Martian Ghost Centaur - by Mat Heagerty (Paperback)

About the Book

"The town of Southborough used to be a major tourism destination, drawing folks from all over in the hopes they'd spot the famous Sasquatch, reportedly seen in the town many times over the years. But it's been ages since anyone's spotted the 'squatch, and tourism is starting to dry up. A tech company called Start-up.com (a start-up that helps people start their own start-ups) decides to begin buying up places all over town in order to build their techie headquarters, driving out all the local townspeople. Luckily, Southborough is also home to Louie O'Connor, firm believer in the Sasquatch's existence and all-around, mega 'squatch fan. When Louie's dads' restaurant, Squatch Burger, starts to go under and fall prey to the techie start-up, Louie and her best friend Felix decide they'll do whatever it takes to save the town from losing all the people and places that make it special. In hopes that convincing people the Sasquatch is real and to drive back tourism, Louie and Felix plan an elaborate hoax in hopes of saving the town from the dot-com takeover. But when Felix starts talking about leaving their hometown for college in LA, Louie will have to face some tough questions about herself, her future career, and her place in her beloved hometown."--

Book Synopsis

Full of humor, heart, and hilarious high jinks, Martian Ghost Centaur is a touching story about protecting the things you love and following your passion.

The town of Southborough used to be a major tourism destination, drawing folks from all over in the hopes they'd spot the famous Sasquatch, reportedly seen in the town many times over the years. But it's been ages since anyone's spotted the 'squatch, and tourism is starting to dry up. A tech company called Start-up.com (a start-up that helps people start their own start-ups) decides to begin buying up places all over town in order to build their techie headquarters, driving out all the local townspeople. Luckily, Southborough is also home to Louie O'Connor, firm believer in the Sasquatch's existence and all-around, mega 'squatch fan.

When Louie's dads' restaurant, Squatch Burger, starts to go under and fall prey to the techie start-up, Louie and her best friend Felix decide they'll do whatever it takes to save the town from losing all the people and places that make it special. In hopes that convincing people the Sasquatch is real and to drive back tourism, Louie and Felix plan an elaborate hoax in hopes of saving the town from the dot-com takeover. But when Felix starts talking about leaving their hometown for college in LA, Louie will have to face some tough questions about herself, her future career, and her place in her beloved hometown.

Review Quotes

"[...] This fun story has something for everyone, including thinly veiled '90s pop-culture references, matter-of-fact LGBTQ+ representation, and small town heart, and high-spirited, passionate Loui, who's angry about the opportunistic take-over of her town, is a lively protagonist. Hand to fans of Lumberjanes or The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl."-- "Booklist"

"Readers will appreciate this campy adventure that has touches of Scott Pilgrim and Lumberjanes and ends on a valuable message about maintaining boundaries between work and identity." -- "School Library Journal"

"Martian Ghost Centaur makes me want to visit Southborough, grab a meal at Squatch Burger and hang out with all the characters because it's so charming and heart-warming."--Yehudi Mercado (Sci-Fu)

About the Author

Mat Heagerty super happily lives in Vermont with his best buds/family. He writes awesome comics like Lumberjackula, Martian Ghost Centaur, and Unplugged and Unpopular. Mat is dyslexic and struggled a bunch in school. Now he often travels the country talking to elementary and middle school kids about the strengths of learning disabilities. During the 2023-4 school year, Mat and his family bought an RV and traveled all across the US. It was amazingly life-changing!

Stephanie Mided is a comic artist and illustrator from Chicago, IL who loves all things comedic, cute, and colorful. When she isn't working on comics, she spends her time collecting records and stopping her two cats from spilling drinks all over her desk. For more of her work visit Stephmided.com.