Review: Kumquat - an offbeat love story on the road
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 2, 2014
Kumquat is a bit of a departure for Mr. Strand, Instead of his usual funny and gruesome horror, he's written a funny and occasionally gross love story. Sort of Travels with Charley meets The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Or perhaps Quentin Tarantino meets Seinfeld.  It straddles the line between YA and adult reading, the book version of something you'd find late at night on Adult Swim. Now, these are all good things. Because although Strand has stepped outside his horror comfort zone, he's done an excellent job at crafting a wryly comic, often poignant story that will have you laughing from beginning to end (with occasional groans and eye rolls!). You immediately feel a kinship with the two main characters, and almost wish you could be them - although without all the troubles they find along the way as they cross the country on a spur of the moment trip to get....hot dogs. Along the way, they meet a cast of characters who could only exist in the mind of literature's Dr. Demento.As with any of Strand's books, you will laugh, you might cry, and you might not want to eat hot dogs again. In fact, the only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars was because I felt it was too short - there were some parts where it seemed a little rushed, as if the book had a page limit to comply with. Maybe it did. If that's the case, hopefully we'll get a longer version someday. In any case, if you want a quick, funny read for at the beach or the backyard, or if your high school kids need something for their summer reading list (tell them it has vomit and nose punches, they'll love that!), look no further. You've found the perfect book.