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3.03 AVERAGE
3.03 AVERAGE
Great narration, for the most part (good job, DC Pierson), but some voices were pretty indistinguishable from each other, and this was between major characters. When there was back-and-forth dialogue, sometimes it was impossible to tell who was speaking if. I enjoyed it a lot in the beginning, but I did tend to get lost in the world building, and all of the quirks of the nameless kingdom lost their humor after a while.
Still, enjoyable and weird--I'd recommend to those who enjoyed Ready Player One, although this has nothing to do with video games.
Still, enjoyable and weird--I'd recommend to those who enjoyed Ready Player One, although this has nothing to do with video games.
2.5 stars. There were some funny parts and a couple of good serious-edged lines, but overall it didn't quite make it; I wasn't quite as engaged as I'd hoped to be, and it definitely wasn't as funny as Pratchett (though, granted, that's setting the bar pretty high). The story seemed to lose its way and wander around in the middle, and the ending was a touch abrupt. Though it wrapped things up (leaving room for possible sequels without being a cliffhanger), it wrapped up too quick and tidy, so it didn't feel right.
Pierson, D.C. Crap Kingdom. Viking Juvenile, 2013.
Tom Parking has always wanted to save a magic kingdom, so he's excited when he is approached by a strange creature and taken to a magic land. However, he is sad to find out that his magical kingdom doesn't have a name and kind of sucks. He doesn't get magic powers, the people in this new world are weird, and everything looks like it has escaped from a Goodwill (which most of it has). Tom has to decide whether he should fulfill his destiny or go back to his normal life.
I expected this book to be a whole lot funnier than it was. It seemed like the kind of book that would have been written by a group of seventh grade boys after drinking massive quantities of Red Bull. It probably seemed hilarious at the time, but it just. wasn't. funny. I wasn't impressed by the descriptions, the humor wasn't funny, and I didn't sympathize with Tom at all, so I had no reason to cheer for him throughout his adventures.
Recommended for: adults
Red Flags: language, bathroom humor
Overall Rating: 1/5 stars
Tom Parking has always wanted to save a magic kingdom, so he's excited when he is approached by a strange creature and taken to a magic land. However, he is sad to find out that his magical kingdom doesn't have a name and kind of sucks. He doesn't get magic powers, the people in this new world are weird, and everything looks like it has escaped from a Goodwill (which most of it has). Tom has to decide whether he should fulfill his destiny or go back to his normal life.
I expected this book to be a whole lot funnier than it was. It seemed like the kind of book that would have been written by a group of seventh grade boys after drinking massive quantities of Red Bull. It probably seemed hilarious at the time, but it just. wasn't. funny. I wasn't impressed by the descriptions, the humor wasn't funny, and I didn't sympathize with Tom at all, so I had no reason to cheer for him throughout his adventures.
Recommended for: adults
Red Flags: language, bathroom humor
Overall Rating: 1/5 stars
when I first started this audiobook, I wasn't too sure of it. the narration was awesome, but I didn't know if I liked the writing itself.
as the story moved along, however, I found myself really enjoying it. I loved the way the story took the fantasy tropes of "the chosen one" and the Magical Kingdom and kind of turned them on their heads. I also really appreciated that Tom, the main character, was really just pretty average. he didn't have a terrible life, and he wasn't Mr. Popular. I liked his inexperience and naiveté. it felt honest to me. I also really appreciated that Tom never TRIED to be someone or something that he wasn't, the way so many teenage protagonists seem to.
Anyway, despite my reluctance early on, I really grew to enjoy the story and like Tom and his adventures. I also enjoyed that the author/narrator sounded an awful lot like Nathan Filion when he voiced the king of Crap Kingdom. that is never a bad thing :-)
as the story moved along, however, I found myself really enjoying it. I loved the way the story took the fantasy tropes of "the chosen one" and the Magical Kingdom and kind of turned them on their heads. I also really appreciated that Tom, the main character, was really just pretty average. he didn't have a terrible life, and he wasn't Mr. Popular. I liked his inexperience and naiveté. it felt honest to me. I also really appreciated that Tom never TRIED to be someone or something that he wasn't, the way so many teenage protagonists seem to.
Anyway, despite my reluctance early on, I really grew to enjoy the story and like Tom and his adventures. I also enjoyed that the author/narrator sounded an awful lot like Nathan Filion when he voiced the king of Crap Kingdom. that is never a bad thing :-)
A very goofy book that would appeal to teenage boys but didn't really appeal to me.
Really 1.5 stars.
The way the story is told felt a bit boring from the beginning. I constantly found myself doing something that I never do – skimming thru paragraphs just to finish a chapter and get on with it. If you’d asked me what I thought about 300 pages in, I would have said it didn’t even deserve one star. The last 60 pages totally saved it by being full of the action and adventure that the rest of the book promises but fails to deliver on. That's how good they are, just those 60 pages merit a whole 1.5 stars.
