The Gates - John Connolly

Years ago I stumbled upon a book by John Connolly called The Book of Lost Things, which I absolutely loved. So, recently, while I was browsing the library while visiting my mother, I came across this one and I thought "well, perhaps I'm in for another treat." Unfortunately, it seems, lighting did not strike twice with Mr. Connolly. The Gates is a strange little tale about a young boy named Samuel who stumbles upon something sinister at 666 Crowley Avenue. Bored with their suburban lives, the residents at 666, along with a couple of their friends have unwittingly opened the gates of hell and invited the end of the world as we know it. While the book features a small child, and is written in a very accessible to children fashion, much of the language and content seems a bit more adult. Connolly's humor comes through in his cheeky footnotes about physics and logic (though they are at times tedious and a bit too clever), and the conversations he posits between humans and those from the world beyond. This book reminded me a great deal of Christopher Moore's books - but the ones I didn't like quite as much (think Practical Demonkeeping rather than You Suck/A Dirty Job). I feel like this is probably one of those love it or hate it books - and while it's a quick read, would say that if you don't find it cute/funny after the first 20 pages, it probably isn't going to work for you. As for me, it was the mindless filler I needed on the day I read it, but overall enjoyment was definitely lacking.