50bookchallenge, 15000pages
Book #63 -- Dale E. Basye, Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go, 288 pages.
The idea is supposed to be funny, I think -- when bad kids die, they go to Heck, which is Hell-lite, until they're 18, when their final fate is decided. Heck is portrayed as all the worst parts of high school and summer camp all rolled together, with nothing but liver for lunch, mean, unfair teachers, and lots of bullies. So of course Milton, who doesn't really belong there, and his sister Marlo, who kinda does (she has a penchant for shoplifting), have to try to find their way out.
It's actually pretty well-written, but I just couldn't find the subject matter funny. Remembering my own awkward high school years, Heck seemed awfully Hell-like to me. I'm not sure fire and brimstone really could have been worse. And while I think we were supposed to find the image of demons, who were already scary enough, dressing up in traditional bogeyman costumes in order to terrorize a bunch of toddlers amusing, I couldn't help wonder what on earth toddlers could possibly do to deserve that.
Plus there was a whole passel of loose ends that were never tied up, which makes me wonder whether he's planning a sequel, but in the end just annoyed me with 'but what about X' questions. All in all, not really my cup of tea.
Progress toward goals: 177/366 = 48.4%
Books: 63/150 = 42.0%
Pages: 17376/50000 = 34.8%
2008 Book List
cross-posted to 50bookchallenge, 15000pages, and gwynraven
Pages:
The idea is supposed to be funny, I think -- when bad kids die, they go to Heck, which is Hell-lite, until they're 18, when their final fate is decided. Heck is portrayed as all the worst parts of high school and summer camp all rolled together, with nothing but liver for lunch, mean, unfair teachers, and lots of bullies. So of course Milton, who doesn't really belong there, and his sister Marlo, who kinda does (she has a penchant for shoplifting), have to try to find their way out.
It's actually pretty well-written, but I just couldn't find the subject matter funny. Remembering my own awkward high school years, Heck seemed awfully Hell-like to me. I'm not sure fire and brimstone really could have been worse. And while I think we were supposed to find the image of demons, who were already scary enough, dressing up in traditional bogeyman costumes in order to terrorize a bunch of toddlers amusing, I couldn't help wonder what on earth toddlers could possibly do to deserve that.
Plus there was a whole passel of loose ends that were never tied up, which makes me wonder whether he's planning a sequel, but in the end just annoyed me with 'but what about X' questions. All in all, not really my cup of tea.
Progress toward goals: 177/366 = 48.4%
Books: 63/150 = 42.0%
Pages: 17376/50000 = 34.8%
2008 Book List
cross-posted to 50bookchallenge, 15000pages, and gwynraven
Pages: