Reality Leak

Reality Leak by Joni Sensel with Illustrations by Christian Slade

 

Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (April 3, 2007)
ISBN-10: 0805081259

From School Library Journal
The dull town of South Wiggot gets turned upside down when the mysterious Archibald Keen appears. After he arrives in a wooden crate, opens up a factory, and makes sure the townspeople all have fillings in their teeth, strange things start happening. Eleven-year-old Bryan, with help from a girl named Spot, discovers flying dollar bills, tea bags that turn into mice, and other oddities, and then realizes that no one else even notices what's going on. With persistent curiosity and cleverness, he learns that the apparently sinister Mr. Keen is actually trying to patch a dangerous reality leak. They finally join forces to save the town, and Bryan earns a bright future as a special agent for Mr. Keen's secret organization. The boy's inner feelings about his family and his tentatively developing friendship with Spot seem tacked on at times, but add a bit of depth to the story. The bizarre occurrences are fun, and also key to the plot, as the boy tries to make sense of them all. Black-and-white illustrations provide lighthearted depictions of some of the unusual items Bryan encounters. The delicate balance between humor and pure absurdity generally works. When Bryan sees his dad's pants walking around with nobody in them, for instance, it's more weird than suspenseful, but the mystery surrounding the cause of such events should keep readers involved.–

Ok..so... my thoughts were that this would be a quick fun read..something off the wall..

well.. it was a decently quick read...

I really thought the very young silliness would give me a smile, but for whatever reason it didn't.   It seemed the more determined I got to reading this book the more it fell flat on it's face to me.

I will admit this is something to be read to young children...and maybe they will like it..but quite honestly, I didn't get it so I wonder if they would??

It's so rare for me to, at least, not say that the book is ok..  but I found little to like .  I didn't feel that I got to care about the main characters and although plugging up a reality leak is a good conception for a children's book this particular story just didn't cut it.  But maybe it will for someone else!

There wasn't all that much artwork, but that was a delight and a draw to the book that's for sure.

Recently I read A Farwalkers Quest by Joni Sensel and enjoyed that book by the same author.  I don't like giving a negative review, and obviously someone liked it enough to get published, so there will be those who will enjoy reading it, I would say for you to dig around for other reviews before making a choice.