Dustin BradyCritiques

Second in a series involving the world’s worst time machine, but one doesn’t really need to read the first as it summarizes a little of what happened. Overall though, two kids, Elsa and Liam traveled back to the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair to find a way to get Elsa’s grandfather back who disappeared in the first novel. This is a fun, exciting adventure as the two discover not only what the fair was like but have to deal with other time travelers. A great middle grade book that also has historical figures and facts in it making not only a fun adventure but one learns about too.

Independent Reading Level: Grades 3-5
Awards: No Awards

Independent Reading Level: 2nd to 5th grade

Awards: It is a best selling book

World's Worst Time Machine is a frantic story filled with middle school troubles, organized crime, time travel, and space time disaster. Liam and his friends try to correct the problems he has caused by meddling in time. Ties to real historical figures add an interesting dimension to this fast-paced middle grade story. Everyday issues like bullying and family are juxtaposed with the intervention of mobsters and time rifts.
The book is a fun read but has a bit too much thrown in at times, everything and the kitchen sink type of vibe. The characters lack a certain depth so while it is an entertaining, distracting read, it doesn't engage much deeper than that.½

My 9 year old daughter is a voracious reader and enjoyed the choose-your-own-adventure style Escape From a Video Game books by this author, so I thought she'd enjoy this book. Unfortunately, she did not. She didn't relate to the main character and lost interest in the plot once it became centered on gangsters and bullies. The plot was also confusing and muddled. She didn't finish the book (which is unusual for her). The time machine concept is fun, but the plot, protagonist, and writing style just didn't excite my kids. It's not a bad book, just not our cup of tea.

I received a free advanced copy of this book from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers giveaway in exchange for an honest review. This is a funny scifi/adventure/historical fiction mashup. Fans of Brady’s other series Trapped in a Video Game or fans of books like the Middle School the Worst Years of My Life series or Last Kids on Earth, will enjoy this book. The story follows Liam as he buys the world’s worst time machine from the garage sale of a quirky scientist in his neighborhood. Once he powers it up, his parents go missing and a different Thomas Edison who turns out to be a gangster in training from the 1930s shows up. He gets help to try and put everything right again from his friend Elsa who seems to know a lot more about fixing time machines then Liam would have ever guessed. Quick, fun read.

This clever book was given glowing reviews by my ten-year-old son, who is a voracious reader and requested more of this series. The plot keeps readers engaged with its flip-flopped premise and humor, including a Cheetos-munching time-traveler stuck in the wrong era.½

Liam Chapman's book report on Thomas Edison is due tomorrow, but he simply doesn't want to read the book, so instead, he visits the garage sale of a notoriously eccentric inventor. While he is there, he purchases a box labeled "World's Worst Time Machine," and that gives him the idea to visit Thomas Edison in the past so he can tell Liam what he needs to know for his book report. Liam's friend, Elsa (not from Frozen) tries to tell him to just read the book, but Liam doesn't listen and follows the directions in the box to get the time machine working. Liam's success comes with problems when a boy named Tommy Twinkles shows up from the past.

World's Worst Time Machine is a zany middle grade novel filled with scifi adventures, over the top gangsters, and modern day bullies. The action is fast and furious as Liam and his friends try to correct the problems he has caused. Interesting illustrations add to the story and the "Meet the Cast" section at the end ties the characters to real life figures in history. There are many themes explored in the plot, not the least of which is the idea that shortcuts often lead to more problems than they are worth. Overall, World's Worst Time Machine is a fun romp with lots of excitement and conflicts to keep the reader interested all the way through the post credit scene at the end of the book.½

This is a kid's novel about a kid trapped in a video game and the adventures he experiences. This helps with the student's imagination, and I am sure that kids will be interested in this type of novel because it is about technology and video games. A strong message this novel focuses on is friendship.

I was really excited to read a choose-your-own-adventure type book as I enjoyed them so much as a kid. This, however, was not the enjoyable read I was hoping for.

