This book is like a runaway horse- the plot goes in every possible direction, quickly. I think the author just tries to do way too much, and the result is preposterous. There are some good funny moments, but they are strung together haphazardly. As you might imagine, the illustrations are fantastic. Auggie's stories and pictures were better than this one. More of those, please. ( )

I don't normally read middle-grade, but this was a selection for my postal book club and I gave it a shot. It was a fun, quick diversion, and my 7-year-old loved reading it with me. ( )

Augie’s life is like a strange, really bad fairy tale—literally. His parents own an amusement park he works at called Fairy Tale Place which they are struggling to keep going. He is bullied at school, has failed Creative Arts and needs to redo his final project, and the girl he likes barely knows he’s alive. On top of all this, his best friend Britt dies while on vacation and he feels responsible. After all, there may have been peanuts in the cookie he gave him before he left. The graphic sections of this book are a real plus giving us even more insight into Augie’s world. This is a funny, sad, sweet, imaginative tween novel about a middle school boy struggling with his identity and life’s challenges and possibilities.

Sharyn H. / Marathon County Public Library
Find this book in our library catalog.

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I agree with the majority of reviewers on GR. ?áI have no idea what I just read. ?áI blame me, though, not the author. ?áSo I won't rate it.
I'd love to discuss it with someone and actively figure out, chapter by chapter, (once we know the ending and can go back and look for clues), what was going on.
Is it like Metamorphosis, by Kafka? ?á.... ?áThat's another story I can't stand because I cannot understand, but that reveals to me glimpses of intense dark beauty....

Augie's dad runs Fairy Tale Place, a run-down amusement park, which contributes to the surreal atmosphere of Augie's life. Initially, his struggles seem fairly mundane: summer school, bullies, and crushes. But as the summer progresses, things get stranger and stranger: werewolves, ghosts, and UFOs. Or are all of those things just in Augie's head? Is Augie going crazy -- or is there something more sinister at hand?

This one didn't really work for me -- it was a little too surreal and absurd. I like fantasy, and it seems like this should have been my sort of book, but it just wasn't. Another reader might enjoy it more than I did. ( )