My two sons watch Givler's YouTube channel, so I bought this to pre-screen it in anticipation of them asking to read it. I write the following as a father, a professor who reads constantly, a (non-fiction) author, and a co-owner of a small, indie publishing company. I may not be the world's greatest expert, but I'm approaching this book from a variety of different angles.
First, the story is entertaining. I would have never conceived of the basic premise, but as soon as I heard what it was, I thought it was clever and catchy. I wasn't sure where it would go after that, but I enjoyed the journey along the way. In general, it's a good book and fun to read. For a debut novel, it's excellent.
Second, the book is kid-friendly without being a kid's book. Givler's YouTube channel is family-friendly and that tone continues into this medium as well—though pushes it from, say, PG to PG-13 in the transition from YouTube to SOUL FRAUD. Even so, it is something I am comfortable letting my kids read, which I thoroughly appreciate. In a culture where a G-rating means a death sentence and PG is nearly as bad, we need more examples of why it doesn't have to be R to be top-notch and sell well. Moral questions aside, vulgarity (verbal or otherwise) is frequently a poor mask for a small vocabulary and an unimaginative mind, neither of which are a millstone around Givler's neck.