rebelrider's review against another edition
2.0
Most of these stories were rather boring. In one, there seemed to be no hero or villain, and some of the other stories had no hero.
I also got a little annoyed at two of the stories pushing an agenda. One was about an illegal immigrant crossing the border. (Overall, the author did decently and the story didn't feel very preachy, but I could tell what the author was doing.) Another was about a boy whose mother thought she'd shot a guy. This one was especially bad because of how stupidly it depicted gun stuff. Firstly, anyone with half a brain knows better than to shoot a gun at night without having a target, and secondly, the story depicted the father, who liked guns, as having no regard for human life and generally a bad guy who treated his family like trash, all the while spouting pro-gun phrases. If it hadn't been for this preachy story and its straw man antagonist, I'd have given the book three stars because I liked the story about the boy who ratted out the dairy for poor practices. (That story was also a bit political, but really well done because it pulled at my heart strings since my family has milk cows, and the dairy was certainly in the wrong.)
I also got a little annoyed at two of the stories pushing an agenda. One was about an illegal immigrant crossing the border. (Overall, the author did decently and the story didn't feel very preachy, but I could tell what the author was doing.) Another was about a boy whose mother thought she'd shot a guy. This one was especially bad because of how stupidly it depicted gun stuff. Firstly, anyone with half a brain knows better than to shoot a gun at night without having a target, and secondly, the story depicted the father, who liked guns, as having no regard for human life and generally a bad guy who treated his family like trash, all the while spouting pro-gun phrases. If it hadn't been for this preachy story and its straw man antagonist, I'd have given the book three stars because I liked the story about the boy who ratted out the dairy for poor practices. (That story was also a bit political, but really well done because it pulled at my heart strings since my family has milk cows, and the dairy was certainly in the wrong.)
ethan_bluestone's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.75
The Villain's Guide to Being a Hero 5 stars
First Crossing 3 stars
Need That Dog 4 stars
How I Became Stink Daley 5 stars
The Wager 3 stars
Kalash 2 stars
General Poophead 3 stars
The Warrior and the Knave 5 stars
The Hero of the Story 4 stars
How My Mother Was Arrested for Murder 4 stars
lalanier's review against another edition
4.0
Motivation for reading this was because Cathy Camper and Raúl Gonzalez III have a story in it, which was a fun read. I like the concept of a series that encourages kids to read, and don't mind this targeting "guys" because I've read in many locations they may have lower literacy rates or reading involvement than their counterparts. So, whatever helps get kids excited and stay excited about reading is a thumbs up from me.
There's a nice mix of content with this anthology, and I liked how some writers took heroes/villains in a more literal fun sense while others made it more ambiguous and encourage the reader to make their own judgements. I would definitely read some of the earlier volumes of this series, and hope to discover some new authors along the way.
There's a nice mix of content with this anthology, and I liked how some writers took heroes/villains in a more literal fun sense while others made it more ambiguous and encourage the reader to make their own judgements. I would definitely read some of the earlier volumes of this series, and hope to discover some new authors along the way.
daphne2000's review against another edition
I'm not rating this since I only read the story by Lemony Snicket. The story was ok. It was interesting to learn a bit more about what happened to Lemony Snicket after he left Stain'd-by-the-Sea, but the actual plot wasn't my favorite. There was some interesting discussion -- albeit a shallow discussion -- on what makes a hero or villain, but nothing too groundbreaking. So, I'm not upset that I read this, but I don't think it's necessary to read this unless you're a huge ATWQ or ASOUE fan.
(Read: January 2020)
(Read: January 2020)
bcbirrer's review against another edition
4.0
Personal favorite: “How I Became Stink Daley”
Head Scratcher: “The Hero of the Story”
Kids will Love: “The Wager”
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