Good day to you all, SoBros Network Patreon subscribers. Welcome to the SoBros Book Club, on which I will share some book recommendations for those of you who enjoy taking in the written word. Today, we’re discussing Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero.
Every now and then – not all the time, but just on occasion – a book comes along and just completely engrosses me to the point that I can’t put it down. Meddling Kids is such a book. It’s equal parts tongue-in-cheek humor and mystery, drawing from the nostalgia us 30-somethings have of the days growing up watching Scooby-Doo on Cartoon Network. Yes, there’s even a dog running around with this band of grown-up kid detectives.
Meddling Kids is a 2017 horror–comedy novel by Catalan author Edgar Cantero, published by Doubleday and Blumhouse Books. It deals with a former gang of children detectives, in the vein of Enid Blyton‘s Famous Five or Scooby-Doo who reunite in their mid-twenties to reopen a case that traumatized them as kids and expose a plot of Lovecraftian horror.
There’s more than meets the eye with this story. Part of me always thought Scooby-Doo would be much cooler if every now and then, they did come toe to toe with some supernatural force and not just a guy in a mask. Though now, in my old age (34), I realize that the whole purpose of the show was to teach us that we’re most likely to be victimized by those closest to us. *mind blown .gif*. Anyway, all these years later, and Meddling Kids has finally satiated that thirst for full-blown *ahem* ‘ghost shit,’ for lack of a better term.
It centers around the hard-nosed tomboy Andy, the neurotic Nate, and the smart one, Kerri – all grown up to be completely broken individuals. They pulled the mask off a crook 13 years prior to reuniting, but something never felt right about that case. Things didn’t add up, and a lot of it felt a little too real just to be a guy in a mask. None of them were ever able to cope with what transpired while they were working on that case in a healthy way. So, all these years later, they decide to crack it back open and figure out what actually happened on that lake.
What ensues is an intricate web of mystery, set in an atmosphere that would make Lovecraft proud. That’s a barrel of fun in its own right, as Cantero plants twist after twist along the way, and does a fantastic job of keeping you guessing. But, it’s the journey of our characters, so fleshed out, that gives the story its real heart. And, the characters are an asset to this book – not just our main crew, either.
Some might complain about Cantero’s timing with the humor – at times, it does seem to break through tense moments and pull readers just a tad out of the moment. I could see that, but as far as I’m concerned, I eat that shit up. That’s right up my alley.
Overall, Meddling Kids is an entertaining ode to pop culture, a spooky sprawling tale, and a lesson in unpacking your shit before carrying your trauma with you throughout life.
Other SoBros Book Club Features
Fevre Dream
The Junction Boys
Playing for Pizza
Pretty Paper
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
Check out the SoBros Shop. Become a Patron. Give us money for no reason. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Watch on YouTube.
