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wren_in_black's review
4.0
This was cute.
My first thoughts of the book were that it was probably the most ADD book to have ever ADDed. The random descriptions of objects and the constant interrupting of slogans for Brotien items, along with the constant shift in narrator were hugely distracting for me.
But, it got better as I got used to those things. I began to see them more as quirks than distractions. I can definitely see how the target audience would simply be amused and not annoyed by these quirks.
My only true problem with this book is that it steals a major plot event from [b:Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows|136251|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter, #7)|J.K. Rowling|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1474171184l/136251._SY75_.jpg|2963218]. I know there's nothing new under the sun, but come on...
Overall, much better than I expected it to be. I wouldn't have chosen to read this book on my own, but since one of my seventh graders read it for his book project and it didn't have an AR test, I had to read it to make a test. It was definitely a great fit for him. I would recommend this for your reluctant readers, male or female, who like video games, twitch streams, or adventure stories.
My first thoughts of the book were that it was probably the most ADD book to have ever ADDed. The random descriptions of objects and the constant interrupting of slogans for Brotien items, along with the constant shift in narrator were hugely distracting for me.
But, it got better as I got used to those things. I began to see them more as quirks than distractions. I can definitely see how the target audience would simply be amused and not annoyed by these quirks.
My only true problem with this book is that it steals a major plot event from [b:Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows|136251|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter, #7)|J.K. Rowling|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1474171184l/136251._SY75_.jpg|2963218].
Spoiler
Three kids (two male and one female) have to face a dragon in a deep, dark cave. They wind up saving the dragon and then fly out of the inescapable dungeon on the dragon's back. The dragon flies off home. Sounds very familiar...Spoiler
The elevator with the sour ooze was at least original.Overall, much better than I expected it to be. I wouldn't have chosen to read this book on my own, but since one of my seventh graders read it for his book project and it didn't have an AR test, I had to read it to make a test. It was definitely a great fit for him. I would recommend this for your reluctant readers, male or female, who like video games, twitch streams, or adventure stories.
kateteaching7and8's review
4.0
@kidlitexchange #partner
Thank you to the #kidlitexchange network, the publisher @scholasticinc and the author #GavinBrown for the advance review copy of Monster Club: Hunters for Hire which will hit shelves July 30, 2019.
Monsters, big and small, roam the world which means that someone needs to keep them in check. This is where the adventurers come in. Now, there is even an app, AppVenture, where you can hire an adventurer to take care of your monster problem (it's like Uber for monster hunting). Seventh graders Spike, Tommy, and Karim all want to be monster hunters and they register as Independent Adventure Contractors with AppVenture. As they begin adventuring, they start to realize that something isn't quite right. This season more monsters than ever are popping up and they're showing up in areas they're not native to. Ultimately, the three stumble onto a dangerous conspiracy and must work together and overcome their own insecurities in order to bring down the conspiracy and save their own lives.
"It's like Uber for monster hunting!" How does that line not pull you in? This is a terrific middle grades adventure novel full of monsters, friendship, and complicated family relationships. The story is engaging, and I loved learning about the different types of monsters. The characters all have interesting relationships with their families. Spike's parents are divorced and she doesn't talk to Luis (she refuses to call him dad). Tommy's mom lost a big court case and now they don't have the money for him and his sister to go to Adventure Camp. Karim's father used to be a famous adventurer (he even had his own TV show) until he had a horrible accident that left him paralyzed. I really liked the way the author navigated these relationships and I think that readers will be able to connect to the characters more because of these complex character conflicts. This was a fun book and it kept me wanting to know what would happen next. I also enjoyed that it alternates between Tommy, Karim, and Spike's perspectives giving you a deeper understanding of their character motivations an the overall story.
Thank you to the #kidlitexchange network, the publisher @scholasticinc and the author #GavinBrown for the advance review copy of Monster Club: Hunters for Hire which will hit shelves July 30, 2019.
