mokey81's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
littlebitofe's review
5.0
I enjoyed this story much more than I thought I would. The characters are great, the writing is easy and full of wit, making it a great read for the age group (and us oldies who enjoy the genre). There was excitement and suspense without it going too far. I especially liked the growth and friendship between Mack and Stefan (the bully!). Looking forward to reading more!
katiecatbooks's review
2.0
Middle grade. Adventure quest. Fantasy.
Story: Mack is an average 12 year old boy. He goes to middle school and one day has the unfortunate luck to fall out with the school's biggest bully. Who knew that by the end of the day Mack would be a hero and that bully would come along for the ride.
Language: The book is told in third person from Mack's perspective. Occasionally we get chapters featuring a character from the past, that has a direct correlation to Mack's timeline in the present. For some added humor, there are some letters from a side character at the end of some chapters. The chapters are of medium length. The settings include southwest USA, Australia and a fantasy world.
Characters: Mack is a 12 year old middle school boy whose parents don't really pay attention to him, gets picked on by bullies and has some phobias. He is also destined to become a hero. Stefan is his bully turned companion, 15 years old and not so bright.
I liked the premise of the book and in general it's fine as a light read, but the main character supposedly has phobias which have no reference or context and doesn't seem to react realistically when facing these phobias other than screaming a lot and then being fine. One thing I didn't care for is that even though this is a middle grade (or children's) book , there are references to stoners and the mafia, which far surpasses the humor level for middle grade and is really just inappropriate. The series has potential and I hope it improves.
Story: Mack is an average 12 year old boy. He goes to middle school and one day has the unfortunate luck to fall out with the school's biggest bully. Who knew that by the end of the day Mack would be a hero and that bully would come along for the ride.
Language: The book is told in third person from Mack's perspective. Occasionally we get chapters featuring a character from the past, that has a direct correlation to Mack's timeline in the present. For some added humor, there are some letters from a side character at the end of some chapters. The chapters are of medium length. The settings include southwest USA, Australia and a fantasy world.
Characters: Mack is a 12 year old middle school boy whose parents don't really pay attention to him, gets picked on by bullies and has some phobias. He is also destined to become a hero. Stefan is his bully turned companion, 15 years old and not so bright.
I liked the premise of the book and in general it's fine as a light read, but the main character supposedly has phobias which have no reference or context and doesn't seem to react realistically when facing these phobias other than screaming a lot and then being fine. One thing I didn't care for is that even though this is a middle grade (or children's) book , there are references to stoners and the mafia, which far surpasses the humor level for middle grade and is really just inappropriate. The series has potential and I hope it improves.
sean67's review against another edition
2.0
Really by the numbers series which felt devoid of passion and excitement and more like these are the points I have to make here and here and here. Nothing that sustained interest and overall fairly forgettable.
jdeternal's review against another edition
3.0
Found this book to be funny but at times too silly. I wouldn't mind reading the others but only if I got them cheaply like I did this one. (love nook free Fridays)
funsizelibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
This short novel is packed with humor, adventure and magic. I loved it!
lizlogan's review against another edition
4.0
The main character was a bit annoying at first, but the book was overall very enjoyable.
jemifraser's review against another edition
5.0
This is such a fun book! I love Mack - he's a fantastic character. The secondary characters are a lot of fun too. I look forward to reading the next in the series!