The Improbable Wonders of Moojie Littleman

Engaging, weird, enchanting book! The author did a wonderful job of creating the world and characters. The writing was enchanting; it felt fluid and well thought-out. Though the book involves some complex ideologies, the author never “speaks down” to the reader and everything has a very natural feel and flow. Wonderful!

The layers of this book are delicious. The problem is that you want to savor each one for it's sweetness, while fighting the urge to swallow the story in one gulp. Gregory has imagined and written one of the best books I've read in decades. With a touch of magic realism and characters straight out of science fiction, The Improbable Wonders of Moojie Littleman will melt your heart.

Deeply moving and completely enchanting. Mooji was such a deep, dimensional character and the whole thing was just beautiful. All of the characters were well done. The plot did drag at times, but the rest of the story completely made up for it. I actually think high schoolers and fans of fantasy would like this more than middle schoolers, though.

Moojie Littleman has nearly every strike against him that a boy could have when he was born in 1892: He’s biracial, deformed, a foundling. But the boy has mysterious powers, making the local families reluctant to adopt him from the convent of San Miguel de las Gaviotas on the Pacific Coast, where he was abandoned. Even when he’s finally adopted by the childless Littlemans, poor Moojie can’t catch a break, as his adoptive mother dies, leaving him an orphan at 8 years old. Dispatched to St. Isadore’s Fainting Goat Dairy to live with his harsh, hard-drinking grandfather, Moojie grows up missing love and a real family. But as he enters his teenage years, Moojie realizes just how wondrous the world can be when he discovers love, his own worth, and a place to finally belong.

Author Robin Gregory has penned a thought-provoking fable that never seems twee or cliché. Moojie Littleman never seems too good to be true, and the alien Akil-Nuri, or Light-Eaters, and their Cosmic Code deliver a thought-provoking message without ever stooping to preachiness. The ending really took me by surprise, as well. It’s hard to believe that Gregory’s quirky novel is her debut. Here’s hoping for many more.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Mad Mystical Journey Press in exchange for an honest review.