Meddling Kids is not for kids, meddling or otherwise. Edgar Cantero writes and Kyla Garcia narrates a delightful, easter egg filled, action-packed story that had me from the first chapter. If you replace Scooby Doo and the gang with the Summer Detective Club, you have the foundation the story is built on. Instead of a Great Dane named Scooby Doo, the book has a Weimaraner named Sean. Many rubber masks were pulled off and many traps set by the Summer Detective Club until their last case in 1977. Something went wrong and the Club never solved another mystery. Now, adults, the Club must reunite to fix what was broken in the last case, namely each individual in the club.
The book never takes itself seriously. It has fun and wants you to have fun too. Some of the delights are the names of the traps they engineered and consider using again. The river is the Zoinks River. The language is colorful. The F-word and many of its derivations are included. Two of my favorite quotes that I think illustrate the general attitude of the book are: “Peter sat as powerless as an overwhelmed female character in a Victorian drama.” “The novelty of bare rock walls instead of concrete had become old at the speed of SNL material.” Kyla Garcia does a great job narrating. Ms. Garcia handles several accents, voices that are alarmed, dispirited and determined. I enjoyed her narrating and will look for her in future purposes. Meddling Kids is a love letter to those of us that watched Hanna Barbera cartoons on Saturday morning. Even if you are younger than the original Scooby Doo program, you will enjoy this very funny book. I checked out the audiobook through Overdrive at the Lane Library in Oxford, OH.
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The Providence Rider is the fourth book in McCammon's Matthew Corbett series. Matthew is astounded to find his name painted on walls near where buildings have been blown up. His latest refusal to Professor Fell was not graciously received. Matthew is told that the bombings will continue until the town is destroyed or Matthew accepts the professors "invitation" to visit him in the Caribbean. When Matthew decides he has no choice but to accept, he reluctantly sets out to board the ship. What Matthew finds in Professor Fell's domain is the nastiest group of villains. He must fulfill the professor's demand for help and survive the other guests. This book is part spy and part historical fiction. The Providence Rider is enjoyable but not as enjoyable as the previous books in the series. Edoardo Ballerini is a terrific narrator. He helps bring the story to life through his wonderful accents and distinct voices. This story had a huge range of accents. I have recently begun reading books in the romance genre. Bitten by Kelley Armstrong was highly recommended by several members of a Facebook audiobook fans page. I thought if the romance angle was overdone or poorly written, at least there were werewolves. I needn't have worried. The entire book, romance, and werewolves is fantastic. The action is often fast-paced. When it is not, it is weighted with dread and foreboding waiting for the next strike to come. The main characters were enjoyable although some of them had anger management issues. The villains ranged from intelligent to evil idiots. The sexually explicit passages are just a few and are part of the story, not just gratuitous sex added. Aasne Vigesaa does a nice job narrating. She handles the male and female characters well as well as a multitude of accents including Ontario, Louisiana, and New York to name a few. As long as I can find books of this quality, I will continue reading in the romance genre. Note: There is a consent issue but it does not involve sex. I was excited to see what Peter Clines's next book in the Threshold series was. I really enjoyed 14 and The Fold. As I began seeing reviews for Dead Moon, I was dismayed by negative reviews with references to zombies. I downloaded it to my Audible account and started listening. I finished the audiobook in less than twenty-four hours. The connection between the first two Threshold books and Dead Moon is not revealed until the last third of the book but it is incredibly fun and exciting getting there. The book takes place over two hundred years in the future so the cast of characters is all new. I loved Cali and Jake and the rest of the crew from Osiris Cemetery. The mayor of Luna City reminded me what my 7th-grade teacher said when I gave her my book report on Jaws, "The shark isn't the monster." There are several monsters in this book, including very original zombies. Ray Porter's narration is terrific. He gives distinct voices to the characters. He also conveys the fear, frustration, and humor. Keep in mind that in Dead Moon, the moon itself is trying to kill you, not just the zombies. The Vampire of Maple Town was an enjoyable read. The stories of Charlie, Vincent, Skat, Sally, and Alice are tied together in a web of lies. Not everyone knows they are not who they think they are. Charlie is the protagonist. He is a nice boy who longs for life beyond his confined existence. I think Kane McLoughlin will be an interesting author to follow. I see potential in The Vampire of Maple Town.
This book would be appropriate for high school or mature middle school students. The deaths in the story are not graphic in nature or detailed. I won a Kindle copy through a Goodreads contest. I am not a professional reviewer, author or honestly anything. I recommend giving The Vampire of Maple Town a read to form your own opinion. |
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