This kids' fantasy has some elements we've seen before - orphaned kid lives with cruel family members but has a bigger purpose. And the crazy candy. But from there it has some unique and somewhat bizarre stuff. The idea that there's a gateway between reality and a world called Foo is pretty well-developed, though there are still questions to be answered at the end. I'm a little curious about what happens next, but I don't think the writing was strong enough to keep me going with the series.