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katy_irene's review against another edition
4.0
Zombies, football, and sugarcane. Charlie and his family return to their hometown of Taper for the football coach's funeral. Charlie gets caught up in Taper's mystery. The town reeks of greed, hate, envy, and the supernatural.
The writing is really spectacular. It's gripping and fast-paced. Wilson's language is beautifully descriptive-- "A man stood on the deck of his idling harvester. He had long hair the color of mud, a nose that had been broken more than once, and a blurry blue tattoo of a buccaneer on the back of his hand. A cigarette burned between two thick oil-stained fingers." Speaking of this man, I really enjoyed the way Wilson uses family ties and questions the definition of family. Each character has a personality, from the local police officer to Charlie's mother. It's so good it makes me wonder what I've missed from N.D. Wilson.
What didn't work? Prepare for confusion when the zombies are revealed. Charlie has a habit of asking questions that point to plot or character twists. This book is so masculine I'd have a hard time convincing young girls to pick it up. But it's also unlike anything I've ever read before. A perfect read for the fall. More like a 4.5.
The writing is really spectacular. It's gripping and fast-paced. Wilson's language is beautifully descriptive-- "A man stood on the deck of his idling harvester. He had long hair the color of mud, a nose that had been broken more than once, and a blurry blue tattoo of a buccaneer on the back of his hand. A cigarette burned between two thick oil-stained fingers." Speaking of this man, I really enjoyed the way Wilson uses family ties and questions the definition of family. Each character has a personality, from the local police officer to Charlie's mother. It's so good it makes me wonder what I've missed from N.D. Wilson.
What didn't work? Prepare for confusion when the zombies are revealed. Charlie has a habit of asking questions that point to plot or character twists. This book is so masculine I'd have a hard time convincing young girls to pick it up. But it's also unlike anything I've ever read before. A perfect read for the fall. More like a 4.5.
msseviereads's review against another edition
5.0
Can a book about fast boys and swamps and monsters be beautiful? Yes, and this is a beautiful book. The writing is amazing... and I lingered over every line.
This books makes me want to read Beowolf again. How many young adult books make you want to read Beowolf?
Love, love, love...
This books makes me want to read Beowolf again. How many young adult books make you want to read Beowolf?
Love, love, love...
destinyyyzz's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
this book was short but for some reason it felt like it drew out so long… i picked it up because the summary was what i thought i was looking for but it was a little disappointing
for me, it didn’t even get good until page 160/195 and i was a little upset that it ended there because throughout all of it, i was bored.
but i love the complicated relationship that he has with his father and his stepfather as someone who is sort of in that situation (my stepdad will always be my father no matter what).
and the cringe of Sugar calling Charlie “Bro” was almost too much to bear, but in the end this was a great story and definitely something different from anything else that i’ve read.
i just wish he didn’t include the maggots, they will be in my nightmares for the rest of my life.
for me, it didn’t even get good until page 160/195 and i was a little upset that it ended there because throughout all of it, i was bored.
but i love the complicated relationship that he has with his father and his stepfather as someone who is sort of in that situation (my stepdad will always be my father no matter what).
and the cringe of Sugar calling Charlie “Bro” was almost too much to bear, but in the end this was a great story and definitely something different from anything else that i’ve read.
i just wish he didn’t include the maggots, they will be in my nightmares for the rest of my life.
clairetbartlett's review against another edition
4.0
My Review/Teaser for a Library Blog:
Charlie’s family has just moved back to the town his father and step-father are from. It is where football is a way of life and boys chase rabbits through the sugar cane for fun. There’s something different about this town. It starts when Charlie’s cousin takes him out at night, and they see a man wearing a silver helmet and carrying a sword who is accompanied by a panther. Then there’s the awful smell that usually makes people unnaturally angry all of a sudden. Charlie is trying to move past the pain his father caused in the past, and adjust to a new happier life in a different place, but the secrets of the town are too much to ignore. He and his cousin find themselves right in the middle of a war between good and evil that threatens everyone in their town. This book has zombies and other fantastical elements, but paints a realistic place you can clearly imagine. It is a fast and exciting read that should appeal to readers in 4th-6th grade, especially those who like adventures and fantasy.
