missprint_'s review against another edition
1.0
I feel like a book that promises exploding bunnies really has an obligation to deliver said bunnies in the first 50 pages. This book did not. The whole venture also got off to a slow start but I suspect that was to be expected since the first part of the novel is called "Boring (But Important)." This book is fun and has a lot going on to draw readers in and keep them engaged--just not this particular reader I guess.
namaenani's review against another edition
2.0
This book had less of a Dungeons and Dragons feel and more that of a fairy tale mash-up. It also feels like it was written by the guys at school who get into arguments about who a 'real fan' is, don't think girls play D&D, and think the best way to end an argument is to punch someone.
Then there was the weird, vaguely incestuous creep factor, with the middle-aged aunt stripping off the teenage boy's clothes, the too-long fixation on the naked fairy's breasts, and a foray into mud-wrestling. Could have done without all of that.
Then there was the weird, vaguely incestuous creep factor, with the middle-aged aunt stripping off the teenage boy's clothes, the too-long fixation on the naked fairy's breasts, and a foray into mud-wrestling. Could have done without all of that.
vivireadsbooks's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to like this book. It seemed to have all of the geekery stuff I love. And the beginning was really fun but it quickly became tedious. Maybe I'm too old for this book...
bookishbethie's review against another edition
3.0
This book is not AT ALL what I expected. I thought it was going to be a cute little foray into geek culture, (with which I am very well-acquainted) a romp through a world full of comic book in-jokes and World of Warcraft references. While Geek Fantasy Novel has those, as well as fire-burping bunnies, the book is soooo much more than that--it's smart and meta and inventive and full of SAT words and freakin' layered--there are TWO narrators! Not that it's a hard book to read; it's definitely not that. It's just, well, to be completely honest, waaaay better than I thought it would be.
The main plot is that Ralph, a super geeky kid living in New Jersey whose parents are anti-wishing, is recruited by his aunt to come to England for the summer to help set up their WiFi network. While there, he reconnects with his cousins, Cecil and Daphne, and his step-cousin (is that a thing?) Beatrice. He also meets his other aunt, Chessie, who, as it turns out, has the power to grant wishes. However, these wishes have to be acted out via a quest that the wishee must complete.
Sounds simple enough, right?
Well, as is normally the case with magic, not everything is what it appears to be, and loopholes are abundant. With Ralph attempting to save each of his cousins from their careless wishing and terrifying quests, he wreaks havoc on the age-old profession of narrating quests and causes quite the stir in his family's otherwise quiet life.
I definitely recommend this one--it'll throw you for a loop in a couple different ways, and all the while keep you laughing. If you like fairy tales, geek stories, or books that have a very, very dry sense of humor, Geek Fantasy Novel is absolutely up your alley. And if you feel like you just want to read this book because you are a curious sort, that is an even better reason to read it!
The main plot is that Ralph, a super geeky kid living in New Jersey whose parents are anti-wishing, is recruited by his aunt to come to England for the summer to help set up their WiFi network. While there, he reconnects with his cousins, Cecil and Daphne, and his step-cousin (is that a thing?) Beatrice. He also meets his other aunt, Chessie, who, as it turns out, has the power to grant wishes. However, these wishes have to be acted out via a quest that the wishee must complete.
Sounds simple enough, right?
Well, as is normally the case with magic, not everything is what it appears to be, and loopholes are abundant. With Ralph attempting to save each of his cousins from their careless wishing and terrifying quests, he wreaks havoc on the age-old profession of narrating quests and causes quite the stir in his family's otherwise quiet life.
I definitely recommend this one--it'll throw you for a loop in a couple different ways, and all the while keep you laughing. If you like fairy tales, geek stories, or books that have a very, very dry sense of humor, Geek Fantasy Novel is absolutely up your alley. And if you feel like you just want to read this book because you are a curious sort, that is an even better reason to read it!
ravencrantz's review against another edition
I can't do it. The writing is just so awful, I cannot go on. It has potential to be hilarious, but the writing just is so horrid I can't bring myself to finish. I really don't care about the characters, the narrator is an actual entity that interacts with the reader and that I do like, but the execution just ruined it. I think if it was handled better I'd have enjoyed it. Perhaps this should be targeted to younger readers and not young adults? I don't know, it just didn't do it for me at all and I can't bring myself to read and slug through the last hundred pages.
chwaters's review against another edition
3.0
Ralph has never been able to make a wish. Or, rather, he has never been allowed to make a wish. His parents strictly forbid it. And since they're pretty cool about everything else, Ralph never makes a wish. Then, one day, he receives a letter from his estranged aunt requesting that he come to Europe to set up their wi-fi network. Against his parent's wishes, he takes off for England and gets to work. And then another estranged aunt comes into the picture. One he's never even heard of; one that offers to grant him a wish after she grants the wishes of his cousins (none of whom had ever had the chance to make a wish either). In spite of his aunt and uncle attempting to prevent contact with her, wishes start getting granted and everything goes awry. Ralph finds himself caught in his cousins wishes, dies a few times and is introduced to members of the Narratological Guild as the book's own narrator struggles to keep the story under control.
It's a madcap ride and very, very silly. I haven't read anything quite like it. At times it feels a bit messy, but it's entertaining just the same. I particularly liked the ending which explained just where all the crazy narration issues come to a head.
It's a madcap ride and very, very silly. I haven't read anything quite like it. At times it feels a bit messy, but it's entertaining just the same. I particularly liked the ending which explained just where all the crazy narration issues come to a head.
foreveryoungadult's review against another edition
Graded By: Brian
Cover Story: You're Trying to Hard
Drinking Buddy: No
Testosterone Level: Weird
Talky Talk: Yeah...
Bonus Factor: Seen Narrator
Bromance Status: NPC
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: You're Trying to Hard
Drinking Buddy: No
Testosterone Level: Weird
Talky Talk: Yeah...
Bonus Factor: Seen Narrator
Bromance Status: NPC
Read the full book report here.
poetkoala's review against another edition
4.0
When I first opened this book, I was really afraid I wouldn't like it. The page numbers are all Roman numerals, the main character can be a dolt, and some of the characters were bratty. But as the story went on, it definitely got better. I love the idea of an intrusive narrator, and this one was up in the "catwalks" of the story and intruded with his own opinions while also twisting the story to torture the characters the way he saw fit. And the exploding bunnies. Oh, and the houses made of live fairies. So much fun.
thisfoxreads's review against another edition
3.0
I had great hopes for this book, based on its title. I did enjoy it, but I feel the "geekness" of the main character could have really been used heroically (after all--what geek, and I speak as one, wouldn't fantasize about being a hero--and especially doing so with geektronics and knowledge. Here, the only helpful technology was a typical cell phone, which any non-geek would carry as well). The book started off very slowly, but I was glad I stuck with it.