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lrober97's review
5.0
I also received this as a good reads giveaway and am glad I did! I enjoyed the book's darker side and found it humorous. As an elementary teacher, I felt that the book was age appropriate for ages 11+. I could see myself using it as a read aloud or as a small group read with higher readers. Yes, the book has some gory aspects, but the kids would very much enjoy that! I can definitely see my students enjoying this book as well as the illustrations. There are many good discussions points that happen throughout which make it a good horde for a group read and discussion. Also, the book lends itself to making predictions and cause/effect scenarios which are all great teaching points!
beths0103's review
3.0
Really liked the clever, funny writing in the beginning. Felt kind of "meh" about the story in the middle. Then liked it again at the end. I really like that the ending lends itself to a great discussion about irony.
kerrifilippazzo's review
4.0
I couldn't make my mind up at first about this one. I think the problem was that I had never read anything like it. Right from the beginning, reading that the main character is absolutely, without a doubt, going to die was a little disturbing and the text felt almost like a huge didactic warning against living a bad life. BUT then I laughed. And lightened up. And realized that I think I could recommend this to a ton of middle grade readers (and to top it off, it's a real short read). Woo hoo!
As always, I just love Sophie Blackall's illustrations. They enhanced the text and made for an even funnier reading experience.
As always, I just love Sophie Blackall's illustrations. They enhanced the text and made for an even funnier reading experience.
liedora's review
4.0
This book is aimed at middle school grade age children, and is one of those books that every child should be allowed to enjoy and revel in at least once in their lives. And at 135 pages in length, it won’t take too long for the more experienced or confident reader in that age range to get through.
The character of the title is spoiled, mean, despicable and downright disobedient; everything parents don’t want their child to be. However, the Author does take the time to fill the reader in on the back story of the Family, and in doing so tries to explain why he acts the way he does. As is the case with books for this age range, there is little to no character development and that is just fine with this reader.
Yes, the book is slightly cynical and downright morbid at times, but this is part of its charm, and why so many children would enjoy it; Alexander is able to do and get away with things that can only happen within the pages of a book, and in this sense it really lets the readers imagination run riot, not only during the reading but afterwards. The illustrations in the book do every word justice and, in themselves would be worthy of a 4 thumbs rating.
So if you are looking for something darkly funny to either read yourself or with your children, check this book out of your local library and sit down to enjoy the laughs.
Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.com/2013/12/19/review-the-nine-lives-of-alexander-baddenfield-john-bemelmans-marciano-sophie-blackall/
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
The character of the title is spoiled, mean, despicable and downright disobedient; everything parents don’t want their child to be. However, the Author does take the time to fill the reader in on the back story of the Family, and in doing so tries to explain why he acts the way he does. As is the case with books for this age range, there is little to no character development and that is just fine with this reader.
Yes, the book is slightly cynical and downright morbid at times, but this is part of its charm, and why so many children would enjoy it; Alexander is able to do and get away with things that can only happen within the pages of a book, and in this sense it really lets the readers imagination run riot, not only during the reading but afterwards. The illustrations in the book do every word justice and, in themselves would be worthy of a 4 thumbs rating.
So if you are looking for something darkly funny to either read yourself or with your children, check this book out of your local library and sit down to enjoy the laughs.
Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.com/2013/12/19/review-the-nine-lives-of-alexander-baddenfield-john-bemelmans-marciano-sophie-blackall/
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
crey18's review
3.0
Interesting and unique concept with the 9 lives of a cat. Definitely some clever moments, but overall I finished wanting more.
howardmaria23's review
3.0
This book seems like it should be on a shelf in an elementary school library. While the book is somewhat morbid in describing Alexander's death, it is nothing that parents should be worried about.
Overall this was an enjoyable book that seems to be perfect for boys from the 7-12 year age.
Spoiler
It seems like the end should be a little more fleshed out. It was almost like the author was tried of writing so he just wanted to stop.He also just got rid of Kranstenenif. You shouldn't just let characters fade away. But the theory about how cats have nine lives is very original, so props for that.Overall this was an enjoyable book that seems to be perfect for boys from the 7-12 year age.
leslie_d's review
4.0
9 Reasons to Read The 9 Lives of Alexander Baddenfield
#1 The Premise:
{synopsis}
I felt sure that between the jacket copy and the illustrator, I was going to like this one. It was going to be deliciously dark and, thus, right up my alley. [#2 It is deliciously dark, by the way.] While there was some concern that the clever narrator would be a bit too much, I knew I would love this read after page 2. The reason why:
“But now you say to yourself, “Aha! I know: The twist is that the boy is not really dead. It says it right there in the title–Alexander has nine lives. he will be reborn, again and again, so that by his ninth life this awful child will have learned his lesson. His heart will fill with love for his fellow man, and he will become a Not-So-Baddenfield, or even a Goodenfield, and he will turn all his money over to the poor and dedicate his final life to charitable good works.
