Customer Reviews

Name of This Book is Secret

5 star:		(90)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is truly a great book! It is a wondrous read that I couldn't put down and I didn't want to end. This engaging book pulled me in on the first page and I couldn't let go. It is an amusing, intriguing and well thought out mystery, but it is also an inspiring and magical story. It's like a comedy-action-adventure-mystery with magic. It was pure joy to read and easily the best book I have read this year. I have already begun reading it again. Once you enter the world of Cass and Max-Ernest you will never want to leave. It is a kid's book but like Harry Potter before it, everyone can get wrapped up in the world Bosch creates. I really loved this book and recommend it to anyone who likes to read. This book is a MUST!!!

My son begged me to buy this book. I thought it was too long for a 6 year old but he has devoured the book - reading non-stop for 3 days. He loves the dry humor and the way the author keeps stopping the story to make comments. I hope this author writes many more books.

There is even a great website to check out at LB-KIDS.com.

This is destined to be a classic of children's literature. From the first page this book inspires a feeling of wonder and joy, in both children and adults. It is a book for anyone who loves to read. The pleasure is not just in the well-crafted mystery, but in the exuberant way it is told. Fun, funny, original, stylish, unique, just delightful.

In his debut novel "Pseudonymous Bosch" tells a story wrapped in an enigma: not only is the name of the book a secret, as its very name asserts, but so are the names of his characters and other identifiers such as their location and hair color. But because he's got a story to tell and has to call them something, Bosch gives his characters pseudonyms. "Cassandra," or Cass, is an 11-year-old survivalist. She carries a backpack filled with supplies with her at all times and tends to imagine disasters around every corner. Because these never materialize, the people around her mostly dismiss her concerns--hence her similarity to her namesake, the Greek Cassandra, who was given the power of prophecy with the catch that no one would believe her. Cass's classmate "Max-Ernest"--whose dual name reflects his parents' divided opinions and lifestyle--is unusually talkative and has some kind of condition that has yet to be identified. Cass and Max-Ernest bond because they're both more accepting than most of one another's peculiarities. And soon they fall into a mystery. A secret message from a magician, presumed dead, leads them into peril--specifically, the evil, glove-wearing clutches of a pair of too-perfect-looking malefactors, the enigmatic Dr. L. And Ms. Mauvais.

To an extent Bosch's book is reminiscent of Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events. Here too a pseudonymous author is telling the story of his young protagonists' brush with evil. He suggests readers not read the book. There is a secret organization of do-gooders involved, and the plot is even punctuated by suspicious fires. The narrator alludes to dangers he himself is facing, and he interrupts the narrative with amusing comments addressed to the reader. But Bosch is not as linguistically playful as Snicket, and a larger percentage of his text is pure story, I'd say, than one gets in the Snicket corpus.

I liked most of this book a lot. The protagonists are likable, not improbably smart but clever enough. The mystery held my interest. And the villains are deliciously creepy without wearing their evil on their sleeves. I was disappointed, however, in the ending, an important detail of which, involving a coded communication, seemed implausible. The ending also, frustratingly, left a lot unanswered, presumably in preparation for a sequel, though there is no indication on the book's jacket that this is the first in a series.

-- Debra Hamel

...but this book won't be a secret for long and you have only yourself to blame! You've "spilled the beans" and with them made the most irresistable dish of alchemy and intrigue that had me giggling and engaged with every page. Thank you for making the "footnote" something to look forward to (where else can kids and adults alike get a humorously concise yet accurate explanation of Art Nouveau, Mussolini and synesthesia?) and surprising me with plot twists (and puzzles!) when I least expected them. My apologies, sir, but I will not keep this secret. This holiday season I know what I'll be giving all the readers I know: The deliciously secret story by the charmingly pendantic Pseudonymous Bosch.

Everything about this book is hyped and frantic. The reviews are breathless; the blurbs are excessive; the editorial comments are just super, super, super.
Well, the book is fine. The plot is predictable, the villains are stock, the conspiracy is shallow, and the lead characters are forgettable. The overall impression is light and cartoonish.
There seem to be a number of series popping up with interchangeable plots, characters and hooks, and so-so writing. I'm thinking Mysterious Benedict Society, NERDS, and so on. Easily read and easily forgotten. You will not read a paragraph or sentence that makes you pause with admiration for the author's skill.
Now, all of that is O.K. Kids get to have beach reads, too. But, I would suggest just starting with volume one in each of the available series and waiting to see if one of them strikes a chord before collecting the other later volumes.

Okay, I'm biased. I like clever, charming, insightful chapter books for children, even though I have been over 21 for a long time. Pseudonymous Bosch pours intelligence, wit and empathy into the cauldron of a well-plotted and often surprising mystery, and flavors with a few post-modern touches and wry asides. The author never talks down to the audience, and creates characters with whom everyone can identify. I particularly loved the way in which certain aspects of modern life are turned into character or plot points; and the footnote explaining Mussolini was priceless. Teachers take note!

I love reading books and some books I can't understand how its written or the story line at all. I am a 12 year old girl and am in sixth grade. I love to read and this is my favorite book. This book is a mystery and an adventure story in one. Pseudonymous Bosch adds his own little comments about the book which makes you just want to keep going. I took me an hour to read this book and when i was done with it I read it again because it was sooooooooo good. I am sure anybody who reads it will fall in love with it instantly.

I purchased this book for my son who saw it at a particular book store for much more than I paid. I told him we would buy it on line at Amazon and get a much better deal, which of course we got a fantastic deal.
My son gets bored very easily with reading. He has really enjoyed this book. I catch him reading it even when he doesn't have to put in his time. He is 11 years old and really loves this book. My other son who is 10 can't wait to read it.

The reason I'm reviewing this is because this was the first book that I actually couldn't stop reading!!! I think I read this book in 4th grade. I came to the US after finishing 3rd grade. I was able to read this book and enjoy this. It's quite magical. It was the first time I actually traveled to the "book world"... The first time I have actually reading in english! I became addicted to reading after reading this book. Oh. And I would also like to point out that this was the FIRST book that actually made me laugh.

Okay... let's get to the point. If you're reading this. You're probably looking for a book to read! If you're feeling like reading something that will "HOOK" you and will make you want to finish reading as soon as you can to find out the ending. READ THIS. If you don't really feel like getting "HOOKED" you might want to save this for later. This book satisfies all readers (from 10 to 80?). The author's creative way of telling the story make this book unique. It's telling a story to you like how I'm telling you why you should read this book right now. It's telling it's story through the author's mouth. But I'd say... 50% of the time, it's from the character's view. And 50% from the author's view. YOU PROBABLY WON'T FIND A LOT OF BOOK LIKE THIS...

I don't want to go too long. I don't want to spoil the summery. But I'll tell you a secret... This is a REALLY good book.