Boom or Fizzle?

Since this book was written for kids, I want to present two perspectives: mine as an adult reader and parent; and then my kids'.

This book takes me back to my childhood. Specifically, to the part where my mother says, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."

Sorry, Mom, but this book was just dreadful.

This book just didn't work for me. In fact, I was almost ready to pack it in by the end of the first chapter. A plot twist on page 1 of chapter 2 pulled me back in, but the plot developments--mostly implausible and jarring to the narrative--weren't enough to sustain any real interest. The book never really seemed to decide on a voice: was this Andy Griffith or Lemony Snicket? Mark Twain or Roald Dahl? The nostalgia is so delightful that the comic fantasy doesn't fit. For me, the humor misses more than it hits.

A couple of theological elements bothered me, although they were incidental to the plot. The biggest problem I found was a plug for ecumenism on p. 67: ". . . in Boomtown one's religious affiliation never interfered with the more important duty of working closely with fellow citizens."

With that said, I want to be fair: this book wasn't written for me; it was written for my kids. So, I had my two oldest boys (both avid readers) read the book and prepare their firt book reviews a la book reports. In short, my boys loved this book as much as I hated it.

My thirteen-year-old wrote:

"It is very funny, especially the story about the church's twenty-four pastors, one of whom fell into an open case of nitroglycerine [Note from dad: should I be worried here?] The town founder, Chang, made hand grenades. Also, the Stickville Slugs with their forty-year losing streak -- that was also funny. This is a good book to read."

My ten-year-old wrote:

"Welcome to Boomtown, Washington, with barbers that you don't want to make mad, and a church where the search committee is on their 25th pastor. The last 24 died in accidents including snake bites, nitroglycerine cases, and flash floods. I think this book is hilarious!!"

So, there you have it. Boomtown: kid-tested, daddy disapproved. Maybe I need to unclench; maybe my kids need to spend more time reading Dickens and Hawthorne. Here's a preview of the book. You decide.