Tom first comes across as a whiny teenager who can’t look at the good things going on in his life and doesn’t want to put in the effort needed to make it better. He only wants something when his best friend proves that he can do it better. The last pages of the book show that he can indeed grow up and get a clue. It happens way too late to really save the book, but it makes it feel like less of a waste of time.
The way the story is told felt a bit boring from the beginning. I constantly found myself doing something that I never do – skimming thru paragraphs just to finish a chapter and get on with it. If you’d asked me what I thought about 300 pages in, I would have said it didn’t even deserve one star. The last 60 pages totally saved it by being full of the action and adventure that the rest of the book promises but fails to deliver on. That's how good they are, just those 60 pages merit a whole 1.5 stars.
Tom first comes across as a whiny teenager who can’t look at the good things going on in his life and doesn’t want to put in the effort needed to make it better. He only wants something when his best friend proves that he can do it better. The last pages of the book show that he can indeed grow up and get a clue. It happens way too late to really save the book, but it makes it feel like less of a waste of time.
Womp. Remember that movie, "Mom and Dad Save the World"?
Imagine that movie, with a much more difficult plot to follow, a less than interesting main character, and a few writing "style choices" that leave you confused and annoyed.
There was some humor here, and really great world-building, but in terms of the story, I think I literally stopped listening to the audiobook for about fifteen minutes and missed absolutely nothing that I needed to understand the rest of the story, and that should tell you how intriguing much of it was. The narrator was great, I'll give it that. Otherwise, it really gave me nothing more than an insatiable desire to watch the aforementioned MADSTW.
Imagine that movie, with a much more difficult plot to follow, a less than interesting main character, and a few writing "style choices" that leave you confused and annoyed.
There was some humor here, and really great world-building, but in terms of the story, I think I literally stopped listening to the audiobook for about fifteen minutes and missed absolutely nothing that I needed to understand the rest of the story, and that should tell you how intriguing much of it was. The narrator was great, I'll give it that. Otherwise, it really gave me nothing more than an insatiable desire to watch the aforementioned MADSTW.
Well, I bought this book today at the first library sale I've been to in years, yay. I bought eight books (for less than twenty dollars!) and there were two that I hadn't read. I took the opportunity to pick up the others cheaply. At any rate, I read the book today, telling myself that I wouldn't end up reading it unless I did it right then.
I mostly enjoyed Crap Kingdom. I think the cover is great, and the idea is, too. Tom, the main character, has a very authentic teenage voice. He's fifteen, and he acts like it. I could completely relate to his wanting to be a Chosen One. I mean, books like those are eighty percent of what I read!
The book pulled me in at page one. I liked Tom - like I said, he felt very real. I liked the plot, too. It was interesting, and I felt bad for Tom when he was replaced by Kyle. Kyle, I liked. He was an alright guy, but not the best friend to Tom, and I think that both of them should have actually talked more.
While I generally enjoyed the main character and the plot of the book, I did think the world building was weak, and some of the situations could have been executed better. The book was entertaining, so that was nice. The humor fell flat for me in some places - it did feel forced, and a lot of the characters had very little fleshing out, which also bugged me.
3.5 stars. I have mixed feelings, but ultimately enjoyed this book. Apologies for the jumbled review.
I mostly enjoyed Crap Kingdom. I think the cover is great, and the idea is, too. Tom, the main character, has a very authentic teenage voice. He's fifteen, and he acts like it. I could completely relate to his wanting to be a Chosen One. I mean, books like those are eighty percent of what I read!
The book pulled me in at page one. I liked Tom - like I said, he felt very real. I liked the plot, too. It was interesting, and I felt bad for Tom when he was replaced by Kyle. Kyle, I liked. He was an alright guy, but not the best friend to Tom, and I think that both of them should have actually talked more.
While I generally enjoyed the main character and the plot of the book, I did think the world building was weak, and some of the situations could have been executed better. The book was entertaining, so that was nice. The humor fell flat for me in some places - it did feel forced, and a lot of the characters had very little fleshing out, which also bugged me.
3.5 stars. I have mixed feelings, but ultimately enjoyed this book. Apologies for the jumbled review.
I didn't finish this one. I tried reading it for hours and I just couldn't get through it. It was incredibly cheesy. Like over the top cheesy. At least it was for me. As always though, I encourage you to pick it up and give it a go. You might just like it.
ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
I read this book on a recommendation from podcast Pop Culture Happy Hour. Main character Tom (not Tim) Parking finds he's the Chosen One for a kingdom so dull and dumpy it doesn't even have a name. Tom says thanks but no thanks... and that's when everything goes to hell in a handbasket. Fans of coming of age novels and a good questing story will enough this funky take on the age old story of a boy chosen to save Hgkjhkhhhh.