“If this were a Hollywood movie, or a fairy tale, or a run-of-the-mill chapter book, this would undoubtedly be the case. But in the real world such things rarely happen. The truth of the matter is that Alexander Baddenfield used up all nine of his lives without the least bit of remorse or redemption, because Alexander Baddenfield only ever cared about one thing: himself.” (2-3)
John Bemelmans Marciano earns major points with me for consistency of character.
#3 Like his Baddenfield men before him, will die “in particularly grisly and poetically justified ways” (8). The tricky thing about the book, of course, is: how to kill of a child character and still maintain the resulting exclamation: what an entertaining book! I’m still laughing about _____! [I could be heard saying these things as I was encouraging Natalya to take a break from Virgin Suicides to give it a go.] It doesn’t hurt that Alexander is really and truly horrible. Two, there are quite a few fantastical elements. Three, if Edward Gorey can do it…
Marciano was evidently up to the challenge. And in case, you aren’t a reader of Grimm or Gorey, the author offers a disclaimer, a dare and a tantalizer:
“Warning to All Readers : You are about to embark on a tale that recounts the sometimes gruesome deaths of a young boy, and his not always pleasant rebirths. If you are squeamish, sentimental, or faint of heart, I suggest that you turn back now. You have hopefully enjoyed the story so far. Why not quiet while you are ahead?”
It is nicely done, a black page and a skull and cross bones. #4 His sense of humor is spot-on for this sort of storytelling.
#5 The 9 Lives is as much about Winterbottom as it is about Alexander. A Winterbottom has served a Baddenfield “since time immemorial” (2), and how does one suffer such horrible human beings; further, how does one stick around to watch him self-destruct x9? Here is the heart that functions as the foil to Alexander’s heartlessness. Here is the helicopter parent to Alexander’s extreme risk-taking. What I can’t say is: Here is the perfection to Alexander’s imperfection–and I am glad to be unable to say it.
#6 Sophie Blackall’s illustrations. You know by now that I am a fan of Blackall’s work, but I wasn’t sure about the sweetened edge to her illustrations would do in a book full of horribleness. The rounded over sharp, skritched carvings of characters lend a deceptive sweetness that makes a glaring Alexander all the more awful…and humorous. Blackall’s charming illustrations make the macabre turns surprisingly all the more disturbing.
#7 Mention of Thomas Pynchon on page 36. another reason why juvenile fiction can be enjoyed by the well-read grown-ups in the family.
#8 The book itself is having fun. Besides the great illustrations and entertaining narrator, the text is manipulated and lives are counted down via eyeballs. Chapters are as long as they need to be, and the re-write of history in chapter two is perfectly paced and hilariously re-imagined (my favorite may be the Boston Tea Party); and such is what you can expect in following chapters–unexpected takes that are highly comedic.
#9 “The End” wherein the narrative shifts, and we get two amusing pages of text before that closing full-page illustration. It is a truly delightful ending to a marvelously entertaining book!
L (omphaloskepsis)
http://contemplatrix.wordpress.com/2013/11/12/book-9-reasons-to-read-the-9-lives-of-alexander-baddenfield/
#1 The Premise:
{synopsis}
I felt sure that between the jacket copy and the illustrator, I was going to like this one. It was going to be deliciously dark and, thus, right up my alley. [#2 It is deliciously dark, by the way.] While there was some concern that the clever narrator would be a bit too much, I knew I would love this read after page 2. The reason why:
“But now you say to yourself, “Aha! I know: The twist is that the boy is not really dead. It says it right there in the title–Alexander has nine lives. he will be reborn, again and again, so that by his ninth life this awful child will have learned his lesson. His heart will fill with love for his fellow man, and he will become a Not-So-Baddenfield, or even a Goodenfield, and he will turn all his money over to the poor and dedicate his final life to charitable good works.
