A review by rebeshelton
Ben Yokoyama and the Cookie of Doom by Matthew Swanson

It's hard to rate a book that wasn't meant for you, you know? That being said, I'm not sure that I would have particularly enjoyed this book when I was the age it's targeted towards.

While there were moments of clarity and life lessons, the plot felt like one disaster after another. One aspect of children's media that I don't enjoy (and have never enjoyed even as a child) is the portrayal of adults as bumbling idiots who make decisions that aren't realistic.

Another aspect of this book that was extremely annoying was the overuse of similes. Some made sense, but most of them felt like the author grabbed a few words out of a hat and jumbled them together into something that was not even intelligible.

I know my son read and enjoyed this book and I think that's what matters. However, I won't be suggesting it as a first choice for kids that need to read a book award nominee this year.