Scan barcode
beththebookdragon's review
2.0
Not that impressed. Just didn't grab me--didn't get into the writer's style and the characters didn't appeal to me.
jillcd's review
4.0
This was quirky fun and adventurous. I normally don’t like sci-fi but this one was odd but entertaining . Grades 3 and up.
amysbrittain's review
4.0
Lots of funny moments. Fun to read out loud. 8yo Henry loved it. 3.75 stars for me.
tamarayork's review
4.0
Recommended to me by my 8 year old son, who kept putting it on my nightstand. It kept appearing much like the sofa kept popping up throughout the book, it being able to tesser much like the TARDIS in Dr. Who. This book is packed with fun, kooky action-packed adventure. It reminds me of a mix between A Winkle in Time and The Phantom Tollbooth, with a sprinkling of Douglas Adams. It’s silly and wonderful and I recommend it.
elisabethd8a's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Child abuse, and Bullying
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Car accident, and Toxic friendship
thepurplegiraffe's review
4.0
The sofa wasn't there on Monday but it was there on Tuesday.
This was weird, but in the best way. It has so many similar vibes to all those weird-but-wonderful middle-grade books, like [b:Science Fair|2927626|Science Fair|Dave Barry|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1441641180l/2927626._SY75_.jpg|2944560], [b:Fortunately, the Milk|17349203|Fortunately, the Milk|Neil Gaiman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1380963103l/17349203._SY75_.jpg|23686035], and [b:The Mysterious Benedict Society|40605329|The Mysterious Benedict Society (The Mysterious Benedict Society, #1)|Trenton Lee Stewart|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1529611235l/40605329._SY75_.jpg|80497]. River, Freak, and Fiona are such a fun trio, Alf is hilarious, and the sofa is truly iconic. I think I would've enjoyed it more if I'd read it when I was younger, but it was still a ton of fun.
4 stars from me.
This was weird, but in the best way. It has so many similar vibes to all those weird-but-wonderful middle-grade books, like [b:Science Fair|2927626|Science Fair|Dave Barry|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1441641180l/2927626._SY75_.jpg|2944560], [b:Fortunately, the Milk|17349203|Fortunately, the Milk|Neil Gaiman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1380963103l/17349203._SY75_.jpg|23686035], and [b:The Mysterious Benedict Society|40605329|The Mysterious Benedict Society (The Mysterious Benedict Society, #1)|Trenton Lee Stewart|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1529611235l/40605329._SY75_.jpg|80497]. River, Freak, and Fiona are such a fun trio, Alf is hilarious, and the sofa is truly iconic. I think I would've enjoyed it more if I'd read it when I was younger, but it was still a ton of fun.
4 stars from me.
literary_princess's review
4.0
Super fun and clever. Not overwritten at all. A perfect younger middle school book.
erin_boyington's review
4.0
When River and his friends discover a rare zucchini-colored crayon in a discarded sofa, they are launched into a fight to save Earth.
River, Freak, and Fiona live in an environmental disaster zone: their town, Hellsboro, has been poisoned by an underground coal seam fire. Not only that, but their town seems to have gotten weirder since the fire started - there are weekly show-tune-singing flashmobs in the cafeteria that no one seems willing to admit to. (Even Fiona, who participates in them herself.) The key to the mysteries is not just between the sofa cushions, but also inside the old house near their bus stop.
River and his friends are bright and skeptical kids, which makes them fun to follow. They aren't easily fooled, having lived through the worst of human nature. The science fiction plot combines the silly with the serious: there is a villain with a compulsive disorder and extreme megalomania ("Compared to me, Alexander the Great was merely mediocre" - 299) as well as true loss and danger (Freak's father is abusive, and the others have similarly fractured family lives).
The text is liberally sprinkled with loving Lord of the Rings references, as well as allusions to other classic art, film, and literature. The humor is dry and made me laugh aloud, and I liked the three kids - they may not always want to be seen together in public, but they certainly have each others' backs. It's a smart and fast-paced story that I think will appeal to fans of The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart. I'd also suggest Lynne Jonell's Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat.
Quotable:
On finding Jackson Pollock's childhood coloring book: "Remind me to show it to you. The man was completely incapable of coloring within the lines." - 132
River, Freak, and Fiona live in an environmental disaster zone: their town, Hellsboro, has been poisoned by an underground coal seam fire. Not only that, but their town seems to have gotten weirder since the fire started - there are weekly show-tune-singing flashmobs in the cafeteria that no one seems willing to admit to. (Even Fiona, who participates in them herself.) The key to the mysteries is not just between the sofa cushions, but also inside the old house near their bus stop.
River and his friends are bright and skeptical kids, which makes them fun to follow. They aren't easily fooled, having lived through the worst of human nature. The science fiction plot combines the silly with the serious: there is a villain with a compulsive disorder and extreme megalomania ("Compared to me, Alexander the Great was merely mediocre" - 299) as well as true loss and danger (Freak's father is abusive, and the others have similarly fractured family lives).
The text is liberally sprinkled with loving Lord of the Rings references, as well as allusions to other classic art, film, and literature. The humor is dry and made me laugh aloud, and I liked the three kids - they may not always want to be seen together in public, but they certainly have each others' backs. It's a smart and fast-paced story that I think will appeal to fans of The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart. I'd also suggest Lynne Jonell's Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat.
Quotable:
On finding Jackson Pollock's childhood coloring book: "Remind me to show it to you. The man was completely incapable of coloring within the lines." - 132
elllie's review
4.0
Wonderful :) 4.5 stars. Great sci-fi for kids who don't think they like sci-fi. AND funny.
Also worth noting that one of the characters' father is an alcoholic and that impacts his life. It's not heavy-handedly talked about and, and I think kids could miss it if it's just not something they're aware of, but I appreciate it when people mention things like this in reviews, so I figured I'd do the same :)
Also worth noting that one of the characters' father is an alcoholic and that impacts his life. It's not heavy-handedly talked about and
Spoiler
Dad ends up going to rehabbooknrrd's review
4.0
I read this for my parent-child book group at the library. It is a nominee for the Mark Twain award this year. It was a fun, quirky read. Probably closer to 3.5 stars for me. The author tended to use bigger words than needed at times, and that is a pet peeve. Characters can "ask" questions; they don't have to "inquire".