I enjoyed Calvin, it was engaging and I think kids would like it. I felt the ending was contrived, and I wanted more out of it than what I got. I felt like some of the major plot cruxes were more than my suspension of disbelief could entertain - is there an opposite to Deus Ex Machina where the character is plunged into a problem because they don’t even have the good sense to look out for themselves? Calvin’s "wha-?!" moment he has at the end got a "well yeah, you idiot" response from me. I hated that Hobbes' entire purpose boils down to "stand up for yourself;" it just seems trite. As a HUUUGE Calvin & Hobbes fan, I thoroughly enjoyed the allusions to the comic throughout, but I felt they were more fun than substantial. I left the book feeling like it was a bit gimicky - like the purpose for writing it was "I wonder what Calvin would be like as a teenager." Maybe there was more going on on another level with the philosophical namesakes, I did do a bit of Wiki-reading when I started the book to be on the lookout for Calvinist or Hobbesian philosophies at work, but I missed it if it was there.
I think The Smell of Other People's Houses was the better book. The characters were complex and the themes relatable. I meant to to read it over a few days, but once I started, I had to finish it (in all fairness, the same is true of Calvin). I will concede that the ending was also a bit contrived - a la Playing by Heart (90s romcom reference anyone?) - but the superficiality of the romantic ending is overshadowed (rightly) by the beauty of the harder-to-negotiate familial reconciliation, so I felt it was handled well. I am not sure I would recommend this book to young readers as I feel it has adult themes, but I also think that kids do struggle with these sorts of themes and we're kidding ourselves if we think they don't.
Overall, I think The Smell of Other People's Houses is the more important book.
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