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hirvimaki's review against another edition
3.0
A cute tale about a very creepy guy and the heroics of youth.
brandypainter's review against another edition
4.0
Originally postedhere at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.
For some reason I have lately been out of the loop when it comes to books published by Random House. I think this is because they've been rather noncommittal about putting the children's catalogues up on Edelweiss. As a result, I did not know about this upcoming title until the author, David Neilsen, contacted me to see if I wanted an ARC. I immediately said yes, because Dr. Fell and the Playground of Doom sounded like a creepily fun book. And so it is.
The children of Hardscrabble street have used an old abandoned brick house as an imaginative play area for years. When it finally sells, they mourn the loss. Jerry, Gail, and Nancy inform the mysterious new owner of this when they meet him on his first day in town. After Dr. Fell moves in, he builds a large intricate playground that is the stuff of childhood dreams. All of the children in the neighborhood immediately begin to play on it. Soon children from other neighborhoods are coming too. The playground is constantly full of children who have the inevitable accidents. When this occurs, Dr. Fell swoops them up and fixes their injuries. The parents are as enamored of him as their children. Before long, the entire town is under his spell. Everyone except for Jerry, Gail, and Nancy who are somehow immune to Dr. Fell's winning ways and the only ones who realize something has gone very very wrong in their ideal little town.
Jerry and Gail are siblings. Nancy is Gail's best friend. Jerry is two years younger than the girls, but his mind is sharp and he is well able to keep up with them. Nancy is outspoken, courageous, and snarky. She puts up with Jerry because he's Gail's brother but rarely misses a chance to insult him. Gail is the quiet one who usually goes with the flow and does not like conflict or causing trouble. Together the three kids are a truly great team. They go to great lengths to protect each other from the spell Dr. Fell weaves. Their determination to save each other and their town strong. I liked how much they needed each other too. This is one of those books you find frequently in MG fantasy where the adults are (mostly) of no use and the children are the ones who get to save the day. These books are popular with kids because the love this concept. They want to be heroes and losing themselves in a story like this allows them to be. I think kids are going to particularly enjoy this one due to the way the danger manifests itself.
Dr. Fell and the Playground of Doom is a quick read with a fast paced plot. Nielsen does not waste his words and each one is put to good use. There are chapter endings that beg the reader to keep going and the sentence level writing is truly excellent. It has a perfect cadence and rhythm. This is a book that begs to be read aloud. I particularly enjoyed how well the novel balances creepy with humor. It is incredibly Dahl-esque in that way. There are lines that are laugh out loud funny and moments of spine tingling terror. It is the sort of terror most kids love, the kind that makes them feel afraid while knowing they are still safe. The humor helps with this. It is exactly the right sort of book to hand 3rd through 6th graders who enjoy such things.
I highly recommend this one. Teachers should keep it mind for an October read aloud. The cover and length of the book make it an easy sell to kids and it is one they won't be disappointed in. I can not wait to share it with my son because I know he will love it. I don't say that lightly about him. He is incredibly choosy about his books.
I read an ARC I received courtesy of the author. Dr. Fell and the Playground of Doom is on sale August 9th from Crown Books for Young Readers.
For some reason I have lately been out of the loop when it comes to books published by Random House. I think this is because they've been rather noncommittal about putting the children's catalogues up on Edelweiss. As a result, I did not know about this upcoming title until the author, David Neilsen, contacted me to see if I wanted an ARC. I immediately said yes, because Dr. Fell and the Playground of Doom sounded like a creepily fun book. And so it is.
The children of Hardscrabble street have used an old abandoned brick house as an imaginative play area for years. When it finally sells, they mourn the loss. Jerry, Gail, and Nancy inform the mysterious new owner of this when they meet him on his first day in town. After Dr. Fell moves in, he builds a large intricate playground that is the stuff of childhood dreams. All of the children in the neighborhood immediately begin to play on it. Soon children from other neighborhoods are coming too. The playground is constantly full of children who have the inevitable accidents. When this occurs, Dr. Fell swoops them up and fixes their injuries. The parents are as enamored of him as their children. Before long, the entire town is under his spell. Everyone except for Jerry, Gail, and Nancy who are somehow immune to Dr. Fell's winning ways and the only ones who realize something has gone very very wrong in their ideal little town.
