Customer Reviews

Boom!

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

From a financial perspective, it makes perfect sense that this book, originally published in 1992 under the title Gridzbi Spudvetch!, is being given a second life nearly twenty years later. Its author, Mark Haddon, has since achieved literary renown as the author of 2003's book club favorite The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and the lesser known but equally enjoyable A Spot of Bother (Vintage). It's been nearly four year's since the latter's publication, and with no new adult novel on the horizon (for the time being), it makes sense to haul a title out of the archives before people forget about Haddon. Similar action was taken with Yann Martel after the roaring success of his Life of Pi, when The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios - an older collection of short stories - was repackaged for the public. Adult fans of Haddon's `previous' novels are bound to feel intrigued. Toss in the fact that Boom! was actually written for the young adult market, which is enjoying strong sales in a comparatively bleak market for books, and everything seems perfect. For both Haddon and the publisher, of course.

The problem with repackaging these older titles is that they inevitably seem hopelessly amateur compared with the author's current work. In Martel's case, Facts was the work of an experimental author struggling to find a voice; essentially throwing ideas out on paper to see if they worked. Unfortunately, more often than not they didn't. For Haddon, well, he had ten extra years of writing expertise by the time Curious Incident hit bookshelves, and boy does it show. Which is odd because in the forward Haddon claims to have extensively edited the old manuscript to fix all the wonky writing and plot holes (as well as to update the technology to incorporate cell phones and iPods). I say this claim is odd because the sound that would best describe Boom! is rather a deafening Clunk! Clunk goes the dialogue, stilted and unnatural (and oddly enough featuring dated references to Snakes on a Plane, among other pop culture dinosaurs, for something that was allegedly worked over to be up to the minute). Clunk goes the plot, which awkwardly lurches forward and still features an unseemly amount of plot holes. Clunk goes Haddon's sense of humor, so sharp and biting in his two adult novels. Indeed, if Haddon intended to snatch some of the audience of the bestselling Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, then Jeff Kinney has absolutely nothing to fear, because this book lacks all of the wit and whimsy that makes those so enjoyable.

Is Boom! an awful read? No. It's harmless. But it's also imminently forgettable; had the publisher left it out of print I doubt anyone would have missed it very much. Its major crime is that it won't appeal to either Haddon's adult audience or the young adult audience it aims for. Both sets are better served waiting for something new.

Grade: D

My daughter read this book in one evening. She enjoyed it so much, she couldn't put it down. I could hear her cracking up from her bedroom, and she later told me it was one of the best, funniest books she'd read in a long time. When we later saw this book in a local book store, she told several kids in the store that they should also read it. She is an avid reader, but it isn't often that a book elicits such an enthusiastic and gushing response from her. I'd recommend this book for other kids who like an entertaining read.

Boom is a simple story. Two boys up to no good overhear their teachers talking in a strange language. They uncover the teacher's true natures, one gets kidnapped and the other must come to the rescue. This is a straightforward tale with simple straightforward characters that kids will love. Is it great literature? Nah, but it is a fun ride, with enough excitement to keep even this jaded adult reading all the way to the end. I loved the humour and the aliens were great.

The only thing that kind of worries me is that there are quite a few british terms that most kids will be unfamiliar with. Some might be put off by this, but I think that to most it will make the story all the more exotic and enticing. This one has the feel of a Saturday morning matinee. All you need is to pop a big bowl of popcorn and settle in for the fun. Recommended for kids 9 to 14.

When I read the description for this novel, I was really excited to read it. I mean, students overhearing their teachers speaking a strange language? If that doesn't sound intriguing for a school-aged child, I'm not sure what does. However, while I found the premise of the novel really strong, I found the actual execution to be disappointing.

I think my biggest issue with this book is that the voice feels off. I've read a good number of children's and YA fiction, and the best of those genres always feel like the narrator's voice is authentic to the age group. Jimbo is a likable enough character, but he felt to me like a kid written by an adult. I wanted, instead, for him to feel like he was an actual kid.

My other disappointment with this novel was that I felt that the central plot took too long to get off the ground and then, when it did, it wasn't as interesting as I felt it should have been. There are a lot of plot threads to this novel, everything from Jimbo's father's unemployment to gender issues to teenagers making bad dating choices--in other words, far too many for such a short novel. I really felt like Jimbo's feelings about his father's joblessness could have been a novel in and of itself. It would certainly have been a different type of novel, but the potential was there. Instead, I found myself wondering when the whole mystery of the teachers would come into play rather than detailed descriptions of the meals Jimbo's father was cooking.

There is some really good, dry wit to this novel. I especially enjoyed the strange linguistics of Britney and fellows. They sounded like they had learned English by watching cheesy 70s movies or something. Jimbo also has a sort of wry view of his world, and this did lend some amusing moments to the book. Still, I found myself wishing that the book was just a little bit funnier as I found its overall tone too dry for my tastes.

I can really sum the book up by saying that I felt its potential was wasted. It sounded like something that might be fun to read aloud with my six-year-old daughter, but she already has a stack of other, better children's lit. This is one I won't be sharing with her.

This is an adorably funny book, that builds to laugh out loud funny by the end. Jim and Charlie, two best friends are concerned with the possiblity that Jim will be expelled from school. They decide that the best course of action is to bug the teacher's meeting to see if they are planning to expel Jim. What they hear instead is a conversation in a strange language by teachers who don't know eachother - a mystery is afoot! Soon they are searching for clues worried that their teachers are spies. But the truth is much stranger.

This book is good for the 9 and up age groups provided they are strong readers. I gave it to my 8 (almost 9) year old who was able to read and understand most of it, only asking about the british slang. I think the greatest enjoyment will be around the 12 year old age group.

