Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss. ( )

A great big Scooby-Don’t!

According to the Scooby-Doo Fandom website, ‘Josephine Ruby’ is the nom-de-plume of an author who wishes to retain her anonymity. After reading this dreck I can understand why she would not want her real name attached to it.
Even though she keeps her true identity shrouded in mystery, ‘Josephine Ruby’ clearly can not construct a compelling mystery story of her own, nor is she capable of adequately reconstructing a well-established (& much-loved) formula.
It is also painfully obvious that this author has never seen a single episode of Scooby-Doo in her entire life since she lacks even a basic familiarity or understanding of the characters or their trademark personalities. As far as this so-called book is concerned, only the names are the same; nothing else even bears the slightest resemblance to the genuine Mystery Inc. gang or their meddling, mystery-solving adventures.
The mystery contained in this convoluted mishmash is simplistic—even by Scooby-Doo standards—and ceases to occupy one’s interest entirely by the third chapter.
The biggest literary travesty of all is the sheer character assassinations Scooby and the gang suffer at the hands of this hack.
Fashionable & danger-prone Daphne is portrayed as nothing more than a smug bully who hurls verbal abuse and psychological torment at anyone who falls within a five mile radius of her bloated sense of self-importance.
Self-assured brainiac Velma (now suddenly & inexplicably Latina) is a morose, misanthropic loner completely devoid of self-confidence and filled to the brim with self-loathing, who seems to positively wallow in the cruelty and vitriol doled out by all who surround her.
World-champion glutton & laid-back, socially-awkward hippie Shaggy is now depicted as the sexiest (?!) chick-magnet this side of Fabio, who also happens to throw the wildest, chaperone-free shindigs in all of Crystal Cove; although he does still love his pizza.
Scooby-Doo is just a Great Dane who barks.
Most cringeworthy of all-- intrepid leader & plan-master extraordinaire Fred is reduced to nothing more than a brain dead beefcake with verbal skills significantly lower than Scooby-Doo’s; Fred’s contributions to plot development are limited to doing cartwheels, giggling inanely, and (unsuccessfully) balancing a stack of plates like a trained seal. What has poor Fred Jones ever done to warrant such maltreatment?
Not even the popular Hex Girls manage to escape ignominy. The ultra-chic members of the celebrity rock band are now, for some unknown reason, the nerdy high school classmates of the disjointed Scooby gang. And in trite homage to political correctness, Thorn is now a lesbian in relentless pursuit of combat boot wearing Velma. (Note to Miss Ruby: The utilization of sound writing chops and skillful narrative constructs are much more impressive to discerning readers than cheap sensationalistic gimmicks that simply reek of laziness and a desperate lack of talent.)
This “book” is not for true fans of the Scooby-Doo franchise, especially those who love & value the authentic characters from the original series of cartoons. In spite of its ‘Scooby-Doo’ affiliations, it is not family-friendly reading material; and—because of its pervasive viciousness & sexual innuendoes-- it is definitely not suitable for children. ( )

Daphne and Velma were the best of bffs, but when they were 10, tragedy struck for each of their families and the consequences drove the two besties apart. Fast forward to high school and Daphne is uber popular and beautiful and Velma is a self-professed loner nerd. When Daphne's newest best friend, who also happens to be Velma's arch nemesis goes missing, the two girls find themselves with a common goal, and partners again to solve the mystery.

I really enjoyed this take on these two famous Scooby-Doo characters. This was really a concentration on friendship and the way Daphne and Velma see themselves. There are a lot of Scooby-Doo Easter Eggs, from the setting of Crystal Cove, to the "meddling kids" theme running throughout. Although Shaggy, Fred and Scooby are not main characters (Shaggy and Scooby get a little page time, whereas Fred is just a footnote), it was interesting to see the backgrounds of all the characters together.

A wonderful middle-school, young teen suitable story and simple mystery made for a fun read. I'd recommend it and am looking forward to seeing the next of the series. ( )