AGENT STITCH

Lilo, Stitch, and members of the Galactic Detective Agency track down an unknown alien species taking over the New York City subway system.

In the second installment of the Agent Stitch series, characters from the Disney film Lilo & Stitch (2002) take on aliens who pose a threat to Earth. In this case, the agents of the Galactic Federation are investigating reports of humans falling into a trance and dropping everything to descend into the subway tunnels, all the while repeating a bizarre rhyme. Stitch, eager to prove himself a worthy member of the agency, takes off on his own. It’s only when the agents realize they work best when they work together that they’re able to get a handle on the case. The omniscient narrator at times directly addresses readers: “How long have you been reading this book now?…You probably need a break—maybe go and stretch your legs, pet a dog or something, right?” The story’s conflict moves along at a good pace, each chapter bouncing back and forth between the separated agents. Overall, the style and tempo succeed. The final resolution, however, comes almost too easily, with a character anticlimactically uttering, “Ugh, I hate it when my plans fail. My bad.” Black-and-white comic strip–style scenes pepper the story. Fans of the film’s characters and of alien wackiness will appreciate the plot even if it’s lacking in depth.

Fan fodder but not an out-of-this-world success.