Mat Larkin, The Chameleon Thief, Hardie Grant Publishing, March 2023, 288 pp., RRP $18.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781760502850
Aimed at junior readers 7-11, The Chameleon Thief is a prequel to Mat Larkin’s previous novel, The Orchard Underground, and follows the story of some of the same characters like the fan favourite, Attica Stone, an outgoing and courageous girl who leads a happy and charmed life with just one huge, explainable problem: her best friend Jinni Miscamble absolutely hates her. Overnight. For no reason at all, not that Attica can think of, at least.
More trouble starts when Attica, still feuding with Jinni, finds out she is cheating her way to first place in LIZARD, the biggest school competition nation-wide. Along with Snez and Neil, fellow friends who Jinni unceremoniously cut ties with, Attica hatches a plan to decide if they will allow Jinni to be caught red-handed or help out their former friend so nobody will ever discover her cheating plans.
All they need to save their now worst enemy Jinni is two rude bunnies, a bevy of the world’s coolest magic tricks, and a scaly-slimy green chameleon…. with all of that in the mix, who knows what will happen? Will Jinn win over the LIZARD contest with her lies? Will Attica and her friends succeed in Jinn telling the truth and coming clean? And will they all, somehow, become friends once more?
Larkin tells a story of colour and whimsy, with humorous dialogue and description being the key highlights in the book. I love the humour between Attica and her friends Neil and Snez and especially the fantastic relationship of Attica to her Aunts Jules, Fry, and Flick. Realistic setting of the school and home lives mixed with the magic tricks and whimsy makes for a compelling read. The idealistic attitudes and characterisation of Attica and, to a lesser extent, other characters can at times prove to be unrealistic: the typical trend of all pre-teens being sassy and quirky to a fault inflicted onto Attica and her friends, on occasion, in the story does get grating. Despite it, this is for children of that age who will relish a fun and adventurous story.
Reviewed by Brenton Cullen