Monsters, big and small, roam the world which means that someone needs to keep them in check. This is where the adventurers come in. Now, there is even an app, AppVenture, where you can hire an adventurer to take care of your monster problem (it's like Uber for monster hunting). Seventh graders Spike, Tommy, and Karim all want to be monster hunters and they register as Independent Adventure Contractors with AppVenture. As they begin adventuring, they start to realize that something isn't quite right. This season more monsters than ever are popping up and they're showing up in areas they're not native to. Ultimately, the three stumble onto a dangerous conspiracy and must work together and overcome their own insecurities in order to bring down the conspiracy and save their own lives.
"It's like Uber for monster hunting!" How does that line not pull you in? This is a terrific middle grades adventure novel full of monsters, friendship, and complicated family relationships. The story is engaging, and I loved learning about the different types of monsters. The characters all have interesting relationships with their families. Spike's parents are divorced and she doesn't talk to Luis (she refuses to call him dad). Tommy's mom lost a big court case and now they don't have the money for him and his sister to go to Adventure Camp. Karim's father used to be a famous adventurer (he even had his own TV show) until he had a horrible accident that left him paralyzed. I really liked the way the author navigated these relationships and I think that readers will be able to connect to the characters more because of these complex character conflicts. This was a fun book and it kept me wanting to know what would happen next. I also enjoyed that it alternates between Tommy, Karim, and Spike's perspectives giving you a deeper understanding of their character motivations an the overall story.
mxphoebesviewpoint's review
4.0
Aliens are loose in the city and only the Monster Club can stop them!
Spike, Tommy, and Karim are seventh graders on a mission. They want to be adventurers! Tommy is the biggest of the group and therefore he believes he is the muscles. He eats and drinks supplements to make him bigger. Spike believes she is the brains. Karim is the quiet and serious one of the group. His father had been an adventurer until he was permanently injured. One day at school, their dreams begin to come true as a monster is on the loose in the school. The next day there is another monster next door. Suddenly they are applying to be contractors for AppVenture, a monster capturing company. What could go wrong?
Gavin Brown takes us on an adventure in Monster Club: Hunters for Hire (2019). Hunters is written for ages 8 through 12, but I had a lot of fun reading it and so will parents who read what their children are reading. Brown gives us monsters from Gremlins to Razorbacks to bigger monsters (I do not want to give everything away). There are also personal issues that the kids deal with in the book as Spike has issues with her father and Karim with his. They are the same issue, but represented in different situations. Brown is realistic in his writing in that he does not wrap up the real life problems with a bow as real life is not like that, but he does give an ending that is satisfying. The mystery of the monsters is fun and exciting, and the solution logical in today’s world. Hunters gives us friendship, adventure, and fun. You cannot ask for more than that in a book.
Douglas Holgate is the illustrator for Monsters Club: Hunters for Hire.
I received this book for free in a Goodreads Giveaway and give my opinion without prejudice and freely.
Spike, Tommy, and Karim are seventh graders on a mission. They want to be adventurers! Tommy is the biggest of the group and therefore he believes he is the muscles. He eats and drinks supplements to make him bigger. Spike believes she is the brains. Karim is the quiet and serious one of the group. His father had been an adventurer until he was permanently injured. One day at school, their dreams begin to come true as a monster is on the loose in the school. The next day there is another monster next door. Suddenly they are applying to be contractors for AppVenture, a monster capturing company. What could go wrong?
Gavin Brown takes us on an adventure in Monster Club: Hunters for Hire (2019). Hunters is written for ages 8 through 12, but I had a lot of fun reading it and so will parents who read what their children are reading. Brown gives us monsters from Gremlins to Razorbacks to bigger monsters (I do not want to give everything away). There are also personal issues that the kids deal with in the book as Spike has issues with her father and Karim with his. They are the same issue, but represented in different situations. Brown is realistic in his writing in that he does not wrap up the real life problems with a bow as real life is not like that, but he does give an ending that is satisfying. The mystery of the monsters is fun and exciting, and the solution logical in today’s world. Hunters gives us friendship, adventure, and fun. You cannot ask for more than that in a book.
Douglas Holgate is the illustrator for Monsters Club: Hunters for Hire.
I received this book for free in a Goodreads Giveaway and give my opinion without prejudice and freely.
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