Series: Riley Mack #1
Publisher: Audible Studios
Publication Date: April 4, 2019
Source: Freebie in April from Audible with Subscription
Rating:
Goodreads Synopsis:
When former improvisational comedian and screenwriter turned award-winning mystery author Chris Grabenstein writes a kid's book, he delivers page-turning plot twists, pitch-perfect dialogue, and one-liners that pepper the text like exploding firecrackers. Riley Mack and the Other Known Troublemakers, the first book in a hilarious new action-adventure series, is a classic crime caper, a funny, fast-paced mystery/comedy with lovable characters, non-stop action—and a barnful of dogs.
Seventh-grade mastermind Riley Mack and his best buds always come to the rescue when family or friends are in trouble, even if it takes some high-octane subterfuge and fifty pounds of dog food. Kids ages 8-12 will root for Riley and his "Gnat Pack": tech-savvy Jake, dramatic Brianna, big-guy Mongo, and brainy Jamal. They'll hiss for the bad guys, too—the bully Gavin Brown; his father, Fairview's crooked police chief; his conniving grandmother, who runs a filthy puppy mill; and Fairview's gambling-addicted bank manager, who tries to frame Riley's mom. Throw in one stolen goldendoodle, two bumbling bank robbers, and plenty of duct tape, and the action never flags.
Riley Mack and the Other Known Troublemakers will have readers snorting soda out their noses, proving once again that Grabenstein is a master at concocting irresistible stories for middle-grade readers.
Review:
Riley Mack is the first book by Chris Grabenstein that I have pick up outside of the Mr. Lemoncello's Library Series. This audible original is read by a full cast and has background noise as well. Each character is read by a different voice actor/ess.
The book is the first in a series, and it follows a boy named Riley Mack. He and his gang of friends help their friends and family solve mysteries and crimes in their small town. The story was fun and all of the different plot elements kept me guessing. There are a bunch of smaller side stories that all come together in the end and it added a lot of depth to the story.
Riley, the main character, just wants to do good, but the town cop has it out for him, much like the cop's son has it out for all the 6th graders. Riley tends to get wrapped up in trouble as he tries to help the people around it am it lends to some hilarious mishaps and trouble for him and his friends.
An aspect that I really liked about the story was that one of the kids always uses great vocabulary words and then defines them for the reader, and he does it quickly and it is part of his quirky personality so it fits really well into the story - so well in fact I didn't even realize I was learning definitions until I had to stop and really think about it. A great learning tool that is obvious but not so.
I enjoyed this book, but the full cast thing kind of threw me off again. I listened to an adult book that I gave up on that was similarly done. I think it is a fun way to voice all the characters but I feel like presenting it this way also takes a bit away from the character development that I like in most books.
This book was fun and very short, so I think reluctant readers will like it, however since I really love the Mr. Lemoncello's Library series, this one fell a bit short for me in comparison.
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