Heck (Dale E. Basye) - Guest Reviewer

Oh for the love of books -

My wife (Jenn) and I bought a lot of books this year for folks in the family. It was a bookish christmas for all. Gifts included cook books, choose your own adventure, crafts, fashion history, things pertaining to sparkly vampires, things pertaining to general awesomeness. Included in the pile were a couple if the “Heck” books for my niece Kaitlan (hence referred to as KRB).

Jenn and I had been eyeballing these books for our own recreational reading as they seemed fun in an irreverent and enjoyable way. They seemed similar to “Sideways stories from Wayside School” (Louis Sachar) and other books from when were were younger. As such, they would be a perfect match for anyone blood related to either of us.

KRB was the recipient of these books, and lucky for me, KRB decided to provide her review of the first book in the series when she finished reading it. Short and to the point, this review is solid age appropriate insight (spelling and all) for anyone hovering on the edge of reading or purchasing the series.

Keep up the good work KRB!

Review by KRB-

Heck, Where the Bad Kids Go
Yes, I would reccomend this book to a friend because it’s really good and on a scale from 1 to 10 I would give it a 10. I would reccomend it to family and friends, or even all the kids around the world. I would even reccomend it to my dog Heart, if she could read. It’s the best book I’ve ever read! I’ll read it wherever I go, except I get really distracted so maybe everyday after school would be good enough. I like that Milton, Marlo and Virgil are trying to escape from Limbo to be free, and that Blackbeards in the book (because Blackbeard is one of my cousin Tara’s ancestors.) I don’t like that how mean Bea “Elsa” Bubb is to the three  of them. Dale E Bayse did a really good job on the first Circle of Heck. I really do wonder what the Second Circle of Heck: Rapacia is about. All I know from Rapacia is that the vice principal is a grabbit (a giant metal rabbit.)

In case you are interested…
Book synopsis from the publisher’s site-

When Milton and Marlo Fauster die in a marshmallow-bear explosion, they get sent straight to Heck, an otherworldly reform school. Milton can understand why his kleptomaniac sister is here, but Milton is or was a model citizen. Has a mistake been made? Not according to Bea ‘Elsa’ Bubb, the Principal of Darkness. She doesn’t make mistakes. She personally sees to it that Heck whether it be home ec class with Lizzie Borden, ethics with Richard Nixon, or gym with Blackbeard the pirate is especially, well, heckish for the Fausters. Will Milton  and Marlo find a way to escape? Or are they stuck here for all eternity, or until they turn eighteen, whichever comes first?

• Review based on version:
• Pages: 304
• Publisher: Yearling (2009)
• ISBN-10: 0375840761
• ISBN-13: 978-0375840760