Golemchik by William Exley

Golemchik by William Exley

I picked up this quick read about a month ago, but it had been sitting in my to-read pile that kept growing over the course of December and its holidays.

The book's cover definitely deserves its place in my collection of indie books. The first three pages are a bit ... Well, I was a little confused. Why are these kids carrying so much stuff if they're not going to do anything with it? And where did it go after that meeting?

Anyway, And our hero, Kevin, is obviously a comic lover. He's not necessarily a collector, as he takes his books into the woods with him (and leaves a few there).

The story definitely picks up after Kevin meets the golem. Er, Golem or Golemchik? Exley never calls the creature by either descriptor. Anyway, things pick up after the creature comes on the scene. In fact, things pick up so much speed that the ending feels rushed, though, maybe, not entirely unsatisfying.

This book succeeds -- or fails, that depends on your point of view -- on Exley's art. Though seemingly rushed or mashed at times, it is kind of adorable. And I feel it's well mated to the story of a bored (and possibly easily distracted) little boy's summer.

Here's the book description from the publisher's website: He just wanted a friend to spend the summer with. But as friends go, golems can be a bit destructive! Abandoned by his friends, one young boy goes searching for fun — and finds a golem on the hunt for the same. But as the two go about living out their dreams of having the best summer ever, the boy realizes that golems don’t know how to take it easy. To save his town, he’ll have to get his new friend under control!

Here are links to other reviews, but please note that they may contain spoilers.

• Kirkus review:
  https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/william-exley/golemchik/
• Sequential State review:
  https://sequentialstate.com/blog/review-golemchik-by-william-exley-i-recently/
• For the Love of Indie review:
  http://www.fortheloveofindie.com/2015/06/he-ain-heavy.html