I read this book in a single day, mostly while wedged into the back seat of my mom’s car, as mentioned above, and I loved every single minute of it. However, I was too busy enjoying brilliant people saying brilliant and funny things in the presence of enormous creatures to mind very much. Once we get into the actual plot of the “stop the bad guy from doing the bad thing” variety, the story continues to be exciting although I found the characterization and motives of the bad guy to be so stereotypical as to be a bit of a let down. At every moment there’s an interesting conversation happening, or kaiju to encounter, or other, equally bizarre and terrifying creatures, all rendered vividly and with a mix of wonder, terror, and humor, including several laugh-out-loud moments. Tom has a blast learning about kaiju and what the Society does, and I had a blast right along with him.
Tom moves briskly from area to area and event to event during his training with so many fun characters and sights along the way that I barely noticed that it’s basically a book of exposition. Fear not, for this book is a shining example of the maxim that any trope or method in writing can be wonderful if handled supremely well. Most of this book consists of worldbuilding, with the actual plot only kicking in at about the last third of the book. Jamie soon discovers that the “large animals” are kaiju, and that his job involves protecting our world from them and, even more so, protecting kaiju from humans. Tom offers Jamie a job that involves extremely high pay and perks, travel, and “working with large animals.” Jamie’s job will be, essentially, “lifting things,” a description which becomes a running joke throughout the book. Jamie is stuck delivering food when he makes a delivery to an old acquaintance, Tom. The Kaiju Preservation Society takes place during the 2020 lockdown phase of the Covid-19 pandemic. There’s no romance in this book, but I suspect those of us who enjoy science fiction and snark will find plenty to enjoy here. Believe me when I say that there can be no higher tribute to this book than the fact that I did not murder anyone on this trip. Oh wow, you guys, The Kaiju Preservation Society is an absolute blast – so much so that it provided me with oodles of entertainment and happiness on a recent drive with my husband, my mother, and 2 teens, the latter of which were crammed into the backseat of the car with me.
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