The Yggyssey: 09/13/11

The Yggssey by Daniel Pinkwater is the sequel to The Neddiad. As the Greek inspired title implies, this book follows Iggy, aka Yggdrasil. She is the girl who lives in a hotel haunted by Hollywood movie star ghosts. She's noticed now that the ghosts are going missing and she decides to figure out why they're leaving and where they are going.

If The Neddiad was Pinkwater's Iliad, or more specifically, a long on-going war, ultimately decided not by a horse but a turtle, then The Yggssey is the author's Odyssey. Just as Odysseus was trying to find his way home, Iggy tracking of the ghosts leads her to understanding her importance and the significance of her name.

Now in one of those odd thematic link-ups I see sometimes while reading multiple books, Iggy's name is the Norse word for the world tree. It's also the tree that's on the portal that plays such a big part in Fullmetal Alchemist. While there is no alchemy in The Yggyssey there is travel between worlds, ghosts and magical realism.

For me though, the book lacked the focus of The Neddiad. There are just too many things going on. The missing ghosts mystery melds into an Oz and Wonderland mashup. To make things even more complicated there are guest appearances from fictional characters like Harvy.

Three stars

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