Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go

Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go by Dale E. Basye

Read enough books and a person is bound to come across a few that seemed promising at the outset but then failed to live up to its potential or are sometimes just plain disappointing.  So it was with Heck:Where the Bad Kids Go and the sequel Rapacia: Second level of Heck.   When these books first arrived at the library, I chuckled at how clever the title and cover art was.  I’d ordered the books thinking they’d be a fun, humorous addition to our library and would be a good fit for those students who enjoyed Diary of a Wimpy Kid (DOAWK) type books.    It just didn’t happen that way.  The verbal savvy of many students who liked the (DOAWK) books isn’t quite developed enough to appreciate Heck…. A closer match to the level of verbal ability needed to be able to wade through Heck would be those readers who navigated and enjoyed the  Series of Unfortunate Events books.   Don’t get me wrong…not all the word play in this book is super sophisticated (even youngish 6th graders will “get” the reference to Upchucky Cheese restaurant…but the unrelenting word play as storyline device will challenge many teen readers and weary many adult readers.

As an adult reader, I was initially taken aback by what seemed to be one double entendre after another though I did have a few chuckles in seeing some of my own favorite obscure (to teens) references such as “ I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore” as well as the hilarious (for a teacher-librarian) observation… “except the stakes are a little higher…Each soul year you’ll be given you SATs—Soul Aptitute Tests.  Based on these rigorous, highly standardized exams, your eternal fate will be decided” .  However, all in all, while the stories were okay, I felt as if I wanted to hurry through the books so I could read something else more satisfying.  I plan to visit with the next students who check out these books to see if they really managed to read all the way through and whether or not they enjoyed the books (and why or why not).

My rating

 Some readers enjoy these...me, not so much

Category: Fantasy

The forest of hands and teeth by Carrie Ryan

I was curious about this book after reading the inner jacket and surmising this was a story about zombies as opposed to the usual vampire fare.   Although zombies feature prominently in this story, a number of  interesting ideas  are explored in depth in this book.  One idea examined is how governing bodies can shape our lives with their rules, regulations, expectations and how sometimes even when this is done to promote citizen safety, those regulations can become so invasive that they shape citizen life on every level.  The themes of hope, rebellion and the role of memories are also explored throughout the story.

The main protagonist, Mary is an older teen forced by life's circumstances (the death of both her parents) to follow the prescribed roles her culture assigns, but she does so unwillingly and begins to questions all aspects of her life and the expectations thrust upon her.  Mary's questioning and curiosity of those expectations isn't without cost to herself and in some instances to those she loves.  Despite immense losses Mary's curiosity and hope remains a core part of her personality, though she does come to question the purpose of  hope .
       " I remember Travis pulling me against him and telling me about hope.  His voice in my mind is soft, just out of reach like a spent echo.  I wonder if these memories are worth holding on to.  Are worth the burden.  I wonder what purpose they serve."

The story  moves along at a pace that would probably keep even reluctant readers fairly engaged.  The ending of the story was not my favorite part of the book because it ends rather abruptly-- however the ending is handled in such a way that a sequel seems a definite possibility.   This book is one I'd recommend  to students who want a change of pace from the usual vampire fare.

My rating:

Zombies...gotta love 'em