Customer Reviews

Boots and Pieces

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am not sure what this book was about, my 10 year old son read it and told me he liked it. My son is not a reader and getting him to read is like pulling his teeth. However this book kept him interested and he even wrote a summary for his reading class at school. I asked him how he liked it on a scale of 1-5 being the best and he said 4 so there it is....

Depending on the style of book your child enjoys will obviously determine whether or not you pick up this book. If they can't get enough Goosebumps or night time horror stories, then Boots & Pieces will be right up their alley.

Packed full of mystery, murder and intrigue yet spoken in the younger, goolish tone that I remember growing up. The story is easy to follow and keeps them reading, It will bring about some hair raising moments which is followed by some much needed light hearted humor. I thought the author packed a lot of entertainment in Boots and Pieces. My 12 year old daughter and I had a blast reading it.

If you don't want your younger child hopping in bed with you night after night, then I suggest giving the book to 12 and up.

Four stars!

a bit much for my 9 year olds, so I agree with the others.

I think I probably enjoyed it more.

Boots and Pieces is easy reading, fast paced & funny. Found it difficult to put down. Enjoyed it and would recommend

In Boots and Pieces, readers meet Arlie Jacobs, her best friend Ty (who is a boy but definitely not her boyfriend), her older sister Tina (who loves fashionable clothes as much as Arlie doesn't), her parents, and her family's Chihuahua, Mr. Boots (who gets dressed up in doll clothes by Tina and her mom). When a local girl mysteriously disappears, the adults in town try to reinforce safety measures for the kids. Then more teens disappear, and some adults act like it's no big deal, like they just ran away. Arlie and Ty check out the swamp and discover a large weird-looking creature that dissolves people and other animals just by touching them.

This book will be appreciated by those who like The Middleman, M.T. Anderson's Thrilling Tales, or tongue-in-cheek episodes of Doctor Who. Arlie has a snark to her, but it doesn't come across as biting or mean - it's simply part of her personality, and she will sometimes act first and think later. Even with its gigantic swamp creature, the book is more funny than scary, and that's how it's intended. Just wait 'til you get to the climax and see which sassy person saves the day!

Emily Ecton, Boots and Pieces (Aladdin, 2008)

Full disclosure: I know Emily Ecton. We went to college together. Objective review? Not on your life.

You can tell Boots and Pieces is not going to be your average kidlit mystery when someone actually turns up dead at the end of the first chapter. I always thought that was some sort of taboo in kidlit, but I guess not. Anyway, that's the pieces part of the title. The boots part comes from the name of one of the book's detectives--Mr. Boots the chihuahua. No, this is definitely not your average kidlit mystery.

The body's name is, or was, Stacy Sizemore, and when we meet her briefly at the beginning of the first chapter, we're not all that sorry to see her go. Nor, to be callous about it, is Arlie Jacobs. Not all that much, anyway. Arlie is not one of the popular girls at school, and Stacy Sizemore is. But still, that doesn't mean she should end up in (or as) pieces, does it? Arlie and her best friend Ty (along with Arlie's family dog, Mr. Boots, whom Arlie is usually stuck babysitting) have to figure out what actually killed her. After all, who really goes rock climbing in high heels? The official story smells to high heaven.

This book is well-written, fast-paced, and a lot of fun, but that's not all there is to it. Arlie and Ty are characters we get to know and like; where a lot of mysteries (of all types, not just kidlit) tend to focus a lot more on the plot than the characters, we get a good deal of character development into which we can sink our teeth. And it's not just the main characters, but a number of the minor characters get enough development that we can get to know them, as well. This is a book that has a lot going for it. Kid or not, I think you'll like it. ****

For someone like me who has older siblings, I can relate very well to the life that Arlie leads on a day-to-day basis.

That being said, BOOTS AND PIECES also has some scary elements to it, as well. I think that older kids will like it and maybe some of the younger kids if they don't scare easily.

I thought the adults in the story were slightly off with their way of thinking. I don't know any parents who behave the way the adults did in this book!

Overall, though, this was a funny, enjoyable read and I loved the way it ended. I am planning on getting other books by this author. I rate this book 4 stars only because I wanted the adults to be smarter!

Reviewed by: Breia "The Brain" Brickey

Stacy Sizemore ends up missing. The sheriff said she was rocking climbing and fell. Now she's dead. When Arlie was at a dentist's appointment, she overheard the sheriff saying what really happened. She tells her friend Ty and the investigation begins. It turns out there is a Gummy Bear looking monster with a tentacle that dissolves most everything it touches. It leaves a couple of pieces behind.

With school prom coming up, Arlie is sure the monster will show up and dissolve as many people as possible. Ty comes up with a plan and they both stake out the prom. The end didn't turn out exactly as planned.

This book is fun, adventurous and flat out odd. I loved it. BOOTS AND PIECES is the first book in this series. THE CURSE OF CUDDLES MCGEE is the second.

This was a fun read. It took awhile to settle in because the way it is written is much like the mind of the adolescent protagonists, jumping around a bit with little side stories. Once I adjusted to that (most books I've read in the last 20 years were textbooks or programming books), it was quite enjoyable. I liked it in the same way I like Hitchhiker's Guide when I first read it as a teen. I would consider other titles from the author, especially in this series.

My son thought this book was funny from the monster in the book on down to the different names. I love any book that keeps my son's attention and encourages him to keep reading. My son is a very gifted reader so he got through the book in a couple days. Then he had a good time telling me about each section that he liked. I recommend this one for children looking for a good read.