“If this were a Hollywood movie, or a fairy tale, or a run-of-the-mill chapter book, this would undoubtedly be the case. But in the real world such things rarely happen. The truth of the matter is that Alexander Baddenfield used up all nine of his lives without the least bit of remorse or redemption, because Alexander Baddenfield only ever cared about one thing: himself.” (2-3)
John Bemelmans Marciano earns major points with me for consistency of character.
#3 Like his Baddenfield men before him, will die “in particularly grisly and poetically justified ways” (8). The tricky thing about the book, of course, is: how to kill of a child character and still maintain the resulting exclamation: what an entertaining book! I’m still laughing about _____! [I could be heard saying these things as I was encouraging Natalya to take a break from Virgin Suicides to give it a go.] It doesn’t hurt that Alexander is really and truly horrible. Two, there are quite a few fantastical elements. Three, if Edward Gorey can do it…
Marciano was evidently up to the challenge. And in case, you aren’t a reader of Grimm or Gorey, the author offers a disclaimer, a dare and a tantalizer:
“Warning to All Readers : You are about to embark on a tale that recounts the sometimes gruesome deaths of a young boy, and his not always pleasant rebirths. If you are squeamish, sentimental, or faint of heart, I suggest that you turn back now. You have hopefully enjoyed the story so far. Why not quiet while you are ahead?”
It is nicely done, a black page and a skull and cross bones. #4 His sense of humor is spot-on for this sort of storytelling.
#5 The 9 Lives is as much about Winterbottom as it is about Alexander. A Winterbottom has served a Baddenfield “since time immemorial” (2), and how does one suffer such horrible human beings; further, how does one stick around to watch him self-destruct x9? Here is the heart that functions as the foil to Alexander’s heartlessness. Here is the helicopter parent to Alexander’s extreme risk-taking. What I can’t say is: Here is the perfection to Alexander’s imperfection–and I am glad to be unable to say it.
#6 Sophie Blackall’s illustrations. You know by now that I am a fan of Blackall’s work, but I wasn’t sure about the sweetened edge to her illustrations would do in a book full of horribleness. The rounded over sharp, skritched carvings of characters lend a deceptive sweetness that makes a glaring Alexander all the more awful…and humorous. Blackall’s charming illustrations make the macabre turns surprisingly all the more disturbing.
#7 Mention of Thomas Pynchon on page 36. another reason why juvenile fiction can be enjoyed by the well-read grown-ups in the family.
#8 The book itself is having fun. Besides the great illustrations and entertaining narrator, the text is manipulated and lives are counted down via eyeballs. Chapters are as long as they need to be, and the re-write of history in chapter two is perfectly paced and hilariously re-imagined (my favorite may be the Boston Tea Party); and such is what you can expect in following chapters–unexpected takes that are highly comedic.
#9 “The End” wherein the narrative shifts, and we get two amusing pages of text before that closing full-page illustration. It is a truly delightful ending to a marvelously entertaining book!
L (omphaloskepsis)
http://contemplatrix.wordpress.com/2013/11/12/book-9-reasons-to-read-the-9-lives-of-alexander-baddenfield/
jenilyn's review
2.0
We read this aloud as a family. The kids liked it, overall, but they were sad that Alexander died a bad kid. I think this might be the first book they've read where there was no redemption at the end. My husband and I kept calling it their "intro to goth." The book is a tad darker than Lemony Snicket's books; the death by bull scenes were a little too much for all of us. My husband called the book "morose," I called it "morbid." The kids got to learn what those words meant, so that's something!(Which reminds me. This book contains some of the "define as go" writing that Snicket made popular. That trend bores me.)
Overall, I prefer my darkness with some light.
Overall, I prefer my darkness with some light.
erine's review
3.0
I think this would be a suitable recommendation for fans of A Series of Unfortunate Events. There are elements of baddness, grossness, deathiness, and a high spook factor. The illustrations are complementary. Sophie Blackall's Death intervals are spot-on.
Not a story for people looking to read about either all-positive superhero type characters, nor yet complex real characters. The closest we get is Winterbottom, who is fretful and solicitous, but Alexander Baddenfield has only the barest of redeeming qualities. Possibly a good book for discussion.
Not a story for people looking to read about either all-positive superhero type characters, nor yet complex real characters. The closest we get is Winterbottom, who is fretful and solicitous, but Alexander Baddenfield has only the barest of redeeming qualities. Possibly a good book for discussion.