Charlie’s family has just moved back to the town his father and step-father are from. It is where football is a way of life and boys chase rabbits through the sugar cane for fun. There’s something different about this town. It starts when Charlie’s cousin takes him out at night, and they see a man wearing a silver helmet and carrying a sword who is accompanied by a panther. Then there’s the awful smell that usually makes people unnaturally angry all of a sudden. Charlie is trying to move past the pain his father caused in the past, and adjust to a new happier life in a different place, but the secrets of the town are too much to ignore. He and his cousin find themselves right in the middle of a war between good and evil that threatens everyone in their town. This book has zombies and other fantastical elements, but paints a realistic place you can clearly imagine. It is a fast and exciting read that should appeal to readers in 4th-6th grade, especially those who like adventures and fantasy.
jamie_o's review against another edition
2.0
I dunno. This one was so strange. Although Wilson uses some superb figurative language, and it was realistic until the zombie-ish smelly gren joined the story. I was confused by the magical realism/gren aspect. There was far too much crammed in with not enough explanation. It felt disjointed, underdeveloped, and the characters were a bit flat. But hey, in the end Charlie saved the day (or maybe the World?). His willingness to lay down his life for a friend was admirable.
To be fair, my boys did enjoy this more than I did.
To be fair, my boys did enjoy this more than I did.
readingthroughtheages's review against another edition
4.0
Wow. Great writing, great story. I'm still thinking about this one.
The book starts fast and quickly gets into the heart of the story. From time to time, I felt a lull in the book (this could be the times that I was reading before bed and couldn't keep my eyes open). It wouldn't last long, but I noticed my attention fading just a bit. Once you reach halfway, it was hard to put the book down.
The writing was fantastic and many reviewers before me have given many examples. With this being a "slim" book, there is a slight misconception as to who this book is for. I think the writing and content is advanced enough that I would put it in the hands of fifth graders and above. A mature fourth grader would probably do fine with it as well.
There are references in the story to Beowolf and while I read it (or maybe it was an excerpt) in high school, I don't remember much about it. When I read the reviews of other people, I think it enhanced their understanding of the story, but I didn't feel my forgetting about it detracted anything. And since I'm pretty sure most middle school readers do not have much background on the story, they should be ok!
I liked the fast pace of the book. It will grip readers and keep them hooked. The writing is tight - no extra descriptions so the reader is kept on a treadmill - the belt just keeps moving!
The book starts fast and quickly gets into the heart of the story. From time to time, I felt a lull in the book (this could be the times that I was reading before bed and couldn't keep my eyes open). It wouldn't last long, but I noticed my attention fading just a bit. Once you reach halfway, it was hard to put the book down.
The writing was fantastic and many reviewers before me have given many examples. With this being a "slim" book, there is a slight misconception as to who this book is for. I think the writing and content is advanced enough that I would put it in the hands of fifth graders and above. A mature fourth grader would probably do fine with it as well.
There are references in the story to Beowolf and while I read it (or maybe it was an excerpt) in high school, I don't remember much about it. When I read the reviews of other people, I think it enhanced their understanding of the story, but I didn't feel my forgetting about it detracted anything. And since I'm pretty sure most middle school readers do not have much background on the story, they should be ok!
I liked the fast pace of the book. It will grip readers and keep them hooked. The writing is tight - no extra descriptions so the reader is kept on a treadmill - the belt just keeps moving!
heisereads's review against another edition
4.0
This isn't exactly my kind of book, but the writing was stunningly beautiful and wrapped me up in the rhythms and atmosphere of the sugarcane fields and creole magic alongside the story of Charlie and his family.
yapha's review against another edition
5.0
When his step-father's high school football coach dies, Charlie and his family travel to the small town of Taper, Florida. Located on the edge of the Everglades and Lake Okeechobee, it is where both Charlie's abusive father and kind step-father grew up playing football. But there are secrets here, and a deep, dark evil. With the help of family that he never knew he had, Charlie sets out to conquer the evil and save the town from destruction. The lyrical prose is a joy to a read, and the heart-stopping adventure will keep readers on the edge of their seats. A glorious homage to Beowulf. Highly recommended for grades 5-8.
areidj's review against another edition
4.0
Many of my students read the 100 Cupboards series, so I wanted to see if this book would interest them as well. Wow. Wilson has really elevated his game, here. Monsters, football, the muck of Florida swamps, gators -- this is a young boy's dream book. Wilson's writing is descriptive without slowing down the action. I can't wait to tell my students about it.