A review by erine
My Near-Death Adventures by Alison DeCamp
4.0
High expectations made this a rougher read than I was hoping for. History, Michigan, ridiculous period advertisements all added up to something I REALLY wanted to read, but I didn't make it through on my first try. What made it hard that first time was Stanley's propensity to talk as well as think out loud, and just think, but there was little to distinguish between the different kinds of conversations. It was just a little uneven.
The second time around, the humor and the characters carried me far enough into the story that I didn't falter like the first time. The humor is a bit over the top, but might appeal to kids who like silly realistic fiction, so may be a good crossover for those kids who don't typically like historical fiction.
For me, the most redeeming element (and what bumped this from three to four stars) was the note in the back that described the framework for the novel: the author's own family tree. I'm a sucker for a good backstory.
The second time around, the humor and the characters carried me far enough into the story that I didn't falter like the first time. The humor is a bit over the top, but might appeal to kids who like silly realistic fiction, so may be a good crossover for those kids who don't typically like historical fiction.
For me, the most redeeming element (and what bumped this from three to four stars) was the note in the back that described the framework for the novel: the author's own family tree. I'm a sucker for a good backstory.