This book is a 2007 Science Fiction & Fantasy Cybils Award Nominee.
This stand-alone sequel to The Wall and the Wing reintroduces readers to Gurl and Bug — whose names and fortunes have changed. Gurl is Georgetta Rose Aster Bloomington, and she is The Richest Girl in the World, and no longer an orphan forced into stealing by a hateful housemistress. Bug is the king of the Wings, a flyer better than all of them, with tons of sports endorsements and photo shoots — and no real time to fly.
But Gurl and Bug are not happy. Georgie feels overwhelmed by her parent’s concern and their money, and by the hideous growth spurt that has her crashing into things and tripping. Bug is chased by paparazzi, ignored by his agent, and has to work, work, work. Both Gurl and Bug feel that the other has abandoned them. Each feels cut off, and alone. So when strange things start happening to Bug — a giant squid drags him off in the middle of a photo shoot, and then returns him unharmed — or when stone dogs in a museum come to life — and bite people as Georgie watches — it takes them awhile to find each other and open up again. They’d both love to turn to the Professor and ask him what’s going on.
And they’d do that, too, if they could just find him.
Someone else has been looking for him. And from all appearances, someone else — has found him.
And now chaos is unleashed in the form of wicked-hip vampires, annoying hotel-heiresses, a really giant sloth, a Perfect Poetess, and The Chaos King — a Sid with a serious art fetish. Once again, Laura Ruby has constructed an amazing mélange of completely bizarre characters with a lot of heart, and a compellingly weird and wonderful novel.
