Customer Reviews

Billy Hooten: Owlboy

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Billy Hooten:Owlboy is that rare book that can capture the imagination and interest of even the most reluctant pre-teen boy reader. It has it all: action, adventure, strange parents, potty humor and monsters. However, it is also a book which is so well-written and does such a good job of investing you in its characters and plotlines that even the parents or teachers of the aforementioned boys can enjoy reading it with their young charges. AND it might even hold the interest of a girl or two! In all seriousness, this really is what we call a 'threshold' book, one which can be the beginning of a young reader's true joy and lifetime immersion in the world of books.

Have you ever dreamed of being a superhero? Wonder what it would be like if you got the chance to live that dream? Then you are going to love the Owlboy series!

Billy would rather read his comic books - especially Owlboy - than deal with his classmates - especially the bullies. When he learns that Owlboy's adventures may be based on real stories, and when he dons the Owlboy costume, his life changes in ways he never could have dreamed.

Where can you find walking skeletons, a talking firefly named Walter, and dust bunnies that are actually in the shape of bunnies? Nowhere other than Monstros City, a mysterious place beneath Billy's hometown of Bradbury, Massachusetts. In Monstros City, he quickly meets two allies: a tuxedo-wearing creature named Archebold and a savvy, fast-working troll named Halifax. He also encounters, among other things, Slovakian Rat-Toothed Hopping Monkey Demons, a little red female dragon named Ferdinand, a talking firefly named Walter, and dust bunnies, which are really bunny-shaped.

Between fighting evil, protecting the townspeople, riding in the Owlmobile, keeping his secret identity a secret, and devouring cloud cake, Billy manages to finish his homework and hang out with his quirky parents. He also realizes that knowledge is power - in fact, it's a superpower!

Written by Thomas E. Sniegoski and illustrated by Eric Powell, the Owlboy books are packed with adventure, action, and humor. I laughed out loud on multiple occasions. The dialogue is witty, the characters are fun, and the illustrations are eye-catching. I highly recommend this series to both kids and grown-ups.

My name is Billy and I am 7 years old. I like the book Owlboy because my name is Billy too and I live in Massachusetts and like the same things as Billy Hooten. It's a really interesting book and I like the Slovakian Rot-toothed Hopping Monkey Demons. It is very cool and I can't wait to read the next one in the series. I hope I don't run into that Bully Randy Kulkowski! :)

Owlboy was just OK in my book. It started promising, but ended up being a slow moving Batman-wannabe kids book. The creatures were never scary enough to really suck you in. Some might say that that was the point, but I would say that Owlboy lacks the balance between humor and suspense.

Another thing that made this book just OK was the way-too-over-the-top Batman similarities. The Owlmobile. A Batman-esque tool belt complete with gadgets. A batman-esque lair. yada. Yada. Yada.

In many ways Owlboy insults the younger reader by forsaking some fresh ideas, and instead giving us the same-old, same-old.

Owlboy had potential, but ultimately falls flat as just another forgettable superhero book.