Jerry and Gail are siblings. Nancy is Gail's best friend. Jerry is two years younger than the girls, but his mind is sharp and he is well able to keep up with them. Nancy is outspoken, courageous, and snarky. She puts up with Jerry because he's Gail's brother but rarely misses a chance to insult him. Gail is the quiet one who usually goes with the flow and does not like conflict or causing trouble. Together the three kids are a truly great team. They go to great lengths to protect each other from the spell Dr. Fell weaves. Their determination to save each other and their town strong. I liked how much they needed each other too. This is one of those books you find frequently in MG fantasy where the adults are (mostly) of no use and the children are the ones who get to save the day. These books are popular with kids because the love this concept. They want to be heroes and losing themselves in a story like this allows them to be. I think kids are going to particularly enjoy this one due to the way the danger manifests itself.
Dr. Fell and the Playground of Doom is a quick read with a fast paced plot. Nielsen does not waste his words and each one is put to good use. There are chapter endings that beg the reader to keep going and the sentence level writing is truly excellent. It has a perfect cadence and rhythm. This is a book that begs to be read aloud. I particularly enjoyed how well the novel balances creepy with humor. It is incredibly Dahl-esque in that way. There are lines that are laugh out loud funny and moments of spine tingling terror. It is the sort of terror most kids love, the kind that makes them feel afraid while knowing they are still safe. The humor helps with this. It is exactly the right sort of book to hand 3rd through 6th graders who enjoy such things.
I highly recommend this one. Teachers should keep it mind for an October read aloud. The cover and length of the book make it an easy sell to kids and it is one they won't be disappointed in. I can not wait to share it with my son because I know he will love it. I don't say that lightly about him. He is incredibly choosy about his books.
I read an ARC I received courtesy of the author. Dr. Fell and the Playground of Doom is on sale August 9th from Crown Books for Young Readers.
ehparrish's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Injury/Injury detail
especiallybooks's review against another edition
5.0
From my blog @ billbrarian.com
My thoughts:
Dr. Fell is a marvelously creepy character. He comes onto the scene and changes the lives of the residents of Hardscrabble Street almost immediately. I love good, creepy stories. I was eager to review this when I heard about it and it was recommended by fellow author, Chris Grabenstein. Neilsen leads us into the world of Nancy, Jerry, and Gail. Jerry and Gail are siblings. Nancy is Gail's best friend and the girls are two years older than Jerry. Nancy is definitely outspoken and a bit on the sarcastic side. She's pretty wise to the ways of the world, or so she thinks. Gail is the calmer of the two girls. Jerry is very smart for a boy his age. The creepy house that they have played in or around for years becomes the center of attention when Dr. Fell moves in.
After a few events, which I won't spoil, the children learn of Dr. Fell's nefarious plans. The story has the perfect build. It will keep kids engrossed from start to finished. The pacing is strong and the plot is effective. Kids will like this book.
Pros:
The names in the book just made me laugh out loud. They are hilarious: Jud Feditsky, Martha Doomburg, Meaty Gluttonsen, Veronica Plaguestein, etc. I chuckled every time I came across one.
The characters of Nancy, Jerry, and Gail are developed well as the story progresses. They act like real kids and with real kid problems.
Neilsen doesn't hold back when certain things happen to the kids. It's not over the top scary, but the scenes add to the suspense.
The dialogue is quite funny and paced well.
Cons:
My only con was initially how the parents were portrayed as being a bit dimwitted. But the longer I read the book, I realized that this might be how kids see adults sometimes. We are pathetically dimwitted to what is happening to them occasionally.
I also want to know if there is going to be a sequel and haven't been able to find out yet.
Pick up this book! It will be a great read-aloud for your classroom or your home. I will be adding it to my library collection and will recommend it to kids looking for a good, fun read.
