Fat Camp Commandos Go West

Daniel Pinkwater is known for his oddball humor and his witty way of poking fun at culture and society. "Fat Camp Commandos Go West" is still full of his trademark humor and storytelling style, yet it isn't as fresh a second time around. Ralph and Sylvia Nebula are upset to find that their parents have packed them off to fat camp once again (they had escaped from the first one the previous summer). So they call upon their friend Mavis Goldfarb to rescue them, and rescue them she does, bringing them to the dying town of Horny Toad, whose dude ranches are sorely lacking in business. Mavis has a way to make everyone come together and reinvigorate the town of Horny Toad, but it will take a little extraterrestrial help. "Fat Camp Commandos Go West" is mostly an unnecessary sequel. Pinkwater has to review much of the first book's plot in the beginning of the story, which is necessary. However, the book is short (87 pages) with extremely short and choppy chapters, which could have been extended or chapters could've been done without completely. Yet fans of Pinkwater will still enjoy this book, even if it isn't among his best. The pokes and subtle name changes to places and people in society are still laugh-out-loud funny.