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jaklindberg's review against another edition
5.0
This was a funny sequel to the first. It shows a person's growth in Middle School and how some people who look like friends are not really friends at all. And that there are secrets that adults keep from children to protect themselves more than the children. The pressures of social bullying are hard to navigate, and it does happen to boys.
glomdi's review against another edition
2.0
As much as I hated the first book, I think this one was almost as bad.
In this book, Rafe tries to do what's right. For about less than half the book. After that he pretty much throws it all out the window. The first "friend" he makes at his new school, Matty, is a troublemaker who helps him get back at some bullies. Why Rafe, didn't you get expelled from school last year for getting in trouble? Shouldn't you not keep breaking the rules, then? This is what was going through my mind, but apparently Rafe doesn't care if he gets kicked out of this art school that he so badly wanted to get in.
And then there's the whole mess with his father. Why, oh why, did this happen? There was this whole storyline about his father being gone, but no one knows where he went. So throughout the book it's been kind of a side story to find his dad. After a humiliating situation at school, his mom finally tells him what really happened.
And takes him to a cemetery.
A cemetery!? At the end of the chapter where his mom takes him there's a part something along the lines of, "You already guessed it, probably. A cemetery." No, I didn't guess that. I didn't guess that your mother would be such a horrible woman that she would tell her son that his dad left them and making him seem like an awful person instead of telling him that he died saving his country. There's no point! Rafe even says himself that now he thinks better of his dad. That he's not just the guy who left, but the guy who was a hero. It was completely pointless and stupid.
The ultimate ending was pretty much the same as the first - his mom has a job, they live in Hills Valley, Rafe has to go to Summer School, and he's going to be entering his precious art school that is for some reason so much better than the one he's at. So in ways this book was better than the first, but considering how nothing changed, it may have been worse.
In this book, Rafe tries to do what's right. For about less than half the book. After that he pretty much throws it all out the window. The first "friend" he makes at his new school, Matty, is a troublemaker who helps him get back at some bullies. Why Rafe, didn't you get expelled from school last year for getting in trouble? Shouldn't you not keep breaking the rules, then? This is what was going through my mind, but apparently Rafe doesn't care if he gets kicked out of this art school that he so badly wanted to get in.
And then there's the whole mess with his father. Why, oh why, did this happen? There was this whole storyline about his father being gone, but no one knows where he went. So throughout the book it's been kind of a side story to find his dad. After a humiliating situation at school, his mom finally tells him what really happened.
And takes him to a cemetery.
A cemetery!? At the end of the chapter where his mom takes him there's a part something along the lines of, "You already guessed it, probably. A cemetery." No, I didn't guess that. I didn't guess that your mother would be such a horrible woman that she would tell her son that his dad left them and making him seem like an awful person instead of telling him that he died saving his country. There's no point! Rafe even says himself that now he thinks better of his dad. That he's not just the guy who left, but the guy who was a hero. It was completely pointless and stupid.
The ultimate ending was pretty much the same as the first - his mom has a job, they live in Hills Valley, Rafe has to go to Summer School, and he's going to be entering his precious art school that is for some reason so much better than the one he's at. So in ways this book was better than the first, but considering how nothing changed, it may have been worse.
surpriseitem's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book. It was a nice quick read, hilarious, and just plain old amazing. I loved the pictures, but something about this book missed the big ...imagination of the last one. I was looking foreward to seeing a lot more of things like the dragon lady. I didn't get much of that.
lobeliaparides's review against another edition
4.0
I was a pretty good book, a little sad but awesome anyway :)
kerryzielke's review against another edition
4.0
Last year poor Rafe had a hard year, but this year is going to be different. He is going to art school. After a slight change due to a fire at Swifty's Diner, Rafe is going to art school in the city. He also has a new friend, Matty the Freak, but is he really a friend?
thecorioliseffect's review against another edition
Adorable. I love how quick this series is. And I love Rafe.
xteax's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
hgraybrown's review against another edition
2.0
I listened to the audio recording of this while on a road trip by myself. Let's just say that if I had not been a captive audience, I would have turned it off much sooner than I did. As it was, I listened to about half of the book. I think our students will like the book, but I would not recommend the audiobook to anyone.