, who may be somewhat neurodiverse, does not like crowds or being touched, and would just rather play video games of construct with Legos. Their older sister, Fi, is supposed to be babysitting them, but the twins know that there DoubleTrouble team doesn't stand a chance at beating Team Dangermaker for the prize. They elude her and try to work their way through the various challenges, get into trouble several times, so they are stalked by James M., a security guard who wants the con to be attended only by people who know and love comics, and not by rowdy youngsters like the twins. While trying to hunt down her siblings, Fi runs across Rowan, who goes to her school, and the two have an instant connection that turns into an interesting flirtation. Cat and Alex have a lot of success in the quest, but Cat cheats at one point, which makes both her and Alex feel bad. Will they get in big trouble with their parents, or will their Con Quest be successful?
Strengths: Maggs has done a lot of work with comics and geek fandom, so the background knowledge here is impressive, even if there are a lot of pretend fandoms, like Star World (Star Trek cum Star Wars?). She aptly portrays the sorts of activities and personae that one would find at a con, and also works in some of the gender politics that have been problematic for this population. Cat and Alex are typical middle graders-- they have a lot of interesting plans that they haven't quite thought out. The plot arc with Fi and Rowan is interesting, and will pull in my readers who want more LGBTQIA+ stories.
Weaknesses: As an adult, I had a lot of trouble with Cat's actions. She's disobeying so many people in order to win a questionable contest. Students won't mind, but her ill thought out actions made me cringe on more than one occasion, and there seemed to be no consequences from her parents.
What I really think: I will probably purchase this because I always need humorous stories and there are a few students in my school interested in comics and cosplay, but certainly wish that Cat and Alex had been more pleasant characters.

This is a great book, not only for kids, but anyone who is a fan of Star Wars, Supernatural, Cons and comic books in general!

The main characters are a set of twins competing in the QUEST, an unsanctioned scavenger hunt put together by an actor of "Paranormal" who is described suspiciously like a character from Supernatural who ALSO runs a scavenger hunt at San Diego's ComiCon. ;)

I enjoyed the story of what defines a "real nerd" and the joy of being yourself. There are also TONS of mentions of real shows with a twist on their names that were fun for adults who may read like, Whom M.D. instead of Dr. Who, and MewBlue instead of MewToo from Pokemon.

It was a really fun read, I would absolutely recommend it to everyone I can!