Quicksand House

Quicksand House is by Carlton Mellick III. OMG! This is the strangest and somehow one of the coolest books I've read in a long time. I'm not even sure how to classify this book; I will probably file it under science fiction, but the book classifies itself as "bizarro fiction," which is probably more accurate. Tick and his sister Polly (who has green hair and antlers growing out of her head) live in a nursery in a huge house. They have never seen their parents, ever, their nanny promises their parents will come for them soon. When the power goes out and all of the machinery in the house stops working, Tick and Polly must brave the world outside the nursery to find their parents, but the world outside the nursery is a dangerous place. No language or sex in this book, but there is science fiction type violence. The idea of what makes a parent, combined with the desire to be a part of a family is both sad and touching. Reluctant readers, both boys and girls, who like creepy stuff will enjoy this book. I didn't know what I would think of it, but I ended up really really liking it.

Ratings: 9th grade - 9 out of 10 - V (violence).