Customer Reviews

Odds Are Good: An Oddly Enough and Odder Than Ever Omnibus (Magic Carpet Books)

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

 

 

We read 1/2 of this book (Odder than ever)and would not recommend or choose to read anymore. The review is based upon this 1/2 of the book.
My mature 10 year old son (advanced reader) checked this book out from our school's elementary library hoping it would contain creepy mystery stories, similar to Goosebumps, but instead read very bizarre, at times disturbing stories which contained topics not appropriate for an elementary-middle school aged student.
One story is of a man who can't decide his sexual orientation so he is visited by his "fairy Godfather". The fairy Godfather originated after he was killed in a gay bashing incident(killed with a tire iron) and felt becoming a fairy Godfather was most appropriate since he spent his life being called faggot and fairy. The man wishes all gay people would turn blue so he doesn't have to refine his "gaydar" senses and then he can date more easily by identify individuals to date if he so chooses to become homosexual.
Another story is of a bloody mirror which brings a creature into your body every time you look at it ultimately killing one and living inside another. The boy has to contemplate suicide as a way of freeing himself from the creature.
After skimming a few other stories which involve death and torture and no resolve for a happy ending, I had read enough. Sadly, my son had read the whole book for a book report and was left disappointed and at his age did not fully understand all of the content and was overly creeped out by some of the other stories. If I had read this book prior to him, I would have helped him choose another.
After discussing this book with his teacher and another parent, all are in agreement that it was surprising that he found this at our library and will likely have it shipped to the high school. The cover, excerpts and back do not indicate the true nature of this book. My husband wonders what is the true agenda of this author promoting the book for this age level? As an educator, I do not promote book banning, but the explicit topic of deciding sexual orientation, gay-bashing and suicidal thoughts does not seem appropriate for an elementary library (even at 5th grade and is very questionable for middle school). Given the bizarre nature, older-aged topics and at times disturbing ideas this book has in contrast with wonderful literature/mysteries that is available, I would not recommend this for my 17 year old either.
Please use parental and educator caution when considering this book.

This book actually strikes me as a the best written book by Bruce Coville I have read. His short stories are well written, concise and entertaining. The Box is a story about a boy who keeps a box for his angel who arrives years later to take it back. The Stinky Princess is a girl who chooses an "alternate" lifestyle to that of her well connected and sweet smelling parents The Language of Blood is about a boy who is chosen to be his culture's next vampire but he must approach his beloved in order to complete the task, something he is unwilling to do. There are many more interesting stories in this book and in my opinion are exanples of Bruce Coville's best writing.

To all who are put off by B. Hough's scathing review, I have this to say:

I am an English teacher currently working in a middle school, but I have also worked in elementary schools in the past. I grew up reading Bruce Coville. I read the stories in this collected anthology when I was about ten years old (all of them, unlike Ms. Hough) and was not "corrupted." Far from it, in fact. These stories are not only wildly entertaining, they also achieve exactly what they set out to do. The scary stories are thoroughly chilling, the funny stories are gut-bustingly hilarious (and of the gross-out humor variety, which ten-year-olds appreciate more than anyone), and the meaningful stories are poignant without being preachy or maudlin. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone from the age of about nine or ten and older.

As to the story "Am I Blue?"--it is my professional opinion that this is Mr. Coville's greatest work. Unlike the majority of his writing, it is not science-fiction or fantasy. It is a literary short story for children. In it, a young boy is tortured and humiliated by viscious bullies at his school. He is falling into depression when he is saved by a guardian angel, or "fairy godfather." I won't spoil what happens, but the point of the story is far more important than the plot. The point is that hatred of anyone based simply on who they are is an evil sin. Assuming that someone is gay or not based on how they look or act is also wrong. Ultimately though, this is a story of forgiveness and tolerance.

While teaching fifth grade in Virginia, I once had a girl in my class whose parents were a lesbian couple. They were excellent parents and the girl was a wonderful kid, but many of her classmates did not see that. Instead they teased and bullied her because of her family, because they didn't know any better. I wish I could have made every student and their parents read "Am I Blue?". I wish I could change the minds and hearts of people like Ms. Hough, who think it's better to infantilize kids and teach them that "different" means "wrong".

Please give this book a chance!

When I started reading Odds Are Good, i was pulled in. It is a collection of fantasy short stories. However many short stories do not make much sense at all. Bruce Coville has a wide imagination to create these short stories. Although i have just started a few days ago, the first short story- The Box, pulled me in. I recommend this book to anyone, but get ready to not quite understand the book.