My thoughts:
Dr. Fell is a marvelously creepy character. He comes onto the scene and changes the lives of the residents of Hardscrabble Street almost immediately. I love good, creepy stories. I was eager to review this when I heard about it and it was recommended by fellow author, Chris Grabenstein. Neilsen leads us into the world of Nancy, Jerry, and Gail. Jerry and Gail are siblings. Nancy is Gail's best friend and the girls are two years older than Jerry. Nancy is definitely outspoken and a bit on the sarcastic side. She's pretty wise to the ways of the world, or so she thinks. Gail is the calmer of the two girls. Jerry is very smart for a boy his age. The creepy house that they have played in or around for years becomes the center of attention when Dr. Fell moves in.
After a few events, which I won't spoil, the children learn of Dr. Fell's nefarious plans. The story has the perfect build. It will keep kids engrossed from start to finished. The pacing is strong and the plot is effective. Kids will like this book.
Pros:
The names in the book just made me laugh out loud. They are hilarious: Jud Feditsky, Martha Doomburg, Meaty Gluttonsen, Veronica Plaguestein, etc. I chuckled every time I came across one.
The characters of Nancy, Jerry, and Gail are developed well as the story progresses. They act like real kids and with real kid problems.
Neilsen doesn't hold back when certain things happen to the kids. It's not over the top scary, but the scenes add to the suspense.
The dialogue is quite funny and paced well.
Cons:
My only con was initially how the parents were portrayed as being a bit dimwitted. But the longer I read the book, I realized that this might be how kids see adults sometimes. We are pathetically dimwitted to what is happening to them occasionally.
I also want to know if there is going to be a sequel and haven't been able to find out yet.
Pick up this book! It will be a great read-aloud for your classroom or your home. I will be adding it to my library collection and will recommend it to kids looking for a good, fun read.
dlightfull's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Good quick read, interesting story line , fun characters.
doowopapocalypse's review against another edition
3.0
Bradbury’s “Something Wicked This Way Comes” cribbed by Lemony Snickett.
Some decent scares for the audience, but a few things that could have been left out. There are some seems involving check ups by the villain that left an unpleasant taste in my mouth.
Some decent scares for the audience, but a few things that could have been left out. There are some seems involving check ups by the villain that left an unpleasant taste in my mouth.
bananna_cupcake's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
bookbrig's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.75
Good audiobook, with a suitably creepy villain and weird mystery.
reviewsmayvary's review against another edition
4.0
Received for free for a review:
All in all, I’m giving it 4 out of 5 stars. It’s a quick read (for a grown- ass woman) that is fun and interesting. I will recommend it to 10 year olds and up (and the odd jaded 8 year old) that enjoys a bit of spook with their adventure story.
http://bookedupandbossy.blogspot.com/2017/03/BookReview-DrFell.html
All in all, I’m giving it 4 out of 5 stars. It’s a quick read (for a grown- ass woman) that is fun and interesting. I will recommend it to 10 year olds and up (and the odd jaded 8 year old) that enjoys a bit of spook with their adventure story.
http://bookedupandbossy.blogspot.com/2017/03/BookReview-DrFell.html
libscote's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this one. All the local kids play at an old abandoned house, which is suddenly bought by a man named Dr. Fell. Gail, Jerry, and Nancy meet him, and notice that he seems a bit sinister. But he builds a fantastic playground that captivates the minds of all of their friends. Soon, kids start getting hurt and disappear into the house, only to return healed and saying "Dr. Fell is a wonderful man." Can the kids figure out what he's up to without him noticing?
I didn't get into it right away, but once the playground appeared, I was hooked. The purple prose may turn off some kids, so it's a little weird in that it has a large vocabulary but is aimed at younger readers. However, the language is almost always translated, so that will help. I really liked it.
I didn't get into it right away, but once the playground appeared, I was hooked. The purple prose may turn off some kids, so it's a little weird in that it has a large vocabulary but is aimed at younger readers. However, the language is almost always translated, so that will help. I really liked it.