The choice to write in second person is never, in my experience, a good one. The end result is either preachy or distanced emotionally from the reader and this book is both. The tale presents readers with puzzles to be solved and also asks them to provide dialogue; the interactive nature is reflective of the supposed setting and not a bad technique, but from a narrative standpoint it does nothing helpful. Ultimately, the book is closer to an activity book than a readable one.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for review.

In this book you will have to choose paths and solve puzzles and crimes. The book is so much fun and it's not too easy for adults. The dialog and action are entertaining and fast. The logic and games have had a lot of thought put into them. I recommend having 2 bookmarks when reading it because you will need to go back where you came from sometimes. Honestly, I think it would be great practice for standardized testing reading comprehension. You really need to pay attention to what you are reading and skimming can cause death.

Jesse has to travel inside a videogame in order to save his friend

Choose Your Own Adventure takes on a new meaning in this exciting tale of adventure, puzzles and oh-so-many twists and turns.

This is the second book put out by Mr. Brady, which follows this CYOA style. I didn't get to read the first one, and that doesn't really matter (except for the fact that I'd now love to grab it up, too). This book goes right down the traditional CYOA alley but with a few new twists. The reader can interact a little more with the tale and is prompted to work out things with puzzles and such. It adds a new dimension and a lot more fun.

The story telling itself is fine...nothing amazing, but then, that's not the point of something like this. The tale does draw the reader in and allow them to become part of the excitement as well as steer in unknown directions. Luckily, if the reader dies, they aren't prompted to have to return to page one (because who does that in a traditional CYOA anyway?) but simply leads them back one step to try the other route. If it wasn't this way, I could see frustration raking in quick...and that's also not the point of a 'fun' read.

The adventure suggests that the reader remember their steps, and there are little prizes along the way. In other words, this is so much more than a simple CYOA, and that's great. It isn't literature at its prime, but this does encourage kids to read while doing so much more. In other words, I'm a total fan and have no doubt middle graders will enjoy this one from beginning to end.

Jesse is not a fan of video games, but his best friend Eric is obsessed with Full Blast, an alien invasion game that a classmate's father has provided to some of the boys in his son Chris's class. While looking for Eric, Jesse comes upon the game on the television in Eric's basement, and gets sucked into the game. His right hand is replaced by a blaster, and he and Eric have to play the game. As the game proceeds, they find out that a boy who has gone missing in their neighborhood has also been sucked into the game, and they discover that there is a significant bug in the programming that they have to figure out how to fix the game before they are stuck as well. Of course, since this is the first in a five book series, we know that further adventures await the boys. A short lesson at the back of the book on computer coding and how games are put together is interesting.

There's not a high level of literary quality in this book. In fact, the writing is kind of awful. I intend to buy multiple copies and I expect it to fly off the shelves.

Jesse isn't interested in video games (this is never explained) but he gives in to his friend Eric's mysterious text message to go over to his house... the next thing he knows, he's IN a video game, with Eric! Eric clearly thinks this is the most awesome fun ever - they're fighting aliens, jumping from level to level, and if they get shot they just go back to the beginning of the level. But then something goes wrong and they're trapped. Will they figure out a way to escape? Are they the only people trapped in the game? Oh, yeah, and a booger is a major plot point.

The black and white digital cartoons reminded me of the many, many, many minecraft books I've bought and there's a lot of white space on the pages. Eric appears to have darker skin and hair. The action moves fast, it's violent but only aliens are killed, and video game fans of pretty much any game are sure to grab this off the shelf. There is some slight character development between Eric and Jesse, surrounding their friendship, but it's not an integral part of the story.

Verdict: This is one of those titles that lures reluctant readers and kids who normally prefer a different media, like video games, to books. It's not great literature and the sketchy plot, rapid action, and choppy prose are likely to make English teachers wince, but hand it to your Minecraft, Super Rabbit Boy, and video game fans in general and watch the reading love grow!

ISBN: 9781449494865; Published 2018 by Andrews McMeel; Borrowed from another library in my consortium