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Book Review: Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation

Author: Matt Myklusch
Genre: Middle Grade; Fantasy
Release Date: August, 2010
Source: Library
Rating: 5/5

Description: All Jack Blank knows is his bleak, dreary life at St. Barnaby's Home for the Hopeless, Abandoned, Forgotten, and Lost, an orphanage that sinks further into the swampland of New Jersey with each passing year. His aptitude tests predict that he will spend a long, unhappy career as a toilet brush cleaner. His only chance at escape comes through the comic books donated years ago to the orphanage that he secretly reads in the dark corners of the library.

Everything changes one icy gray morning when Jack receives two visitors that alter his life forever. The first is a deadly robot straight out of one of his comic books that tries its best to blow him up. The second is an emissary from a secret country called the Imagine Nation, an astonishing place where all the fantastic and unbelievable things in our world originate - including Jack.

Jack soon discovers that he has an amazing ability--one that could make him the savior of the Imagine Nation and the world beyond, or the biggest threat they've ever faced.

Review: Two words describe this book: so awesome! I loved it. There are similarities between this series and the Harry Potter series - orphan boy discovers powers he didn't know existed; orphan boy goes to a hidden world - but that's where the similarities end. Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation is in a class of its own.

What I Didn't Like...

  • Um...nothing. I couldn't find any unlikeable thing about this book. Oh, I didn't like that it had to end. I have to actually wait for the next book in the series. Oh, the pain!

What I Did Like...

  • Jack Blank - I loved this character. He's memorable, likeable, funny...I found myself rooting for him throughout the whole book, which is what writers aim for when coming up with protagonists. His last name isn't really Blank, that's just the name they gave because no one knows who his parents are.
  • Imagine Nation - The name of this world is cool in itself, but the actual world is cool, too. Imagine Nation is where you find all creatures that come from the imagination of humans - superheroes, supervillians, aliens, etc. Many of the inhabitants of Imagine Nation are from the comic books Jack loves to read.
  • The Whole Story - This book is full of action! I loved it from beginning to end. It was like one big adventurous ride. The descriptions were awesome. I could actually picture what was happening and what the world would look like. The cover is what drew me in. The story is what kept me in.

I loved loved LOVED this book. I highly recommend it for anyone who likes a good read...especially if you like fantasy books. Boys will love this book. Girls as well as adults will too. I so cannot wait for book #2, Accidental Hero to come out (April 26th).

 

4 comments:

Kristal Shaff said...

I thought that this book was great too. :o)

Unknown said...

It was awesome. Thanks for commenting!

Unknown said...

Oh my goodness! This book is awesome! I finished it a couple of weeks ago, but I checked it out again from the library just so I could read it again! I would definitely reccomend!

Unknown said...

Lol! Yes, it was an awesome read...definitely worth reading again. Thanks for commenting!