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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
I expected it to be something more, but the book is exactly what it says on the tin. At times it feels like a glorified walkthrough, with zero subversion or expansion from the premise.
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My son is a Minecraft fan, so the idea of this book intrigued me. Fun story read by Jack Black. Great intro for anyone trying to figure out the basics of Minecraft, like characters, missions, etc.
Highly recommend the audiobook format.
Highly recommend the audiobook format.
adventurous
funny
Max Brooks, son of Mel Brooks, has written some great books (I highly recommend World War Z.) This was not one of them. To be fair, I don't know how you'd manage to write this book in a way that an adult would want to read it. If you've played Minecraft, this is basically a book about what would happen if someone had been teleported into that world & had to try to figure out how to break blocks & build crafting tables. It's just really tedious. You know how your first time playing, you likely had to dig yourself a hole & block yourself in for the night to prevent yourself from dying? Yep...gonna read about it. The discovery that trees don't fall down if you mine the bottom block? That if you destroy all the oak trees around your spawn point, you remove an easy source of food (apples)? That if you go too far away from your base, it's easy to get turned around & you freak out a little? Yeah....not really gripping as a book. I got less than 50 pages in & then started flipping to random parts, even to the end. It's all the same.
If you're around 10 yrs old, this could be an awesome book...really envisioning yourself in the world. Kids who love Minecraft are likely to love this book.
As an adult, it read like the world's longest walkthru and was boring. This is no Robinson Crusoe. (Even HE had Friday. This guy just talks to his cows & chickens...and apparently his sanity erodes because they eventually start responding back at him.)
If you're an adult, skip this. Go read World War Z.
If you're around 10 yrs old, this could be an awesome book...really envisioning yourself in the world. Kids who love Minecraft are likely to love this book.
As an adult, it read like the world's longest walkthru and was boring. This is no Robinson Crusoe. (Even HE had Friday. This guy just talks to his cows & chickens...and apparently his sanity erodes because they eventually start responding back at him.)
If you're an adult, skip this. Go read World War Z.
This book was a fun read. I know nothing about minecraft, the game, except that it has square figures and you build stuff. The only reason I wanted to try this is because I love World War Z.
The premise of this book is that a character (either male or female, entirely up to you) is stranded on an island with a different set of rules than our world. S/he has to figure out how to survive in that world, and figure out the rules there.
It's a nice introduction to the game world and an interesting way to lay out the workings of the game. I am now interested in trying out the game, and that is probably what the book is aiming to do - get more people playing the game.
The story is pretty funny, with a fair bit of violence in it. Violence of the game variety, but there is blood and guts.
I loved how the character had conversations with the animals - a nice way to move the story ahead with the explanations and thought process of the character.
This book might be most suitable for young teens.
The story is sort of a mix of the Lego movies and survivor or maybe a PG rated The Valley of Horses (The Earth's Children)
Audibook - since the character is ambiguous, there are two different versions of this book. There is a choice of two different narrators, Jack Black and Samira Wiley (The Handmaid's Tale, so that the reader can imagine the character as either male or female.
I couldn't find the female version of the recording, but I hope to listen to it one day. So I listened to the Jack Black version.
Now I'm not a fan of Jack Black, as I find him a bit over dramatic. So I was unsure of how his narration would be. When I started, I found the narration to be how a parent would tell a story to very young kids. I wasn't too happy with that. However, I got used to it, and it wasn't too bad overall.
There is a lot of music and sound effects throughout the book. I really enjoyed that. The animal sounds were so funny, and my favourite bits in the book.
I do want to listen to Samira Wiley's version, not so much as a comparison, but more to see how a female character will be like.
This audiobook was a fun experience.
Edit: May 30, 2018
I just finished reading Hatchet by Gary Paulson. It's so similar to this book that I feel that Max Brooks might have taken a similar route. Do read Hatchet if you enjoyed this book.
The premise of this book is that a character (either male or female, entirely up to you) is stranded on an island with a different set of rules than our world. S/he has to figure out how to survive in that world, and figure out the rules there.
It's a nice introduction to the game world and an interesting way to lay out the workings of the game. I am now interested in trying out the game, and that is probably what the book is aiming to do - get more people playing the game.
The story is pretty funny, with a fair bit of violence in it. Violence of the game variety, but there is blood and guts.
I loved how the character had conversations with the animals - a nice way to move the story ahead with the explanations and thought process of the character.
This book might be most suitable for young teens.
The story is sort of a mix of the Lego movies and survivor or maybe a PG rated The Valley of Horses (The Earth's Children)
Audibook - since the character is ambiguous, there are two different versions of this book. There is a choice of two different narrators, Jack Black and Samira Wiley (The Handmaid's Tale, so that the reader can imagine the character as either male or female.
I couldn't find the female version of the recording, but I hope to listen to it one day. So I listened to the Jack Black version.
Now I'm not a fan of Jack Black, as I find him a bit over dramatic. So I was unsure of how his narration would be. When I started, I found the narration to be how a parent would tell a story to very young kids. I wasn't too happy with that. However, I got used to it, and it wasn't too bad overall.
There is a lot of music and sound effects throughout the book. I really enjoyed that. The animal sounds were so funny, and my favourite bits in the book.
I do want to listen to Samira Wiley's version, not so much as a comparison, but more to see how a female character will be like.
This audiobook was a fun experience.
Edit: May 30, 2018
I just finished reading Hatchet by Gary Paulson. It's so similar to this book that I feel that Max Brooks might have taken a similar route. Do read Hatchet if you enjoyed this book.
Okay, I listened to this after reading about the audio book online (Max Brooks + Jack Black?) I'm giving it a very generous 3 stars. The beginning was actually pretty funny, and there were amusing parts thrown in throughout the book, but otherwise for an audience like me, it was like a kid telling you about the game they're playing mixed with Youtuber-style reactions to what they're doing in the game.
If you listen, make sure you listen to the Jack Black narrated version. The 3 stars is mostly for his delivery - he definitely went for it. Otherwise... no more Minecraft books for me.
If you listen, make sure you listen to the Jack Black narrated version. The 3 stars is mostly for his delivery - he definitely went for it. Otherwise... no more Minecraft books for me.
Specifically listened to the audiobook narrated by Jack Black. Did not finish because it's definitely a kids book, which I knew going in.
It was moderately enjoyable despite not being the target audience. Jack Black did a fantastic job voicing the character, and the inclusion of Minecraft sound effects throughout the audio was amusing. The character's perspective is that of a real person who has somehow found themselves in the world of Minecraft, and the horror and frustration of that change is well demonstrated in a kid friendly way.
Heavy on the life lessons but again, kid's book, that's to be expected. The lessons themselves seemed good though, and teaching them through the lens of Minecraft feels like a good approach.
It was moderately enjoyable despite not being the target audience. Jack Black did a fantastic job voicing the character, and the inclusion of Minecraft sound effects throughout the audio was amusing. The character's perspective is that of a real person who has somehow found themselves in the world of Minecraft, and the horror and frustration of that change is well demonstrated in a kid friendly way.
Heavy on the life lessons but again, kid's book, that's to be expected. The lessons themselves seemed good though, and teaching them through the lens of Minecraft feels like a good approach.
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated