The Boy Who Knew Too Much (Game of Pets Book 1)

Oh, no! Life on Earth is nothing but the set of an intergallactice game show called The Game of Pets, where giant creatures have avatars on the planet who try to persuade humans to destroy everything. There are several different teams, from dogs and cats to birds and "weird" pets like capybaras, and all of them encourage their humans to waste water, litter, and drive too much. Enter Griff. He is a somewhat anxious and very allergic friendless child who desperately wants a pet. He enters Sgt. Carol's pet shop and tells her his wishes, but passes out when he sees the only pet she deems appropriate-- fish! She eventually sets him up with an axolotl and a giant fishtank that she sells him at a deep discount because she takes pity on him. Griff tries to get home with the fishtank strapped to his back and the axolotl in a plastic bag full of water, but when the creature talks to him telepathically, the tank falls and Bob (the axolotl) almost dies. Bob eventually ends up in a water bottle, but the two new friends are involved in a series of violent mishaps that lands them back with Sgt. Carol. When Griff tells Sgt. Carol that the world needs to be saved for the Game of Pets, she fires up her adaptive monster truck, Armageddon, throws her wheelchair in the bed, and heads off to Washington, D.C. to find eco influencer Tallulah Jones. Her dog, Bonehead, comes along as well. There is much travel, a lot of violent upheavel, and many darkly humorous moments as the veteran and the friendless boy do their best to save the planet. But, as we see in the end, Rando Wotisthad from the Planet Weird team moves up on the Game of Pets leaderboard. Is it because of Bob? Book two is sure to come, and there will probably be quite a lengthy series.