Fenris and Mott by Greg Van Eekhout. 202 p. Harper/ HarperCollins Publishers, August 2, 2022. 9780062970633. (Review of finished copy courtesy of Blue Slip Media.)
Middle Grade Monday features Fenris and Mott by Greg Van Eekhout. All twelve-year-old Mott (short for Martha) wants to do is successfully film an episode of the "Mott and Amanda Root Beer Show . That's proving difficult thanks to her BFF Amanda being on vacation in Germany and, oh, she and her mom have relocated to Culver City, California. The only quiet place she can find is an alley, but it's just not the same without Amanda.
When Mott hears scuttling and scratching in a nearby dumpster, she assumes it's a rat, but it's a fluffly, white ball of fur. She makes a promise to help the pup and brings him to a nearby animal shelter where she learns that he isn't a dog. He's a wolf-pup, so she couldn't keep him even if her landlord allowed dogs. No worries, the animal shelter will contact a wolf sanctuary and hold the pup until they arrive. However, he is not having that and bolts once he sees the leash he's about to be tethered to! He crashes through a plate glass window and disappears.
Mott finds him a few blocks later. Unfortunately, the pup is wriggling in the hands of a giant who claims he's Gorm the Viscious and Fenris, the pup, is prophesied to eat the moon, slay Odin and end the world. Say what?
A promise is a promise and Mott promised to keep Fenris safe. How can she do that and also save the world from ending?
If you love a fast-paced adventure with lots of humor, this is the book for you. Though plot-driven and quite cinematic, the characters hum with life. Mott is achingly endearing and Thrudie, the Valkyrie is the perfect sidekick. Then, of course, there's Fenris, the puff ball of destruction doing what puppies do best. I swallowed this in one big giddy gulp. Happy reading!
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