This book contains creepy teachers, men in black, laser weapons, nasty older sisters and their even nastier boyfriends, perplexing parents, and well I wont spoil it for you. For a fun filled trip into the scifi realm, give this book a try, it's well worth the read.

And yes - there was one part of this book that actually triggered a verbal giggle from me.

Mark Haddon is a talented writer. His debut novel "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" was a searing and poignant look inside the mind of an autistic child. In that novel, he proved he could tell a story from a young adult's point of view, and tries so again in his first young adult novel, "boom!". While entertaining and genuinely funny at times, the plot is too thin and somewhat recycled to sustain Haddon's humor and characters.

The story is told by Jimbo, whose family is going through a rough patch. Even though he's an average student, he believes his older sister, Becky, when she claims that she overheard the teachers talking about removing him to a "special" school. Anxious, Jimbo follows the plan of his friend Charlie to bug the teachers' staff room; while they do not find anything out about Jimbo being expelled, they do hear two of their teachers speaking a strange foreign language. Jimbo and Charlie (more Charlie at first) go on the hunt to figure out what secret these two teachers are keeping. Jimbo resists Charlie's attempts at spying and solving the puzzle until Charlie disappears. It is up to Jimbo to follow the only clue about these teachers to try to save his best friend, but will he be able to save Charlie if his own life is in danger? And who will believe him when he tells everyone what he has seen?

"boom!" is a quick-paced, entertaining story with likable characters. It is thoroughly a British book, so youth in America may have trouble understanding everything Haddon writes. What eventually happens to Charlie and Jimbo is fitting to the story, but not entirely unique. Any fan of science fiction will appreciate the heavy influence of works by Douglas Adams and even Terry Pratchett. "boom!" is a cute book, but no where on par with Haddon's unique capabilities as a masterful writer.

The writing style (over-the-top silliness) author Mark Haddon uses in Boom! reminds me most of that used by M. T. Anderson in his Pals in Peril series, of which I was not a fan. The story starts slow, with two ten-year-old friends, James aka "Jimbo" and Charlie trying to figure out if a rumor James' sixteen-year-old sister told him is true. The results of their investigation don't support the rumor, but do indicate that something strange is going on that involves school staff members speaking a language that seems alien to the two. Sleuthing the situation, the duo end up on a death-defying adventure requiring bravery, skill, a sibling, a bit of luck.

Although the last third of the book moved pretty quickly, and was interesting enough to compel me to continue, the story up to that point (through Chapter 12) was just not that intriguing; the motivation behind the foreigners' plot, especially in their random choice of subjects, was nonsensical (a recurring theme); the title is too vague to help readers decide whether to bother with the book; the "illustrations" (and I use that word loosely), basically, the same clip art image used repeatedly throughout a given chapter, are amateurish at best; and one would (at least me) expect more from a rewrite, which the author shares that this version is. I also think that the distracting, gibberish-y language could have been made cool if he'd have done it in code that a kid could try his hand at cracking. Better: A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket, Invasion of the Road Weenies by David Lubar, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney.

Here's an interesting factoid. There are 51 reviews for this book as of this writing, and 46 of them are from Vine reviewers, who get free books and are asked to submit reviews. The most recent review is 10 months old. So, I somehow suspect that Haddon is not going to be buying a new Porsche with his royalties.

Which is a shame, because this is a very entertaining book. The plot is pretty standard, (my teacher is an alien), although the ending is zanier and more fun than I expected. The two lead characters are appealing. Granted, they are written to be older, wiser, funnier and more insightful than would be age appropriate, but I am willing to overlook that since it means they are wiser, funnier, and more insightful. The byplay between Jimbo and his sister is wonderfully done, which adds a nice amount of variety to the character interactions.

I don't think British slang is a problem, since most of it can be figured out from context, and the rest doesn't matter. It's not like the book is written in some obscure dialect, there are just a few unfamiliar words.

But at bottom bear this in mind - there are some truly funny lines and bits of dialogue in this book. There is some great deadpan humor, in a Greg Hefley "Diary..." kind of way. There are rewards to be found, and don't forget that someone besides me has to actually buy this book.

While it's meant for young adults, BOOM is a fun, light read for adults who just want something to pass the time on the bus or before bed. When two boys overhear teachers using a very odd language, their curiosity sends them into a marvelous little adventure. The book's cover KIND OF gives the surprise away as to what's going on, but it's still a fun read. I liked Haddon's other book, THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN NIGHT TIME, a lot more, I did find this novel equally as engaging and read it in one sitting. This is a fun book to share with your kids and talk about the impact of curiosity and imagination! Some of the British humor may be lost on American kids, but the story and characters are highly memorable!

I rather enjoyed this novel. I will tell you that the fact that it is geared for that middle school grade level is perfect. It is hard to find a book that caters to this level without being too far below them or too far above them where they need to be in high school. I found the book interesting as the plot line was way out there beyond the solar system. I felt compelled to keep reading to see where the author was going to send the reader next. I found certain parts quite humorous where one of my favorite lines is when one of the characters informs the humans that the word "moon" is used by them to refer to "passing wind out of the bottoms". That wording just cracks me up. There were several one liners that had me chuckling. The weird language that some characters speak threw me off. I realize that they are not human so I understand the point of this, but I found it to be nuisance at times. This was a fast read for me. It is light on content, high on imagination and humor, and perfect for middle school. I think students who read this will quite enjoy it. I think I am to the point now in my reading that I need to get back into some heavy content again so I will sort through the 30 plus books that just came in for me at the library and read something gritty. In the meantime, check this book out. I am sure this will be a high prized book at our library.