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runa's review against another edition
5.0
Wow wow wow, I am so mad that I didn't hear about this book at ALL prior to its release, despite following a bunch of the authors inside online. This has to be one of my new favorite reads. So many great inside jokes and broken fourth walls and satirical self-referential humor. I am thankful that I found this at my library and saw all of the great authors' names on the cover. Others have pointed out that it is repetitive, but I think it's really interesting to see what each author did with the limited information they were given. Yes, some of them ended up with similar stories, but how cool is that, to compare what each author ended up with? What an imaginative writing exercise and showcase of the brightest voices in YA. This book probably wouldn't go over too well with people who had no familiarity with any of the authors inside, but with the sheer volume of authors showcased, it feels like there has to be something for everyone. Major props to Jon Scieszka, and kudos to everyone involved for deciding to give the proceeds to such a cool cause.
sarawab65d's review against another edition
2.0
Full disclosure: I won this book from a Goodreads giveaway.
In "Who Done It?" a series of authors and illustrators must provide alibis for why they could not possibly have killed their highly unpleasant editor, Herman Mildew. Some alibis were quite funny and creative (Mac Barnett's was my personal favorite), but with over 80 authors and illustrators participating, there were bound to be some that I enjoyed somewhat less.
My main issue with this book is that there was not much cohesion among the stories. it would have been great if the participants had agreed beforehand on who found the body and where and how, since there were many mutually-exclusive claims. While this isn't a problem in and of itself, internal agreement would have tied the stories together far better. As is, the bulk of the book is a litany of excuses, which are mostly entertaining but provide no compelling reason to keep turning pages. Maybe I would have enjoyed the book more if I had read it in smaller doses. Maybe I'm just expecting too much from an anthology.
Overall, I'd give this book 2.5 stars. All of the stories are cute standalone reads, but there wasn't enough driving the book forward for me to love it.
In "Who Done It?" a series of authors and illustrators must provide alibis for why they could not possibly have killed their highly unpleasant editor, Herman Mildew. Some alibis were quite funny and creative (Mac Barnett's was my personal favorite), but with over 80 authors and illustrators participating, there were bound to be some that I enjoyed somewhat less.
My main issue with this book is that there was not much cohesion among the stories. it would have been great if the participants had agreed beforehand on who found the body and where and how, since there were many mutually-exclusive claims. While this isn't a problem in and of itself, internal agreement would have tied the stories together far better. As is, the bulk of the book is a litany of excuses, which are mostly entertaining but provide no compelling reason to keep turning pages. Maybe I would have enjoyed the book more if I had read it in smaller doses. Maybe I'm just expecting too much from an anthology.
Overall, I'd give this book 2.5 stars. All of the stories are cute standalone reads, but there wasn't enough driving the book forward for me to love it.
misskrose's review against another edition
3.0
My favorite stories where Mac Barnett, Liz Braswell, Libba Bray, Peter Brown, Elizabeth Craft, Gayle Forman, John Green, Maureen Johnson, David Levithan, Lisa & Laura Roeker, & Mo Willems.
spencecommasarah's review against another edition
2.0
You can't read this one in one sitting. Use it more as a research booklet for new authors.
prationality's review against another edition
3.0
In a lot of ways this reminded me of movies like "CLUE" and "MURDER BY DEATH" in that many of the writers paid homage to recognizable tropes of the mystery world, but in over the top ways. I found that part to be amusing and endearing.
What I found less endearing, and which ultimately had me frowning more often then being entertained, was that while some authors obviously took the idea of clues and a mystery seriously (even if they didn't write it seriously) a larger majority couldn't use subtly if it snuck up on them.
Granted I'm saying this from a 29 year old's perspective; this is clearly meant for a younger set (I'd guess middle grade, but it may be aimed for teens) and meant to entertain through the witty writing and outlandish characters then by a hardcore mystery. The short nature of each author's piece also hinders a larger enjoyment on my part--this is less of an anthology collection as it is a giant collaborative writing project amongst peers.
What I found less endearing, and which ultimately had me frowning more often then being entertained, was that while some authors obviously took the idea of clues and a mystery seriously (even if they didn't write it seriously) a larger majority couldn't use subtly if it snuck up on them.
Granted I'm saying this from a 29 year old's perspective; this is clearly meant for a younger set (I'd guess middle grade, but it may be aimed for teens) and meant to entertain through the witty writing and outlandish characters then by a hardcore mystery. The short nature of each author's piece also hinders a larger enjoyment on my part--this is less of an anthology collection as it is a giant collaborative writing project amongst peers.
christiana's review against another edition
2.0
More a marketing tool than anything (not that there's anything wrong with that! I like supporting public schools with no money and underprivileged children!), so kind of forgettable.
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